diff --git a/test/helpers/unpack-theme.nix b/test/helpers/unpack-theme.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..69d2eebe530
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/helpers/unpack-theme.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{stdenv, theme}:
+
+stdenv.mkDerivation {
+  name = "theme";
+  builder = ./unpack-theme.sh;
+  inherit theme;
+}
diff --git a/test/upstart-jobs/unpack-theme.sh b/test/helpers/unpack-theme.sh
similarity index 92%
rename from test/upstart-jobs/unpack-theme.sh
rename to test/helpers/unpack-theme.sh
index c3a860692e5..6eda7bcfbd4 100644
--- a/test/upstart-jobs/unpack-theme.sh
+++ b/test/helpers/unpack-theme.sh
@@ -14,3 +14,5 @@ for i in $out/$themeName/config/*.cfg; do
 done
 
 rm $out/$themeName/config/*.cfg
+
+ln -s $themeName $out/default
diff --git a/test/upstart-jobs/tty-backgrounds-combine.sh b/test/upstart-jobs/tty-backgrounds-combine.sh
index 50bab1fcd8c..894952d6940 100644
--- a/test/upstart-jobs/tty-backgrounds-combine.sh
+++ b/test/upstart-jobs/tty-backgrounds-combine.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ for ((n = 0; n < ${#ttys[*]}; n++)); do
 
     echo "TTY $tty -> $theme"
 
-    themeName=$(cd $theme && ls)
+    themeName=$(cd $theme && ls | grep -v default)
     
     ln -sf $theme/$themeName $out/$themeName
 
diff --git a/test/upstart-jobs/tty-backgrounds.nix b/test/upstart-jobs/tty-backgrounds.nix
index 3282a879279..abe6f52305a 100644
--- a/test/upstart-jobs/tty-backgrounds.nix
+++ b/test/upstart-jobs/tty-backgrounds.nix
@@ -3,10 +3,8 @@
 rec {
   name = "tty-backgrounds";
 
-  unpackTheme = theme: stdenv.mkDerivation {
-    name = "theme";
-    builder = ./unpack-theme.sh;
-    inherit theme;
+  unpackTheme = theme: import ../helpers/unpack-theme.nix {
+    inherit stdenv theme;
   };
 
   themesUnpacked = stdenv.mkDerivation {