diff --git a/testlib/resources.go b/testlib/resources.go
index 681e6607df..39645104a3 100644
--- a/testlib/resources.go
+++ b/testlib/resources.go
@@ -36,17 +36,26 @@ type testResourceDetails struct {
 	action  int8
 }
 
-// commonBaseSearchPaths is a custom version of what fileutils exposes. At some point, consolidate.
-var commonBaseSearchPaths = []string{
-	".",
-	"..",
-	"../..",
-	"../../..",
-	"../../../..",
+// getCommonBaseSearchPaths() is a custom version of what fileutils exposes. At some point, consolidate.
+func getCommonBaseSearchPaths() []string {
+	paths := []string{
+		".",
+		"..",
+		"../..",
+		"../../..",
+		"../../../..",
+	}
+
+	// this enables the server to be used in tests from a different repository
+	if mmPath := os.Getenv("MM_SERVER_PATH"); mmPath != "" {
+		paths = append(paths, mmPath)
+	}
+
+	return paths
 }
 
 func findFile(path string) string {
-	return fileutils.FindPath(path, commonBaseSearchPaths, func(fileInfo os.FileInfo) bool {
+	return fileutils.FindPath(path, getCommonBaseSearchPaths(), func(fileInfo os.FileInfo) bool {
 		return !fileInfo.IsDir()
 	})
 }
@@ -61,7 +70,7 @@ func findDir(dir string) (string, bool) {
 		return path.Dir(srcPath), true
 	}
 
-	found := fileutils.FindPath(dir, commonBaseSearchPaths, func(fileInfo os.FileInfo) bool {
+	found := fileutils.FindPath(dir, getCommonBaseSearchPaths(), func(fileInfo os.FileInfo) bool {
 		return fileInfo.IsDir()
 	})
 	if found == "" {
diff --git a/utils/i18n.go b/utils/i18n.go
index 6668da5059..43ef776123 100644
--- a/utils/i18n.go
+++ b/utils/i18n.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
+	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -32,7 +33,13 @@ func TranslationsPreInit() error {
 	// segfault trying to handle the error, and the untranslated IDs are strictly better.
 	T = TfuncWithFallback("en")
 	TDefault = TfuncWithFallback("en")
-	return InitTranslationsWithDir("i18n")
+
+	translationsDir := "i18n"
+	if mattermostPath := os.Getenv("MM_SERVER_PATH"); mattermostPath != "" {
+		translationsDir = filepath.Join(mattermostPath, "i18n")
+	}
+
+	return InitTranslationsWithDir(translationsDir)
 }
 
 func InitTranslations(localizationSettings model.LocalizationSettings) error {
@@ -46,7 +53,7 @@ func InitTranslations(localizationSettings model.LocalizationSettings) error {
 func InitTranslationsWithDir(dir string) error {
 	i18nDirectory, found := fileutils.FindDirRelBinary(dir)
 	if !found {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Unable to find i18n directory")
+		return fmt.Errorf(fmt.Sprintf("Unable to find i18n directory at %q", dir))
 	}
 
 	files, _ := ioutil.ReadDir(i18nDirectory)