diff --git a/tests/actofgod-test b/tests/actofgod-test
index 4f86a4bf..c12e5f62 100755
--- a/tests/actofgod-test
+++ b/tests/actofgod-test
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ create_sandbox
 cat >>sandbox/etc/empire/econfig <<EOF
 WORLD_X 24
 WORLD_Y 16
+GODNEWS 1
 EOF
 
 begin_test "$srcdir"/tests/actofgod/init_script
diff --git a/tests/fire-test b/tests/fire-test
index dfee3627..9d711ad3 100755
--- a/tests/fire-test
+++ b/tests/fire-test
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ cat >>sandbox/etc/empire/econfig <<EOF
 WORLD_X 32
 WORLD_Y 16
 EASY_BRIDGES 1
-GODNEWS 0
 EOF
 
 begin_test "$srcdir"/tests/fire/init_script
diff --git a/tests/smoke/journal.log b/tests/smoke/journal.log
index bcae41fc..f9684628 100644
--- a/tests/smoke/journal.log
+++ b/tests/smoke/journal.log
@@ -15878,7 +15878,7 @@
     Play#0 input xdump version *
     Play#0 command xdump
     Play#0 output Play#0 1 XDUMP version 0
-    Play#0 output Play#0 1 "Wolfpack\\040Empire\\0404.3.32" 99 "Deity\\040forgot\\040to\\040edit\\040econfig" "careless@invalid" 64 32 60 0 0 1 "" "" "" 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0.00120000 1440 640 15 5 120 0 1.00000 96.0000 2.00000 2.00000 192.000 48.0000 600000. 600000. 1.00000 127 100 1000.00 10.0000 300 3000.00 100.000 1.00000 2.00000 127 -0.00100000 1.00000 2.00000 127 -0.00100000 1.50000 3.00000 127 -0.00100000 40 8 8 8 1.75000 5.00000 1.00000 0.300000 0.100000 0.500000 1.00000 2 0.00250000 0.00833330 -0.0833333 -0.00833330 0.00177770 0.00600000 0.250000 0.000500000 0.00130000 0.00120000 0.00500000 50 0.00600000 0.00500000 0.00000 7200 7200 1.00000 0.990000 8 14 25 0.0250000 0.0350000 0.0500000 0.200000 0.100000
+    Play#0 output Play#0 1 "Wolfpack\\040Empire\\0404.3.32" 99 "Deity\\040forgot\\040to\\040edit\\040econfig" "careless@invalid" 64 32 60 0 0 1 "" "" "" 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0.00120000 1440 640 15 5 120 0 1.00000 96.0000 2.00000 2.00000 192.000 48.0000 600000. 600000. 1.00000 127 100 1000.00 10.0000 300 3000.00 100.000 1.00000 2.00000 127 -0.00100000 1.00000 2.00000 127 -0.00100000 1.50000 3.00000 127 -0.00100000 40 8 8 8 1.75000 5.00000 1.00000 0.300000 0.100000 0.500000 1.00000 2 0.00250000 0.00833330 -0.0833333 -0.00833330 0.00177770 0.00600000 0.250000 0.000500000 0.00130000 0.00120000 0.00500000 50 0.00600000 0.00500000 0.00000 7200 7200 1.00000 0.990000 8 14 25 0.0250000 0.0350000 0.0500000 0.200000 0.100000
     Play#0 output Play#0 1 /1
     Play#0 output Play#0 6 4 640
     Play#0 input xdump meta *
@@ -16628,7 +16628,7 @@
     Play#1 input xdump version *
     Play#1 command xdump
     Play#1 output Play#1 1 XDUMP version 0
-    Play#1 output Play#1 1 "Wolfpack\\040Empire\\0404.3.32" 99 "Deity\\040forgot\\040to\\040edit\\040econfig" "careless@invalid" 64 32 60 0 0 1 "" "" "" 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0.00120000 1440 640 15 5 120 0 1.00000 96.0000 2.00000 2.00000 192.000 48.0000 600000. 600000. 1.00000 127 100 1000.00 10.0000 300 3000.00 100.000 1.00000 2.00000 127 -0.00100000 1.00000 2.00000 127 -0.00100000 1.50000 3.00000 127 -0.00100000 40 8 8 8 1.75000 5.00000 1.00000 0.300000 0.100000 0.500000 1.00000 2 0.00250000 0.00833330 -0.0833333 -0.00833330 0.00177770 0.00600000 0.250000 0.000500000 0.00130000 0.00120000 0.00500000 50 0.00600000 0.00500000 0.00000 7200 7200 1.00000 0.990000 8 14 25 0.0250000 0.0350000 0.0500000 0.200000 0.100000
+    Play#1 output Play#1 1 "Wolfpack\\040Empire\\0404.3.32" 99 "Deity\\040forgot\\040to\\040edit\\040econfig" "careless@invalid" 64 32 60 0 0 1 "" "" "" 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0.00120000 1440 640 15 5 120 0 1.00000 96.0000 2.00000 2.00000 192.000 48.0000 600000. 600000. 1.00000 127 100 1000.00 10.0000 300 3000.00 100.000 1.00000 2.00000 127 -0.00100000 1.00000 2.00000 127 -0.00100000 1.50000 3.00000 127 -0.00100000 40 8 8 8 1.75000 5.00000 1.00000 0.300000 0.100000 0.500000 1.00000 2 0.00250000 0.00833330 -0.0833333 -0.00833330 0.00177770 0.00600000 0.250000 0.000500000 0.00130000 0.00120000 0.00500000 50 0.00600000 0.00500000 0.00000 7200 7200 1.00000 0.990000 8 14 25 0.0250000 0.0350000 0.0500000 0.200000 0.100000
     Play#1 output Play#1 1 /1
     Play#1 output Play#1 6 4 640
     Play#1 input xdump meta *
diff --git a/tests/test-common.sh b/tests/test-common.sh
index 6f442b38..506d69b5 100644
--- a/tests/test-common.sh
+++ b/tests/test-common.sh
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ info "../../../../info.nr"
 builtin "../../share/empire/builtin"
 listen_addr "$EMPIREHOST"
 keep_journal 2
+GODNEWS 0
 EOF
     cp `git ls-files "$srcdir"/src/lib/global | grep '\.config$'` sandbox/share/empire/builtin
 }