diff --git a/src/browser/atom-application.coffee b/src/browser/atom-application.coffee
index af6a45763..3e1f19f17 100644
--- a/src/browser/atom-application.coffee
+++ b/src/browser/atom-application.coffee
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 AtomWindow = require './atom-window'
 ApplicationMenu = require './application-menu'
 AtomProtocolHandler = require './atom-protocol-handler'
-AutoUpdateManager = require './auto-update-manager'
 BrowserWindow = require 'browser-window'
 StorageFolder = require '../storage-folder'
 Menu = require 'menu'
@@ -71,7 +70,9 @@ class AtomApplication
     @pathsToOpen ?= []
     @windows = []
 
-    @autoUpdateManager = new AutoUpdateManager(@version)
+    unless options.test
+      AutoUpdateManager = require './auto-update-manager'
+      @autoUpdateManager = new AutoUpdateManager(@version)
     @applicationMenu = new ApplicationMenu(@version)
     @atomProtocolHandler = new AtomProtocolHandler(@resourcePath, @safeMode)
 
@@ -110,8 +111,9 @@ class AtomApplication
   addWindow: (window) ->
     @windows.push window
     @applicationMenu?.addWindow(window.browserWindow)
-    window.once 'window:loaded', =>
-      @autoUpdateManager.emitUpdateAvailableEvent(window)
+    if @autoUpdateManager
+      window.once 'window:loaded', =>
+        @autoUpdateManager.emitUpdateAvailableEvent(window)
 
     unless window.isSpec
       focusHandler = => @lastFocusedWindow = window
@@ -185,8 +187,8 @@ class AtomApplication
     @on 'application:report-issue', -> require('shell').openExternal('https://github.com/atom/atom/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md#submitting-issues')
     @on 'application:search-issues', -> require('shell').openExternal('https://github.com/issues?q=+is%3Aissue+user%3Aatom')
 
-    @on 'application:install-update', -> @autoUpdateManager.install()
-    @on 'application:check-for-update', => @autoUpdateManager.check()
+    @on 'application:install-update', -> @autoUpdateManager?.install()
+    @on 'application:check-for-update', => @autoUpdateManager?.check()
 
     if process.platform is 'darwin'
       @on 'application:about', -> Menu.sendActionToFirstResponder('orderFrontStandardAboutPanel:')