diff --git a/packages/preserve-inputs/labeler.js b/packages/preserve-inputs/labeler.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 2fe0217f2c..0000000000
--- a/packages/preserve-inputs/labeler.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-PreserveInputs = {};
-
-PreserveInputs.idNameLabeler = function(n) {
-  var label = null;
-
-  if (n.nodeType === 1) {
-    if (n.id) {
-      label = '#' + n.id;
-    } else if (n.getAttribute("name")) {
-      label = n.getAttribute("name");
-      // Radio button special case:  radio buttons
-      // in a group all have the same name.  Their value
-      // determines their identity.
-      // Checkboxes with the same name and different
-      // values are also sometimes used in apps, so
-      // we treat them similarly.
-      if (n.nodeName === 'INPUT' &&
-          (n.type === 'radio' || n.type === 'checkbox') &&
-          n.value)
-        label = label + ':' + n.value;
-
-      // include parent names and IDs up to enclosing ID
-      // in the label
-      while (n.parentNode &&
-             n.parentNode.nodeType === 1) { // ELEMENT
-          n = n.parentNode;
-        if (n.id) {
-          label = '#' + n.id + "/" + label;
-          break;
-        } else if (n.getAttribute('name')) {
-          label = n.getAttribute('name') + "/" + label;
-        }
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-  return label;
-};
diff --git a/packages/preserve-inputs/package.js b/packages/preserve-inputs/package.js
index 1cc41f59fe..805cb64e8e 100644
--- a/packages/preserve-inputs/package.js
+++ b/packages/preserve-inputs/package.js
@@ -4,9 +4,5 @@ Package.describe({
 
 Package.on_use(function (api, where) {
   api.use(['underscore', 'spark', 'templating']);
-  api.add_files(["labeler.js", "preserve-inputs.js"], "client");
+  api.add_files("preserve-inputs.js", "client");
 });
-
-/*Package.on_test(function (api) {
-  api.add_files('labeler.js', 'client');
-});*/
diff --git a/packages/preserve-inputs/preserve-inputs.js b/packages/preserve-inputs/preserve-inputs.js
index e44dae3acf..55747ebf3d 100644
--- a/packages/preserve-inputs/preserve-inputs.js
+++ b/packages/preserve-inputs/preserve-inputs.js
@@ -1,9 +1,51 @@
-
 (function () {
-  var inputTags = 'input textarea button select option'.split(' ');
-  var selector = _.map(inputTags, function (t) {
-    return t.replace(/^.*$/, '$&[id], $&[name]');
-  }).join(', ');
 
-  Spark._globalPreserves[selector] = PreserveInputs.idNameLabeler;
+PreserveInputs = {};
+
+var inputTags = 'input textarea button select option'.split(' ');
+
+PreserveInputs.selector = _.map(inputTags, function (t) {
+  return t.replace(/^.*$/, '$&[id], $&[name]');
+}).join(', ');
+
+PreserveInputs.idNameLabeler = function(n) {
+  var label = null;
+
+  if (n.nodeType === 1) {
+    if (n.id) {
+      label = '#' + n.id;
+    } else if (n.getAttribute("name")) {
+      label = n.getAttribute("name");
+      // Radio button special case:  radio buttons
+      // in a group all have the same name.  Their value
+      // determines their identity.
+      // Checkboxes with the same name and different
+      // values are also sometimes used in apps, so
+      // we treat them similarly.
+      if (n.nodeName === 'INPUT' &&
+          (n.type === 'radio' || n.type === 'checkbox') &&
+          n.value)
+        label = label + ':' + n.value;
+
+      // include parent names and IDs up to enclosing ID
+      // in the label
+      while (n.parentNode &&
+             n.parentNode.nodeType === 1) { // ELEMENT
+          n = n.parentNode;
+        if (n.id) {
+          label = '#' + n.id + "/" + label;
+          break;
+        } else if (n.getAttribute('name')) {
+          label = n.getAttribute('name') + "/" + label;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return label;
+};
+
+Spark._globalPreserves[PreserveInputs.selector] =
+    PreserveInputs.idNameLabeler;
+
 })();
diff --git a/packages/spark/package.js b/packages/spark/package.js
index 2c28577c71..a204eaf269 100644
--- a/packages/spark/package.js
+++ b/packages/spark/package.js
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ Package.on_use(function (api) {
 Package.on_test(function (api) {
   api.use('tinytest');
   api.use(['spark', 'test-helpers'], 'client');
+  // we include preserve inputs just for idNameLabeler;
+  // we deactivate the default preservation in spark_tests.js
+  api.use('preserve-inputs', 'client');
 
   api.add_files('test_form_responder.js', 'server');
 
diff --git a/packages/spark/spark_tests.js b/packages/spark/spark_tests.js
index 16ddddbd29..007607e6a1 100644
--- a/packages/spark/spark_tests.js
+++ b/packages/spark/spark_tests.js
@@ -8,49 +8,17 @@ Spark._checkIECompliance = true;
 
 (function () {
 
-var legacyLabels = {
-  '*[id], *[name]': function(n) {
-    var label = null;
+// deactivate the automatic global preservation we get
+// from including the preserve-inputs package
+Spark._globalPreserves = {};
 
-    if (n.nodeType === 1) {
-      if (n.id) {
-        label = '#' + n.id;
-      } else if (n.getAttribute("name")) {
-        label = n.getAttribute("name");
-        // Radio button special case:  radio buttons
-        // in a group all have the same name.  Their value
-        // determines their identity.
-        // Checkboxes with the same name and different
-        // values are also sometimes used in apps, so
-        // we treat them similarly.
-        if (n.nodeName === 'INPUT' &&
-            (n.type === 'radio' || n.type === 'checkbox') &&
-            n.value)
-          label = label + ':' + n.value;
-
-        // include parent names and IDs up to enclosing ID
-        // in the label
-        while (n.parentNode &&
-               n.parentNode.nodeType === 1) { // ELEMENT
-          n = n.parentNode;
-          if (n.id) {
-            label = '#' + n.id + "/" + label;
-            break;
-          } else if (n.getAttribute('name')) {
-            label = n.getAttribute('name') + "/" + label;
-          }
-        }
-      }
-    }
-
-    return label;
-  }
+var idNameLabels = {
+  '*[id], *[name]': PreserveInputs.idNameLabeler
 };
 
-var renderWithLegacyLabels = function (htmlFunc) {
+var renderWithPreservation = function (htmlFunc) {
   return Meteor.render(function () {
-    return Spark.createLandmark({ preserve: legacyLabels },
-                                htmlFunc);
+    return Spark.createLandmark({ preserve: idNameLabels}, htmlFunc);
   });
 };
 
@@ -818,7 +786,7 @@ Tinytest.add("spark - tables", function (test) {
   Meteor.flush();
   test.equal(R.numListeners(), 0);
 
-  div = OnscreenDiv(renderWithLegacyLabels(function() {
+  div = OnscreenDiv(renderWithPreservation(function() {
     return '<table id="my-awesome-table">'+R.get()+'</table>';
   }));
   Meteor.flush();
@@ -1391,7 +1359,7 @@ Tinytest.add("spark - preserve copies attributes", function(test) {
   var R1 = ReactiveVar("foo");
   var R2 = ReactiveVar("abcd");
 
-  var frag = WrappedFrag(renderWithLegacyLabels(function() {
+  var frag = WrappedFrag(renderWithPreservation(function() {
     return '<div puppy="'+R1.get()+'"><div><div><div><input name="blah" kittycat="'+
       R2.get()+'"></div></div></div></div>';
   })).hold();
@@ -1415,7 +1383,7 @@ Tinytest.add("spark - preserve copies attributes", function(test) {
 
   var R;
   R = ReactiveVar(false);
-  frag = WrappedFrag(renderWithLegacyLabels(function() {
+  frag = WrappedFrag(renderWithPreservation(function() {
     return '<input id="foo" type="checkbox"' + (R.get() ? ' checked="checked"' : '') + '>';
   })).hold();
   var get_checked = function() { return !! frag.node().firstChild.checked; };
@@ -1435,7 +1403,7 @@ Tinytest.add("spark - preserve copies attributes", function(test) {
   test.equal(get_checked(), true);
   frag.release();
   R = ReactiveVar(true);
-  frag = WrappedFrag(renderWithLegacyLabels(function() {
+  frag = WrappedFrag(renderWithPreservation(function() {
     return '<input type="checkbox"' + (R.get() ? ' checked="checked"' : '') + '>';
   })).hold();
   test.equal(get_checked(), true);
@@ -1450,7 +1418,7 @@ Tinytest.add("spark - preserve copies attributes", function(test) {
 
   _.each([false, true], function(with_focus) {
     R = ReactiveVar("apple");
-    var div = OnscreenDiv(renderWithLegacyLabels(function() {
+    var div = OnscreenDiv(renderWithPreservation(function() {
       return '<input id="foo" type="text" value="' + R.get() + '">';
     }));
     var maybe_focus = function(div) {
@@ -1482,7 +1450,7 @@ Tinytest.add("spark - preserve copies attributes", function(test) {
     test.equal(get_value(), if_blurred("steve", "jerry"));
     div.kill();
     R = ReactiveVar("");
-    div = OnscreenDiv(renderWithLegacyLabels(function() {
+    div = OnscreenDiv(renderWithPreservation(function() {
       return '<input id="foo" type="text" value="' + R.get() + '">';
     }));
     maybe_focus(div);
@@ -1504,7 +1472,7 @@ Tinytest.add("spark - bad labels", function(test) {
 
   var go = function(html1, html2) {
     var R = ReactiveVar(true);
-    var frag = WrappedFrag(renderWithLegacyLabels(function() {
+    var frag = WrappedFrag(renderWithPreservation(function() {
       return R.get() ? html1 : html2;
     })).hold();
 
@@ -1670,7 +1638,7 @@ Tinytest.add("spark - landmark patching", function(test) {
     var R = ReactiveVar(false);
     var structure = randomNodeList(null, 6);
     var frag = WrappedFrag(Meteor.render(function () {
-      return Spark.createLandmark({ preserve: legacyLabels }, function () {
+      return Spark.createLandmark({ preserve: idNameLabels }, function () {
         return nodeListToHtml(structure, R.get());
       });
     })).hold();
@@ -1871,7 +1839,7 @@ Tinytest.add("spark - leaderboard", function(test) {
   var players = new LocalCollection();
   var selected_player = ReactiveVar();
 
-  var scores = OnscreenDiv(renderWithLegacyLabels(function() {
+  var scores = OnscreenDiv(renderWithPreservation(function() {
     var html = Spark.list(
       players.find({}, {sort: {score: -1}}),
       function(player) {
@@ -1888,7 +1856,7 @@ Tinytest.add("spark - leaderboard", function(test) {
               '<div name="score">' + player.score + '</div></div>';
             html = Spark.setDataContext(player, html);
             html = Spark.createLandmark(
-              {preserve: legacyLabels},
+              {preserve: idNameLabels},
               function() { return html; });
             return html;
           });
@@ -2034,7 +2002,7 @@ Tinytest.add("spark - list table", function(test) {
             var html = "<tr><td>"+doc.value + (doc.reactive ? R.get() : '')+
               "</td></tr>";
             html = Spark.createLandmark(
-              {preserve: legacyLabels},
+              {preserve: idNameLabels},
               function() { return html; });
             return html;
           });
@@ -2255,7 +2223,7 @@ Tinytest.add("spark - list event data", function(test) {
 
 Tinytest.add("spark - events on preserved nodes", function(test) {
   var count = ReactiveVar(0);
-  var demo = OnscreenDiv(renderWithLegacyLabels(function() {
+  var demo = OnscreenDiv(renderWithPreservation(function() {
     var html = Spark.isolate(function () {
       return '<div class="button_demo">'+
         '<input type="button" name="press" value="Press this button">'+
@@ -2389,7 +2357,7 @@ var make_input_tester = function(render_func, events) {
 
   var R = ReactiveVar(0);
   var div = OnscreenDiv(
-    renderWithLegacyLabels(function() {
+    renderWithPreservation(function() {
       R.get(); // create dependency
       var html = render_func();
       html = Spark.attachEvents(events, html);
@@ -2669,7 +2637,7 @@ Tinytest.add("spark - controls", function(test) {
 
   var R = ReactiveVar("");
   var change_buf = [];
-  var div = OnscreenDiv(renderWithLegacyLabels(function() {
+  var div = OnscreenDiv(renderWithPreservation(function() {
     var buf = [];
     buf.push("Band: ");
     _.each(["AM", "FM", "XM"], function(band) {
@@ -2742,7 +2710,7 @@ Tinytest.add("spark - controls", function(test) {
   // Textarea
 
   R = ReactiveVar({x:"test"});
-  div = OnscreenDiv(renderWithLegacyLabels(function() {
+  div = OnscreenDiv(renderWithPreservation(function() {
     return '<textarea id="mytextarea">This is a '+
       R.get().x+'</textarea>';
   }));
@@ -3691,7 +3659,7 @@ Tinytest.add("spark - legacy preserve names", function (test) {
   var R = ReactiveVar("foo");
   var R2 = ReactiveVar("apple");
 
-  var div = OnscreenDiv(renderWithLegacyLabels(function () {
+  var div = OnscreenDiv(renderWithPreservation(function () {
     R.get(); // create dependency
     return ('<div id="aaa"><div><input name="field"></div></div>' +
             '<div id="bbb"><div><input name="field"></div></div>' +