diff --git a/test/helper.py b/test/helper.py
index 842ffc2fd3..a2b468b509 100644
--- a/test/helper.py
+++ b/test/helper.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import io
 import json
 import os.path
 
+import youtube_dl.extractor
 from youtube_dl import YoutubeDL, YoutubeDLHandler
 from youtube_dl.utils import (
     compat_cookiejar,
@@ -30,4 +31,14 @@ class FakeYDL(YoutubeDL):
     def trouble(self, s, tb=None):
         raise Exception(s)
     def download(self, x):
-        self.result.append(x)
\ No newline at end of file
+        self.result.append(x)
+
+def get_testcases():
+    for ie in youtube_dl.extractor.gen_extractors():
+        t = getattr(ie, '_TEST', None)
+        if t:
+            t['name'] = type(ie).__name__[:-len('IE')]
+            yield t
+        for t in getattr(ie, '_TESTS', []):
+            t['name'] = type(ie).__name__[:-len('IE')]
+            yield t
diff --git a/test/test_download.py b/test/test_download.py
index 019498f625..db43e99620 100644
--- a/test/test_download.py
+++ b/test/test_download.py
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ import youtube_dl.YoutubeDL
 import youtube_dl.extractor
 from youtube_dl.utils import *
 
-DEF_FILE = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), 'tests.json')
 PARAMETERS_FILE = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), "parameters.json")
 
 RETRIES = 3
@@ -56,17 +55,8 @@ def _file_md5(fn):
     with open(fn, 'rb') as f:
         return hashlib.md5(f.read()).hexdigest()
 
-with io.open(DEF_FILE, encoding='utf-8') as deff:
-    defs = json.load(deff)
-for ie in youtube_dl.extractor.gen_extractors():
-    t = getattr(ie, '_TEST', None)
-    if t:
-        t['name'] = type(ie).__name__[:-len('IE')]
-        defs.append(t)
-    for t in getattr(ie, '_TESTS', []):
-        t['name'] = type(ie).__name__[:-len('IE')]
-        defs.append(t)
-
+from helper import get_testcases
+defs = get_testcases()
 
 with io.open(PARAMETERS_FILE, encoding='utf-8') as pf:
     parameters = json.load(pf)
diff --git a/test/tests.json b/test/tests.json
deleted file mode 100644
index fe51488c70..0000000000
--- a/test/tests.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-[]