diff --git a/x/distribution/keeper/test_common.go b/x/distribution/keeper/test_common.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..01325863af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x/distribution/keeper/test_common.go
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+package keeper
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	abci "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/abci/types"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/crypto"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/crypto/ed25519"
+	dbm "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/libs/db"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/libs/log"
+
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec"
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/store"
+	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/auth"
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/bank"
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/params"
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/stake"
+
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/distribution/types"
+)
+
+var (
+	delPk1       = ed25519.GenPrivKey().PubKey()
+	delPk2       = ed25519.GenPrivKey().PubKey()
+	delPk3       = ed25519.GenPrivKey().PubKey()
+	delAddr1     = sdk.AccAddress(delPk1.Address())
+	delAddr2     = sdk.AccAddress(delPk2.Address())
+	delAddr3     = sdk.AccAddress(delPk3.Address())
+	addrs        = []sdk.AccAddress{delAddr1, delAddr2, delAddr3}
+	emptyDelAddr sdk.AccAddress
+
+	valPk1       = ed25519.GenPrivKey().PubKey()
+	valPk2       = ed25519.GenPrivKey().PubKey()
+	valPk3       = ed25519.GenPrivKey().PubKey()
+	valAddr1     = sdk.ValAddress(delPk1.Address())
+	valAddr2     = sdk.ValAddress(delPk2.Address())
+	valAddr3     = sdk.ValAddress(delPk3.Address())
+	emptyValAddr sdk.ValAddress
+
+	emptyPubkey crypto.PubKey
+)
+
+// create a codec used only for testing
+func MakeTestCodec() *codec.Codec {
+	var cdc = codec.New()
+	bank.RegisterCodec(cdc)
+	stake.RegisterCodec(cdc)
+	auth.RegisterCodec(cdc)
+	sdk.RegisterCodec(cdc)
+	codec.RegisterCrypto(cdc)
+
+	types.RegisterCodec(cdc) // distr
+	return cdc
+}
+
+// hogpodge of all sorts of input required for testing
+func CreateTestInput(t *testing.T, isCheckTx bool, initCoins int64) (sdk.Context, auth.AccountMapper, Keeper) {
+
+	keyDistr := sdk.NewKVStoreKey("distr")
+	tkeyDistr := sdk.NewTransientStoreKey("transient_distr")
+	keyStake := sdk.NewKVStoreKey("stake")
+	tkeyStake := sdk.NewTransientStoreKey("transient_stake")
+	keyAcc := sdk.NewKVStoreKey("acc")
+	keyFeeCollection := sdk.NewKVStoreKey("fee")
+	keyParams := sdk.NewKVStoreKey("params")
+
+	db := dbm.NewMemDB()
+	ms := store.NewCommitMultiStore(db)
+	ms.MountStoreWithDB(tkeyStake, sdk.StoreTypeTransient, nil)
+	ms.MountStoreWithDB(keyStake, sdk.StoreTypeIAVL, db)
+	ms.MountStoreWithDB(keyAcc, sdk.StoreTypeIAVL, db)
+	err := ms.LoadLatestVersion()
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+
+	ctx := sdk.NewContext(ms, abci.Header{ChainID: "foochainid"}, isCheckTx, log.NewNopLogger())
+	cdc := MakeTestCodec()
+	accountMapper := auth.NewAccountMapper(cdc, keyAcc, auth.ProtoBaseAccount)
+	ck := bank.NewBaseKeeper(accountMapper)
+	sk := stake.NewKeeper(cdc, keyStake, tkeyStake, ck, stake.DefaultCodespace)
+	sk.SetPool(ctx, stake.InitialPool())
+	sk.SetParams(ctx, stake.DefaultParams())
+	sk.InitIntraTxCounter(ctx)
+
+	// fill all the addresses with some coins, set the loose pool tokens simultaneously
+	for _, addr := range addrs {
+		pool := sk.GetPool(ctx)
+		_, _, err := ck.AddCoins(ctx, addr, sdk.Coins{
+			{sk.GetParams(ctx).BondDenom, sdk.NewInt(initCoins)},
+		})
+		require.Nil(t, err)
+		pool.LooseTokens = pool.LooseTokens.Add(sdk.NewDec(initCoins))
+		sk.SetPool(ctx, pool)
+	}
+
+	fck := auth.NewFeeCollectionKeeper(cdc, keyFeeCollection)
+	pk := params.NewKeeper(cdc, keyParams)
+	keeper := NewKeeper(cdc, keyDistr, tkeyDistr, pk.Setter(), ck, sk, fck, types.DefaultCodespace)
+
+	return ctx, accountMapper, keeper
+}
diff --git a/x/distribution/keeper/test_utils.go b/x/distribution/keeper/test_utils.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 3ea78cd792..0000000000
--- a/x/distribution/keeper/test_utils.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-package types
-
-import (
-	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
-	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/crypto"
-	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/crypto/ed25519"
-)
-
-var (
-	delPk1       = ed25519.GenPrivKey().PubKey()
-	delPk2       = ed25519.GenPrivKey().PubKey()
-	delPk3       = ed25519.GenPrivKey().PubKey()
-	delAddr1     = sdk.AccAddress(delPk1.Address())
-	delAddr2     = sdk.AccAddress(delPk2.Address())
-	delAddr3     = sdk.AccAddress(delPk3.Address())
-	emptyDelAddr sdk.AccAddress
-
-	valPk1       = ed25519.GenPrivKey().PubKey()
-	valPk2       = ed25519.GenPrivKey().PubKey()
-	valPk3       = ed25519.GenPrivKey().PubKey()
-	valAddr1     = sdk.ValAddress(delPk1.Address())
-	valAddr2     = sdk.ValAddress(delPk2.Address())
-	valAddr3     = sdk.ValAddress(delPk3.Address())
-	emptyValAddr sdk.ValAddress
-
-	emptyPubkey crypto.PubKey
-)