diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/ApplicationContextInit.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/ApplicationContextInit.java
index 2f307ffe2e..1f6a2e6c13 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/ApplicationContextInit.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/ApplicationContextInit.java
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ public class ApplicationContextInit extends ExternalResource
         return new ApplicationContextInit(contextsAsArray);
     }
     
-    @Override protected void before() throws Throwable
+    @Override protected void before()
     {
         // Were any context locations specified in the constructor?
         if (configLocations.length > 0)
@@ -144,6 +144,11 @@ public class ApplicationContextInit extends ExternalResource
      */
     public ApplicationContext getApplicationContext()
     {
+        if (this.appContext == null)
+        {
+            // Chain order is wrong, try to help out by doing the @Before now
+            before();
+        }
         return this.appContext;
     }
     
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/TemporaryNodes.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/TemporaryNodes.java
index 299016cff9..2971bcde74 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/TemporaryNodes.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/TemporaryNodes.java
@@ -142,6 +142,24 @@ public class TemporaryNodes extends ExternalResource
      * @return the newly created NodeRef.
      */
     public NodeRef createNodeWithTextContent(final NodeRef parentNode, final String nodeCmName, final QName nodeType, final String nodeCreator, final String textContent)
+    {
+        QName childName = QName.createQName(NamespaceService.APP_MODEL_1_0_URI, nodeCmName);
+        return createNodeWithTextContent(parentNode, childName, nodeCmName, nodeType, nodeCreator, textContent);
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * This method creates a NodeRef with some text/plain, UTF-8 content and adds it to the internal list of NodeRefs to be tidied up by the rule.
+     * This method will be run in its own transaction and will be run with the specified user as the fully authenticated user,
+     * thus ensuring the named user is the cm:creator of the new node.
+     * 
+     * @param parentNode the parent node
+     * @param nodeCmName the cm:name of the new node
+     * @param nodeType   the type of the new node
+     * @param nodeCreator the username of the person who will create the node
+     * @param textContent the text/plain, UTF-8 content that will be stored in the node's content. <code>null</code> content will not be written.
+     * @return the newly created NodeRef.
+     */
+    public NodeRef createNodeWithTextContent(final NodeRef parentNode, final QName childName, final String nodeCmName, final QName nodeType, final String nodeCreator, final String textContent)
     {
         final RetryingTransactionHelper transactionHelper = (RetryingTransactionHelper) appContextRule.getApplicationContext().getBean("retryingTransactionHelper");
         
@@ -156,7 +174,6 @@ public class TemporaryNodes extends ExternalResource
                 
                 Map<QName, Serializable> props = new HashMap<QName, Serializable>();
                 props.put(ContentModel.PROP_NAME, nodeCmName);
-                QName childName = QName.createQName(NamespaceService.APP_MODEL_1_0_URI, nodeCmName);
                 ChildAssociationRef childAssoc = nodeService.createNode(parentNode,
                             ContentModel.ASSOC_CONTAINS,
                             childName,
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/WellKnownNodes.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/WellKnownNodes.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d321ae8c0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/WellKnownNodes.java
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2005-2012
+ Alfresco Software Limited.
+ *
+ * This file is part of Alfresco
+ *
+ * Alfresco is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * Alfresco is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ * along with Alfresco. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+package org.alfresco.util.test.junitrules;
+
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.alfresco.model.ContentModel;
+import org.alfresco.repo.model.Repository;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.ChildAssociationRef;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.NodeRef;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.NodeService;
+import org.alfresco.service.namespace.NamespaceService;
+import org.alfresco.service.namespace.QName;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
+import org.junit.rules.ExternalResource;
+
+/**
+ * A JUnit rule designed to help with finding well known nodes
+ *  in the system. It provides functionality similar to
+ *  {@link Repository}, but with extra nodes needed for testing
+ * 
+ * @author Nick Burch
+ * @since Odin
+ */
+public class WellKnownNodes extends ExternalResource
+{
+    private static final Log log = LogFactory.getLog(WellKnownNodes.class);
+    
+    private final ApplicationContextInit appContextRule;
+    private final Repository repositoryHelper;
+    private final NodeService nodeService;
+    
+    private static QName SYSTEM_FOLDER_QNAME = 
+        QName.createQName(NamespaceService.SYSTEM_MODEL_1_0_URI, "system");
+    
+    /**
+     * Constructs the rule with a reference to a {@link ApplicationContextInit rule} which can be used to retrieve the ApplicationContext.
+     * 
+     * @param appContextRule a rule which can be used to retrieve the spring app context.
+     */
+    public WellKnownNodes(ApplicationContextInit appContextRule)
+    {
+        this.appContextRule = appContextRule;
+        this.repositoryHelper = (Repository)appContextRule.getApplicationContext().getBean("repositoryHelper");
+        this.nodeService = (NodeService)appContextRule.getApplicationContext().getBean("NodeService");
+    }
+    
+    
+    @Override protected void before() throws Throwable
+    {
+        // Intentionally empty
+    }
+    
+    @Override protected void after()
+    {
+        // Intentionally empty
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Returns the root of the workspace store
+     */
+    public NodeRef getWorkspaceRoot()
+    {
+        return repositoryHelper.getRootHome();
+    }
+    /**
+     * Returns company home
+     */
+    public NodeRef getCompanyHome()
+    {
+        return repositoryHelper.getCompanyHome();
+    }
+    /**
+     * Returns the system root
+     */
+    public NodeRef getSystemRoot()
+    {
+        NodeRef root = getWorkspaceRoot();
+        List<ChildAssociationRef> sysRefs = nodeService.getChildAssocs(
+                root, ContentModel.ASSOC_CHILDREN, SYSTEM_FOLDER_QNAME);
+        if (sysRefs.size() != 1)
+        {
+            throw new IllegalStateException("System folder missing / duplicated! Found " + sysRefs);
+        }
+        final NodeRef system = sysRefs.get(0).getChildRef();
+        return system;
+    }
+    /**
+     * Returns the given System Container
+     */
+    public NodeRef getSystemContainer(QName containerName)
+    {
+        NodeRef system = getSystemRoot();
+        List<ChildAssociationRef> containerRefs = nodeService.getChildAssocs(
+                system, ContentModel.ASSOC_CHILDREN, containerName);
+        if (containerRefs.size() != 1)
+        {
+            throw new IllegalStateException("System Container " + containerName + " missing / duplicated! Found " + containerRefs);
+        }
+        final NodeRef container = containerRefs.get(0).getChildRef();
+        return container;
+    }
+}