diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/web/scripts/BaseWebScriptTest.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/web/scripts/BaseWebScriptTest.java
index 4a734a9603..ccdd0c4e50 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/web/scripts/BaseWebScriptTest.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/web/scripts/BaseWebScriptTest.java
@@ -67,8 +67,7 @@ public abstract class BaseWebScriptTest extends TestCase
     private boolean traceReqRes = false;
 
     // Local Server access
-    private static String customContext = null;
-    private static TestWebScriptServer server = null;
+    private String customContext = null;
     
     // Remote Server access
     private String defaultRunAs = null;
@@ -156,9 +155,9 @@ public abstract class BaseWebScriptTest extends TestCase
      * Sets custom context for Test Web Script Server (in-process only)
      * @param customContext
      */
-    public static void setCustomContext(String customContext)
+    protected void setCustomContext(String customContext)
     {
-        BaseWebScriptTest.customContext = customContext;
+        this.customContext = customContext;
     }
     
     /**
@@ -237,20 +236,19 @@ public abstract class BaseWebScriptTest extends TestCase
         }
     }
     
-    protected static TestWebScriptServer getServer()
+    /**
+     * Get the server for the previously-supplied {@link #setCustomContext(String) custom context}
+     */
+    protected TestWebScriptServer getServer()
     {
-        if (BaseWebScriptTest.server == null)
+        if (customContext == null)
         {
-            if (BaseWebScriptTest.customContext == null)
-            {
-                BaseWebScriptTest.server = TestWebScriptRepoServer.getTestServer();
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                BaseWebScriptTest.server = TestWebScriptRepoServer.getTestServer(customContext);
-            }
+            return TestWebScriptRepoServer.getTestServer();
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            return TestWebScriptRepoServer.getTestServer(customContext);
         }
-        return BaseWebScriptTest.server;
     }
     
 
@@ -348,7 +346,7 @@ public abstract class BaseWebScriptTest extends TestCase
         asUser = (asUser == null) ? defaultRunAs : asUser;
         if (asUser == null)
         {
-            return BaseWebScriptTest.getServer().submitRequest(req.getMethod(), req.getFullUri(), req.getHeaders(), req.getBody(), req.getEncoding(), req.getType());
+            return getServer().submitRequest(req.getMethod(), req.getFullUri(), req.getHeaders(), req.getBody(), req.getEncoding(), req.getType());
         }
         else
         {
@@ -358,7 +356,7 @@ public abstract class BaseWebScriptTest extends TestCase
                 @SuppressWarnings("synthetic-access")
                 public Response doWork() throws Exception
                 {
-                    return BaseWebScriptTest.getServer().submitRequest(req.getMethod(), req.getFullUri(), req.getHeaders(), req.getBody(), req.getEncoding(), req.getType());
+                    return getServer().submitRequest(req.getMethod(), req.getFullUri(), req.getHeaders(), req.getBody(), req.getEncoding(), req.getType());
                 }
             }, asUser);
         }
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/web/scripts/TestWebScriptRepoServer.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/web/scripts/TestWebScriptRepoServer.java
index ea707529d2..a34d5e9ccc 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/web/scripts/TestWebScriptRepoServer.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/web/scripts/TestWebScriptRepoServer.java
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ import org.alfresco.repo.security.authentication.AuthenticationUtil.RunAsWork;
 import org.alfresco.repo.transaction.RetryingTransactionHelper;
 import org.alfresco.repo.transaction.RetryingTransactionHelper.RetryingTransactionCallback;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.security.AuthenticationService;
+import org.alfresco.util.EqualsHelper;
 import org.alfresco.web.scripts.TestWebScriptServer;
-import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext;
 
 
@@ -46,34 +46,6 @@ import org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext;
  */
 public class TestWebScriptRepoServer extends TestWebScriptServer
 {
-    private RetryingTransactionHelper retryingTransactionHelper;
-    private AuthenticationService authenticationService;
-    
-    
-    /**
-     * Sets helper that provides transaction callbacks
-     */
-    public void setTransactionHelper(RetryingTransactionHelper retryingTransactionHelper)
-    {
-        this.retryingTransactionHelper = retryingTransactionHelper;
-    }
-    
-    /**
-     * @param authenticationService
-     */
-    public void setAuthenticationService(AuthenticationService authenticationService)
-    {
-        this.authenticationService = authenticationService;
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Get default user name
-     */
-    protected String getDefaultUserName()
-    {
-        return AuthenticationUtil.getAdminUserName();
-    }
-
     /**
      * Main entry point.
      */
@@ -106,26 +78,102 @@ public class TestWebScriptRepoServer extends TestWebScriptServer
         "classpath:alfresco/web-scripts-application-context-test.xml"
     };
     
+    /** A static reference to the application context being used */
+    private static ClassPathXmlApplicationContext ctx;
+    private static String appendedTestConfiguration;
+    
+    private RetryingTransactionHelper retryingTransactionHelper;
+    private AuthenticationService authenticationService;
+    
+    
     /**
-     * Retrieve an instance of the TestWebScriptServer
-     *  
-     * @return  Test Server
+     * Sets helper that provides transaction callbacks
+     */
+    public void setTransactionHelper(RetryingTransactionHelper retryingTransactionHelper)
+    {
+        this.retryingTransactionHelper = retryingTransactionHelper;
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * @param authenticationService
+     */
+    public void setAuthenticationService(AuthenticationService authenticationService)
+    {
+        this.authenticationService = authenticationService;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get default user name
+     */
+    protected String getDefaultUserName()
+    {
+        return AuthenticationUtil.getAdminUserName();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc #getTestServer(String)}
      */
     public static TestWebScriptServer getTestServer()
     {
-        ApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(CONFIG_LOCATIONS);
-        TestWebScriptServer testServer = (TestWebScriptRepoServer)context.getBean("webscripts.test");
-        return testServer;
+        return getTestServer(null);
     }
     
-    public static TestWebScriptServer getTestServer(String appendTestConfigLocation)
+    /**
+     * Start up a context and get the server bean.
+     * <p>
+     * This method will close and restart the application context only if the configuration has
+     * changed.
+     * 
+     * @param appendTestConfigLocation      additional context file to include in the application context
+     * @return  Test Server
+     */
+    public static synchronized TestWebScriptServer getTestServer(String appendTestConfigLocation)
     {
-        String[] config_locations = new String[CONFIG_LOCATIONS.length+1];
-        System.arraycopy(CONFIG_LOCATIONS, 0, config_locations, 0, CONFIG_LOCATIONS.length);
-        config_locations[CONFIG_LOCATIONS.length] = appendTestConfigLocation;
+        if (TestWebScriptRepoServer.ctx != null)
+        {
+            boolean configChanged = !EqualsHelper.nullSafeEquals(
+                    appendTestConfigLocation,
+                    TestWebScriptRepoServer.appendedTestConfiguration);
+            if (configChanged)
+            {
+                // The config changed, so close the context (it'll be restarted later)
+                try
+                {
+                    ctx.close();
+                    ctx = null;
+                }
+                catch (Throwable e)
+                {
+                    throw new RuntimeException("Failed to shut down existing application context", e);
+                }
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                // There is already a context with the required configuration
+            }
+        }
         
-        ApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(config_locations);
-        TestWebScriptServer testServer = (TestWebScriptRepoServer)context.getBean("webscripts.test");
+        // Check if we need to start/restart the context
+        if (TestWebScriptRepoServer.ctx == null)
+        {
+            // Restart it
+            final String[] configLocations;
+            if (appendTestConfigLocation == null)
+            {
+                configLocations = CONFIG_LOCATIONS;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                configLocations = new String[CONFIG_LOCATIONS.length+1];
+                System.arraycopy(CONFIG_LOCATIONS, 0, configLocations, 0, CONFIG_LOCATIONS.length);
+                configLocations[CONFIG_LOCATIONS.length] = appendTestConfigLocation;
+            }
+            TestWebScriptRepoServer.ctx = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(configLocations);
+            TestWebScriptRepoServer.appendedTestConfiguration = appendTestConfigLocation;
+        }
+        
+        // Get the bean
+        TestWebScriptServer testServer = (TestWebScriptRepoServer)TestWebScriptRepoServer.ctx.getBean("webscripts.test");
         return testServer;
     }