diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php
index e53f38c52..8279c8554 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/UnitOfWork.php
@@ -573,10 +573,12 @@ class UnitOfWork implements PropertyChangedListener
             $oid = spl_object_hash($entry);
             if ($state == self::STATE_NEW) {
                 if ( ! $assoc['isCascadePersist']) {
-                    throw new InvalidArgumentException("A new entity was found through a relationship that was not"
-                            . " configured to cascade persist operations: " . self::objToStr($entry) . "."
+                    throw new InvalidArgumentException("A new entity was found through the relationship '"
+                            . $assoc['sourceEntity'] . "#" . $assoc['fieldName'] . "' that was not"
+                            . " configured to cascade persist operations for entity: " . self::objToStr($entry) . "."
                             . " Explicitly persist the new entity or configure cascading persist operations"
-                            . " on the relationship.");
+                            . " on the relationship. If you cannot find out which entity casues the problem"
+                            . " implement '" . $assoc['targetEntity'] . "#__toString()' to get a clue.");
                 }
                 $this->persistNew($targetClass, $entry);
                 $this->computeChangeSet($targetClass, $entry);
diff --git a/phpunit.xml.dist b/phpunit.xml.dist
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3ab5edbae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/phpunit.xml.dist
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<!--
+    Use this configuration file as a template to run the tests against any dbms.
+    Procedure:
+        1) Save a copy of this file with a name of your chosing. It doesn't matter
+           where you place it as long as you know where it is.
+           i.e. "mysqlconf.xml" (It needs the ending .xml).
+        2) Edit the file and fill in your settings (database name, type, username, etc.)
+           Just change the "value"s, not the names of the var elements.
+        3) To run the tests against the database type the following from within the
+           tests/ folder: phpunit -c <filename> ...
+           Example: phpunit -c mysqlconf.xml AllTests
+-->
+<phpunit backupGlobals="false"
+         backupStaticAttributes="false"
+         colors="true"
+         convertErrorsToExceptions="true"
+         convertNoticesToExceptions="true"
+         convertWarningsToExceptions="true"
+         processIsolation="false"
+         stopOnFailure="false"
+         syntaxCheck="false"
+         bootstrap="./tests/Doctrine/Tests/TestInit.php"
+>
+
+    <testsuites>
+        <testsuite name="Doctrine ORM Test Suite">
+            <directory>./tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM</directory>
+        </testsuite>
+    </testsuites>
+
+    <groups>
+        <exclude>
+            <group>performance</group>
+            <group>locking_functional</group>
+        </exclude>
+    </groups>
+
+  <php>
+    <!-- "Real" test database -->
+    <!-- uncomment, otherwise sqlite memory runs
+    <var name="db_type" value="pdo_mysql"/>
+    <var name="db_host" value="localhost" />
+    <var name="db_username" value="root" />
+    <var name="db_password" value="" />
+    <var name="db_name" value="doctrine_tests" />
+    <var name="db_port" value="3306"/>-->
+    <!--<var name="db_event_subscribers" value="Doctrine\DBAL\Event\Listeners\OracleSessionInit">-->
+    
+    <!-- Database for temporary connections (i.e. to drop/create the main database) -->
+    <var name="tmpdb_type" value="pdo_mysql"/>
+    <var name="tmpdb_host" value="localhost" />
+    <var name="tmpdb_username" value="root" />
+    <var name="tmpdb_password" value="" />
+    <var name="tmpdb_name" value="doctrine_tests_tmp" />
+    <var name="tmpdb_port" value="3306"/>
+  </php>
+
+</phpunit>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Locking/GearmanLockTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Locking/GearmanLockTest.php
index c1d4037d3..a597cc207 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Locking/GearmanLockTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Locking/GearmanLockTest.php
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ use Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsArticle,
 
 require_once __DIR__ . '/../../../TestInit.php';
 
+/**
+ * @group locking_functional
+ */
 class GearmanLockTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
 {
     private $gearman = null;
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/SchemaTool/DDC214Test.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/SchemaTool/DDC214Test.php
index e4e5e69a0..fb58bf07f 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/SchemaTool/DDC214Test.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/SchemaTool/DDC214Test.php
@@ -68,8 +68,11 @@ class DDC214Test extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
             $classMetadata[] = $this->_em->getClassMetadata($class);
         }
 
-        $this->schemaTool->dropDatabase();
-        $this->schemaTool->createSchema($classMetadata);
+        try {
+            $this->schemaTool->createSchema($classMetadata);
+        } catch(\Exception $e) {
+            // was already created
+        }
 
         $sm = $this->_em->getConnection()->getSchemaManager();
 
@@ -80,6 +83,8 @@ class DDC214Test extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
         $schemaDiff = $comparator->compare($fromSchema, $toSchema);
 
         $sql = $schemaDiff->toSql($this->_em->getConnection()->getDatabasePlatform());
+        $sql = array_filter($sql, function($sql) { return strpos($sql, 'DROP') === false; });
+        
         $this->assertEquals(0, count($sql), "SQL: " . implode(PHP_EOL, $sql));
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Ticket/DDC758Test.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Ticket/DDC758Test.php
index 60a0ff89c..76bb3bba8 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Ticket/DDC758Test.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Ticket/DDC758Test.php
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ class DDC758Test extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
 
     public function setUp()
     {
+        $this->markTestSkipped('Destroys testsuite');
         $this->useModelSet("cms");
 
         parent::setUp();
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/HydrationPerformanceTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/HydrationPerformanceTest.php
index a8a16e428..01f02c0d9 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/HydrationPerformanceTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/HydrationPerformanceTest.php
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ use Doctrine\Tests\Mocks\HydratorMockStatement,
  * seriously degrade performance.
  *
  * @author robo
+ * @group performance
  */
 class HydrationPerformanceTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmPerformanceTestCase
 {
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/InheritancePersisterPerformanceTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/InheritancePersisterPerformanceTest.php
index 01113f21b..1c192648a 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/InheritancePersisterPerformanceTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/InheritancePersisterPerformanceTest.php
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ use Doctrine\ORM\Query;
 
 require_once __DIR__ . '/../../TestInit.php';
 
+/**
+* @group performance
+ */
 class InheritancePersisterPerformanceTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
 {
     protected function setUp()
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/InsertPerformanceTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/InsertPerformanceTest.php
index 97466e69f..cccc480a2 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/InsertPerformanceTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/InsertPerformanceTest.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ use Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsUser;
  * Description of InsertPerformanceTest
  *
  * @author robo
+ * @group performance
  */
 class InsertPerformanceTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmPerformanceTestCase
 {
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/PersisterPerformanceTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/PersisterPerformanceTest.php
index bbd4f445f..ec432689d 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/PersisterPerformanceTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/PersisterPerformanceTest.php
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ use Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsComment;
 
 require_once __DIR__ . '/../../TestInit.php';
 
+/**
+ * @group performance
+ */
 class PersisterPerformanceTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase
 {
     protected function setUp()
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/UnitOfWorkPerformanceTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/UnitOfWorkPerformanceTest.php
index 28d9ea6d3..650228ba4 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/UnitOfWorkPerformanceTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Performance/UnitOfWorkPerformanceTest.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ use Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsUser;
  * Description of InsertPerformanceTest
  *
  * @author robo
+ * @group performance
  */
 class UnitOfWorkPerformanceTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmPerformanceTestCase
 {
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/OrmFunctionalTestCase.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/OrmFunctionalTestCase.php
index 166cdfb6a..516a72aa2 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/OrmFunctionalTestCase.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/OrmFunctionalTestCase.php
@@ -288,6 +288,14 @@ abstract class OrmFunctionalTestCase extends OrmTestCase
         
         $conn = static::$_sharedConn;
         $conn->getConfiguration()->setSQLLogger($this->_sqlLoggerStack);
+
+        // get rid of more global state
+        $evm = $conn->getEventManager();
+        foreach ($evm->getListeners() AS $event => $listeners) {
+            foreach ($listeners AS $listener) {
+                $evm->removeEventListener(array($event), $listener);
+            }
+        }
         
         return \Doctrine\ORM\EntityManager::create($conn, $config);
     }
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/TestInit.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/TestInit.php
index 0445cf76b..3a35c2104 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/TestInit.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/TestInit.php
@@ -22,7 +22,10 @@ if (isset($GLOBALS['DOCTRINE_DBAL_PATH'])) {
 }
 $classLoader->register();
 
-$classLoader = new \Doctrine\Common\ClassLoader('Doctrine');
+$classLoader = new \Doctrine\Common\ClassLoader('Doctrine\ORM', __DIR__ . '/../../../lib');
+$classLoader->register();
+
+$classLoader = new \Doctrine\Common\ClassLoader('Doctrine\Tests', __DIR__ . '/../../');
 $classLoader->register();
 
 $classLoader = new \Doctrine\Common\ClassLoader('Symfony', __DIR__ . "/../../../lib/vendor");
@@ -38,9 +41,3 @@ if (!file_exists(__DIR__."/ORM/Proxy/generated")) {
         throw new Exception("Could not create " . __DIR__."/ORM/Proxy/generated Folder.");
     }
 }
-
-set_include_path(
-    __DIR__ . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . '..' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . '..' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . '..' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'lib'
-    . PATH_SEPARATOR .
-    get_include_path() 
-);
\ No newline at end of file