diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/backends/models.py b/tests/regressiontests/backends/models.py
index 4592761ccd..82da8cdd91 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/backends/models.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/backends/models.py
@@ -54,5 +54,4 @@ class Post(models.Model):
     class Meta:
         db_table = 'CaseSensitive_Post'
 
-qn = connection.ops.quote_name
 
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/custom_columns_regress/models.py b/tests/regressiontests/custom_columns_regress/models.py
index c55daf2588..93de2370af 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/custom_columns_regress/models.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/custom_columns_regress/models.py
@@ -33,68 +33,4 @@ class Author(models.Model):
         ordering = ('last_name','first_name')
 
 
-__test__ = {'API_TESTS':"""
-# Create a Author.
->>> a = Author(first_name='John', last_name='Smith')
->>> a.save()
 
->>> a.Author_ID
-1
-
-# Create another author
->>> a2 = Author(first_name='Peter', last_name='Jones')
->>> a2.save()
-
-# Create an article
->>> art = Article(headline='Django lets you build web apps easily', primary_author=a)
->>> art.save()
->>> art.authors = [a, a2]
-
-# Although the table and column names on Author have been set to custom values,
-# nothing about using the Author model has changed...
-
-# Query the available authors
->>> Author.objects.all()
-[<Author: Peter Jones>, <Author: John Smith>]
-
->>> Author.objects.filter(first_name__exact='John')
-[<Author: John Smith>]
-
->>> Author.objects.get(first_name__exact='John')
-<Author: John Smith>
-
->>> Author.objects.filter(firstname__exact='John')
-Traceback (most recent call last):
-    ...
-FieldError: Cannot resolve keyword 'firstname' into field. Choices are: Author_ID, article, first_name, last_name, primary_set
-
->>> a = Author.objects.get(last_name__exact='Smith')
->>> a.first_name
-u'John'
->>> a.last_name
-u'Smith'
->>> a.firstname
-Traceback (most recent call last):
-    ...
-AttributeError: 'Author' object has no attribute 'firstname'
->>> a.last
-Traceback (most recent call last):
-    ...
-AttributeError: 'Author' object has no attribute 'last'
-
-# Although the Article table uses a custom m2m table,
-# nothing about using the m2m relationship has changed...
-
-# Get all the authors for an article
->>> art.authors.all()
-[<Author: Peter Jones>, <Author: John Smith>]
-
-# Get the articles for an author
->>> a.article_set.all()
-[<Article: Django lets you build web apps easily>]
-
-# Query the authors across the m2m relation
->>> art.authors.filter(last_name='Jones')
-[<Author: Peter Jones>]
-
-"""}
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/custom_columns_regress/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/custom_columns_regress/tests.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6f6c4ecf94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/custom_columns_regress/tests.py
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+from django.test import TestCase
+from django.core.exceptions import FieldError
+
+from models import Author, Article
+
+def pks(objects):
+    """ Return pks to be able to compare lists"""
+    return [o.pk for o in objects]
+
+class CustomColumnRegression(TestCase):
+
+    def assertRaisesMessage(self, exc, msg, func, *args, **kwargs):
+        try:
+            func(*args, **kwargs)
+        except Exception, e:
+            self.assertEqual(msg, str(e))
+            self.assertTrue(isinstance(e, exc), "Expected %s, got %s" % (exc, type(e)))
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.a1 = Author.objects.create(first_name='John', last_name='Smith')
+        self.a2 = Author.objects.create(first_name='Peter', last_name='Jones')
+        self.authors = [self.a1, self.a2]
+
+    def test_basic_creation(self):
+        self.assertEqual(self.a1.Author_ID, 1)
+
+        art = Article(headline='Django lets you build web apps easily', primary_author=self.a1)
+        art.save()
+        art.authors = [self.a1, self.a2]
+
+    def test_author_querying(self):
+        self.assertQuerysetEqual(
+            Author.objects.all().order_by('last_name'),
+            ['<Author: Peter Jones>', '<Author: John Smith>']
+        )
+
+    def test_author_filtering(self):
+        self.assertQuerysetEqual(
+            Author.objects.filter(first_name__exact='John'),
+            ['<Author: John Smith>']
+        )
+
+    def test_author_get(self):
+        self.assertEqual(self.a1, Author.objects.get(first_name__exact='John'))
+
+    def test_filter_on_nonexistant_field(self):
+        self.assertRaisesMessage(
+            FieldError,
+            "Cannot resolve keyword 'firstname' into field. Choices are: Author_ID, article, first_name, last_name, primary_set",
+            Author.objects.filter,
+            firstname__exact='John'
+        )
+
+    def test_author_get_attributes(self):
+        a = Author.objects.get(last_name__exact='Smith')
+        self.assertEqual('John', a.first_name)
+        self.assertEqual('Smith', a.last_name)
+        self.assertRaisesMessage(
+            AttributeError,
+            "'Author' object has no attribute 'firstname'",
+            getattr,
+            a, 'firstname'
+        )
+
+        self.assertRaisesMessage(
+            AttributeError,
+            "'Author' object has no attribute 'last'",
+            getattr,
+            a, 'last'
+        )
+
+    def test_m2m_table(self):
+        art = Article.objects.create(headline='Django lets you build web apps easily', primary_author=self.a1)
+        art.authors = self.authors
+        self.assertQuerysetEqual(
+            art.authors.all().order_by('last_name'),
+            ['<Author: Peter Jones>', '<Author: John Smith>']
+        )
+        self.assertQuerysetEqual(
+            self.a1.article_set.all(),
+            ['<Article: Django lets you build web apps easily>']
+        )
+        self.assertQuerysetEqual(
+            art.authors.filter(last_name='Jones'),
+            ['<Author: Peter Jones>']
+        )