diff --git a/inst/tests/benchmark.Rraw b/inst/tests/benchmark.Rraw
index 04c5c490b4..6d9f604d61 100644
--- a/inst/tests/benchmark.Rraw
+++ b/inst/tests/benchmark.Rraw
@@ -81,15 +81,17 @@ test(655, abs(tt1["user.self"] - tt2["user.self"])<2.0)  # unoptimized tt2 takes
 # Test for optimisation of 'order' to 'forder'.
 set.seed(45L)
 DT <- data.table(x=sample(1e2, 1e6,TRUE), y=sample(1e2, 1e6,TRUE))
-old = options(datatable.optimize=Inf)
-t1 = system.time(ans1 <- DT[order(x,-y)])[['elapsed']]   # optimized to forder()
-t2 = system.time(ans2 <- DT[base_order(x,-y)])[['elapsed']]  # not optimized
-test(1241.1, ans1, ans2)
-if (.devtesting) test(1241.2, t1 < t2+0.1)
-# 0.2 < 3.8 on Matt's laptop seems safe enough to test.
-# Even so, 1241.2 has been known to fail, perhaps if system swaps and this R sessions pauses or something?
-# We shouldn't have timing tests here that run on CRAN for this reason.  Hence wrapping with .devtesting
-options(old)
+local({
+  old = options(datatable.optimize=Inf)
+  on.exit(options(old))
+  t1 = system.time(ans1 <- DT[order(x,-y)])[['elapsed']]   # optimized to forder()
+  t2 = system.time(ans2 <- DT[base_order(x,-y)])[['elapsed']]  # not optimized
+  test(1241.1, ans1, ans2)
+  if (.devtesting) test(1241.2, t1 < t2+0.1)
+  # 0.2 < 3.8 on Matt's laptop seems safe enough to test.
+  # Even so, 1241.2 has been known to fail, perhaps if system swaps and this R sessions pauses or something?
+  # We shouldn't have timing tests here that run on CRAN for this reason.  Hence wrapping with .devtesting
+})
 
 
 # fwrite showProgress test 1735. Turned off as too long/big for CRAN.
diff --git a/inst/tests/programming.Rraw b/inst/tests/programming.Rraw
index 429545dcb7..56d0a1a9f6 100644
--- a/inst/tests/programming.Rraw
+++ b/inst/tests/programming.Rraw
@@ -195,37 +195,38 @@ test(5.10, list2lang(list("a", 1L, c(1L, 2L))), list(as.name("a"), 1L, c(1L,2L))
 test(5.11, list2lang(list("a", 1L, call("c", 1L, 2L))), list(as.name("a"), 1L, quote(c(1L, 2L))))
 
 # datatable.enlist
-op = options(datatable.enlist=NULL)
 test(6.01,
+     options = c(datatable.enlist=NULL),
      substitute2(list(v1 = v2, v3 = v4), list(v1 = "int", v2 = 1L, v3 = "lst", v4 = list("a", "b", list("c", "d")))),
      quote(list(int = 1L, lst = list(a, b, list(c, d)))))
-options(datatable.enlist=FALSE)
 test(6.02,
+     options = c(datatable.enlist=FALSE),
      substitute2(list(v1 = v2, v3 = v4), list(v1 = "int", v2 = 1L, v3 = "lst", v4 = list("a", "b", list("c", "d")))),
      substitute(list(int = 1L, lst = lst), list(lst = list("a", "b", list("c", "d")))))
-options(datatable.enlist=NULL)
 test(6.03,
+     options = c(datatable.enlist=NULL),
      enlist(list(v1 = 1L, v2 = list(v3 = "b", v4 = list(v5 = "c")))),
      quote(list(v1 = 1L, v2 = list(v3 = b, v4 = list(v5 = c)))))
-options(datatable.enlist=FALSE)
 test(6.04,
+     options = c(datatable.enlist=FALSE),
      enlist(list(v1 = 1L, v2 = list(v3 = "b", v4 = list(v5 = "c")))),
      substitute(list(v1 = 1L, v2 = lst), list(lst=list(v3 = "b", v4 = list(v5 = "c")))))
-options(datatable.enlist=NULL)
 test(6.05,
+     options = c(datatable.enlist=NULL),
      substitute2(list(v1, v2, v3), list(v1="V1", v2="V2", v3=enlist(list("V4","V5")))),
      quote(list(V1, V2, list(V4, V5))))
-options(datatable.enlist=FALSE)
 test(6.06,
+     options = c(datatable.enlist=FALSE),
      substitute2(list(v1, v2, v3), list(v1="V1", v2="V2", v3=enlist(list("V4","V5")))),
      quote(list(V1, V2, list(V4, V5))))
 test(6.07,
+     options = c(datatable.enlist=FALSE),
      substitute2(list(v1, v2, v3), list(v1="V1", v2="V2", v3=enlist(list("V4","V5", list("V6"))))),
      substitute(list(V1, V2, list(V4, V5, lst)), list(lst=list("V6"))))
 test(6.08,
+     options = c(datatable.enlist=FALSE),
      substitute2(list(v1, v2, v3), list(v1="V1", v2="V2", v3=enlist(list("V4","V5", enlist(list("V6")))))),
      quote(list(V1, V2, list(V4, V5, list(V6)))))
-options(op)
 
 # documentation examples
 test(7.01, substitute2(list(var1 = var2), list(var1 = "c1", var2 = 5L)), quote(list(c1 = 5L))) ## works also on names
diff --git a/inst/tests/types.Rraw b/inst/tests/types.Rraw
index 6b9aca84fe..ee301e71dc 100644
--- a/inst/tests/types.Rraw
+++ b/inst/tests/types.Rraw
@@ -30,12 +30,10 @@ test(2.05, testMsg(3, 2, 1), error=err)
 test(2.06, testMsg(23, 2, 1), warning=wrn[1L], error=err)
 ##test(2.07, testMsg(123, 2, 1), message=msg[1L], warning=wrn[1L], error=err)
 # test all messages
-op = options(datatable.verbose=TRUE)
-test(3.01, testMsg(0, 2, 1), as.list(rep(0L, 2L)), output=out)
+test(3.01, options = c(datatable.verbose=TRUE), testMsg(0, 2, 1), as.list(rep(0L, 2L)), output=out)
 ##test(3.02, testMsg(1, 2, 1), as.list(rep(1L, 2L)), output=out, message=msg)
-test(3.03, testMsg(2, 2, 1), as.list(rep(2L, 2L)), output=out, warning=wrn)
+test(3.03, options = c(datatable.verbose=TRUE), testMsg(2, 2, 1), as.list(rep(2L, 2L)), output=out, warning=wrn)
 ##test(3.04, testMsg(12, 2, 1), as.list(rep(2L, 2L)), output=out, message=msg, warning=wrn)
-test(3.05, testMsg(3, 2, 1), output=out[1L], error=err)
-test(3.06, testMsg(23, 2, 1), output=out[1L], warning=wrn[1L], error=err)
+test(3.05, options = c(datatable.verbose=TRUE), testMsg(3, 2, 1), output=out[1L], error=err)
+test(3.06, options = c(datatable.verbose=TRUE), testMsg(23, 2, 1), output=out[1L], warning=wrn[1L], error=err)
 ##test(3.07, testMsg(123, 2, 1), output=out[1L], message=msg[1L], warning=wrn[1L], error=err)
-options(op)