diff --git a/core/core-versions.el b/core/core-versions.el
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7376bd1e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/core-versions.el
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+;;; core-versions.el --- Spacemacs Core File
+;;
+;; Copyright (c) 2012-2017 Sylvain Benner & Contributors
+;;
+;; Author: Sylvain Benner <sylvain.benner@gmail.com>
+;; URL: https://github.com/syl20bnr/spacemacs
+;;
+;; This file is not part of GNU Emacs.
+;;
+;;; License: GPLv3
+
+(defconst spacemacs-version          "0.300.0" "Spacemacs version.")
+(defconst spacemacs-emacs-min-version   "25.1" "Minimal version of Emacs.")
diff --git a/init.el b/init.el
index 88f30d884..838bac69b 100644
--- a/init.el
+++ b/init.el
@@ -16,15 +16,15 @@
 ;; lower value in your dotfile (function `dotspacemacs/user-config')
 (setq gc-cons-threshold 100000000)
 
-(defconst spacemacs-version          "0.300.0" "Spacemacs version.")
-(defconst spacemacs-emacs-min-version   "25.1" "Minimal version of Emacs.")
+(load-file (concat (file-name-directory load-file-name)
+                   "core/core-versions.el"))
+(load-file (concat (file-name-directory load-file-name)
+                   "core/core-load-paths.el"))
 
 (if (not (version<= spacemacs-emacs-min-version emacs-version))
     (error (concat "Your version of Emacs (%s) is too old. "
                    "Spacemacs requires Emacs version %s or above.")
            emacs-version spacemacs-emacs-min-version)
-  (load-file (concat (file-name-directory load-file-name)
-                     "core/core-load-paths.el"))
   (require 'core-spacemacs)
   (configuration-layer/load-lock-file)
   (spacemacs/init)
diff --git a/spacemacs.mk b/spacemacs.mk
index 575a27d15..8956b27f9 100644
--- a/spacemacs.mk
+++ b/spacemacs.mk
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ unit_tests:
 	@echo "================================================================="
 	@echo "UNIT TESTS FOR $(TEST_NAME)"
 	@echo "================================================================="
-	@emacs -batch -l ert \
+	emacs -batch -l ert \
 		$(addprefix -l $(EMACS_DIR)/, $(LOAD_FILES)) \
 		$(addprefix -l $(TEST_DIR)/, $(UNIT_TEST_FILES)) \
 		-f ert-run-tests-batch-and-exit
diff --git a/tests/core/Makefile b/tests/core/Makefile
index 02de90704..bf6bd1e20 100644
--- a/tests/core/Makefile
+++ b/tests/core/Makefile
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 TEST_DIR := $(shell dirname $(realpath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST))))
 
-LOAD_FILES = core/core-load-paths.el
+LOAD_FILES = core/core-versions.el core/core-load-paths.el
 UNIT_TEST_FILES = \
   core-configuration-layer-utest.el \
   core-funcs-utest.el