diff --git a/app.js b/app.js
index f4cda16d5b..99ff814e62 100644
--- a/app.js
+++ b/app.js
@@ -19,11 +19,7 @@
 
 'use strict';
 
-if (require.main !== module) {
-	require.main.require = function (path) {
-		return require(path);
-	};
-}
+require('./require-main');
 
 var nconf = require('nconf');
 nconf.argv().env({
diff --git a/loader.js b/loader.js
index 2d21943218..cbb1a79586 100644
--- a/loader.js
+++ b/loader.js
@@ -200,39 +200,40 @@ function killWorkers() {
 }
 
 fs.open(pathToConfig, 'r', function (err) {
-	if (!err) {
-		if (nconf.get('daemon') !== 'false' && nconf.get('daemon') !== false) {
-			if (file.existsSync(pidFilePath)) {
-				try {
-					var	pid = fs.readFileSync(pidFilePath, { encoding: 'utf-8' });
-					process.kill(pid, 0);
-					process.exit();
-				} catch (e) {
-					fs.unlinkSync(pidFilePath);
-				}
-			}
-
-			require('daemon')({
-				stdout: process.stdout,
-				stderr: process.stderr,
-				cwd: process.cwd(),
-			});
+	if (err) {
+		// No config detected, kickstart web installer
+		fork('app');
+		return;
+	}
 
-			fs.writeFileSync(pidFilePath, process.pid);
+	if (nconf.get('daemon') !== 'false' && nconf.get('daemon') !== false) {
+		if (file.existsSync(pidFilePath)) {
+			try {
+				var	pid = fs.readFileSync(pidFilePath, { encoding: 'utf-8' });
+				process.kill(pid, 0);
+				process.exit();
+			} catch (e) {
+				fs.unlinkSync(pidFilePath);
+			}
 		}
 
-		async.series([
-			Loader.init,
-			Loader.displayStartupMessages,
-			Loader.start,
-		], function (err) {
-			if (err) {
-				console.error('[loader] Error during startup');
-				throw err;
-			}
+		require('daemon')({
+			stdout: process.stdout,
+			stderr: process.stderr,
+			cwd: process.cwd(),
 		});
-	} else {
-		// No config detected, kickstart web installer
-		fork('app');
+
+		fs.writeFileSync(pidFilePath, process.pid);
 	}
+
+	async.series([
+		Loader.init,
+		Loader.displayStartupMessages,
+		Loader.start,
+	], function (err) {
+		if (err) {
+			console.error('[loader] Error during startup');
+			throw err;
+		}
+	});
 });
diff --git a/require-main.js b/require-main.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ed26ca1a0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/require-main.js
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+'use strict';
+
+// this forces `require.main.require` to always be relative to this directory
+// this allows plugins to use `require.main.require` to reference NodeBB modules
+// without worrying about multiple parent modules
+if (require.main !== module) {
+	require.main.require = function (path) {
+		return require(path);
+	};
+}
diff --git a/test/mocks/databasemock.js b/test/mocks/databasemock.js
index c692d67883..917daf7fa6 100644
--- a/test/mocks/databasemock.js
+++ b/test/mocks/databasemock.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
  * ATTENTION: testing db is flushed before every use!
  */
 
+require('../../require-main');
 
 var async = require('async');
 var path = require('path');
@@ -13,7 +14,6 @@ var url = require('url');
 
 global.env = process.env.TEST_ENV || 'production';
 
-var errorText;
 var packageInfo = require('../../package');
 
 var winston = require('winston');
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ var testDbConfig = nconf.get('test_database');
 var productionDbConfig = nconf.get(dbType);
 
 if (!testDbConfig) {
-	errorText = 'test_database is not defined';
+	const errorText = 'test_database is not defined';
 	winston.info(
 		'\n===========================================================\n' +
 		'Please, add parameters for test database in config.json\n' +
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ if (!testDbConfig) {
 if (testDbConfig.database === productionDbConfig.database &&
 	testDbConfig.host === productionDbConfig.host &&
 	testDbConfig.port === productionDbConfig.port) {
-	errorText = 'test_database has the same config as production db';
+	const errorText = 'test_database has the same config as production db';
 	winston.error(errorText);
 	throw new Error(errorText);
 }