diff --git a/modules/setting/testenv.go b/modules/setting/testenv.go
index c81b51fd71d..681e7fddf90 100644
--- a/modules/setting/testenv.go
+++ b/modules/setting/testenv.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/auth/password/hash"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/log"
+	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/util"
 )
 
 var giteaTestSourceRoot *string
@@ -50,7 +51,11 @@ func SetupGiteaTestEnv() {
 	}
 
 	initGiteaPaths := func() {
-		StaticRootPath = *giteaTestSourceRoot // need to load assets (options, public) from the source code directory for testing
+		// need to load assets (options, public) from the source code directory for testing
+		StaticRootPath = *giteaTestSourceRoot
+		// during testing, the AppPath must point to the pre-built Gitea binary in the source root
+		// it needs to be called by git hooks
+		AppPath = filepath.Join(*giteaTestSourceRoot, "gitea") + util.Iif(IsWindows, ".exe", "")
 	}
 
 	initGiteaConf := func() string {
diff --git a/tests/integration/integration_test.go b/tests/integration/integration_test.go
index d0a33fdec8c..60dc7e77a48 100644
--- a/tests/integration/integration_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/integration_test.go
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func testMain(m *testing.M) int {
 
 	err = unittest.InitFixtures(
 		unittest.FixturesOptions{
-			Dir: filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(setting.AppPath), "models/fixtures/"),
+			Dir: filepath.Join(setting.GetGiteaTestSourceRoot(), "models/fixtures/"),
 		},
 	)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/tests/integration/migration-test/migration_test.go b/tests/integration/migration-test/migration_test.go
index 1e1dc7bf142..c1acdb999b1 100644
--- a/tests/integration/migration-test/migration_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/migration-test/migration_test.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func initMigrationTest(t *testing.T) func() {
 	setting.SetupGiteaTestEnv()
 
 	assert.NotEmpty(t, setting.RepoRootPath)
-	assert.NoError(t, unittest.SyncDirs(filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(setting.AppPath), "tests/gitea-repositories-meta"), setting.RepoRootPath))
+	assert.NoError(t, unittest.SyncDirs(filepath.Join(setting.GetGiteaTestSourceRoot(), "tests/gitea-repositories-meta"), setting.RepoRootPath))
 	assert.NoError(t, git.InitFull())
 	setting.LoadDBSetting()
 	setting.InitLoggersForTest()
diff --git a/tests/test_utils.go b/tests/test_utils.go
index 7ff7dd7b8ab..d5a8008cefb 100644
--- a/tests/test_utils.go
+++ b/tests/test_utils.go
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ func PrepareGitRepoDirectory(t testing.TB) {
 	if !assert.NotEmpty(t, setting.RepoRootPath) {
 		return
 	}
-	assert.NoError(t, unittest.SyncDirs(filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(setting.AppPath), "tests/gitea-repositories-meta"), setting.RepoRootPath))
+	assert.NoError(t, unittest.SyncDirs(filepath.Join(setting.GetGiteaTestSourceRoot(), "tests/gitea-repositories-meta"), setting.RepoRootPath))
 }
 
 func PrepareArtifactsStorage(t testing.TB) {