diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 816b845..65141d6 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -34,4 +34,5 @@ cache/*
 !cache/images/.keepme
 !cache/smartcrop/.keepme
 uploaded-images/*
-!uploaded-images/keepme
\ No newline at end of file
+!uploaded-images/keepme
+uploaded_files
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index a503630..e1049bd 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -8,10 +8,12 @@
 		"start": "docker-compose up -d db && node .",
 		"typecheck:back": "npx tsc --noEmit --target es6 --lib es2021,dom -p tsconfig-back.json",
 		"typecheck:front": "npx tsc --noEmit --target es6 --lib es2015,dom -p tsconfig-front.json",
+		"prebuild": "rm -rf dist/*",
 		"build": "sealgen build",
 		"watch": "multiple-scripts-tmux -p watch",
 		"reset-db": "docker-compose down && docker-compose up -d",
 		"install-test-deps": "npx playwright install firefox",
+		"pretest-cmd": "npm run build",
 		"test-cmd": "vitest --config ./src/back/vitest.config.ts",
 		"test-cmd-once": "vitest run --config ./src/back/vitest.config.ts",
 		"test": "npm run test-cmd -- --ui",
@@ -51,7 +53,6 @@
 		"sealious": "^0.18.3",
 		"stimulus": "^2.0.0",
 		"tempstream": "^0.3.15",
-		"unplugin-auto-import": "^0.17.5",
 		"vitest": "^1.1.0"
 	},
 	"devDependencies": {
diff --git a/src/back/app.ts b/src/back/app.ts
index 7e99495..7cadc5e 100644
--- a/src/back/app.ts
+++ b/src/back/app.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import {
 	PORT,
 } from "./config.js";
 import ADMIN_CREDENTIALS from "./default-admin-credentials.js";
-import { module_dirname } from "./util.js";
+import { module_dirname } from "./utils/module_dirname.js";
 const locreq = _locreq(module_dirname(import.meta.url));
 
 declare module "koa" {
diff --git a/src/back/config.ts b/src/back/config.ts
index 424ff4d..3fdde0a 100644
--- a/src/back/config.ts
+++ b/src/back/config.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import _locreq from "locreq";
-import { module_dirname } from "./util.js";
+import { module_dirname } from "./utils/module_dirname.js";
+
 const locreq = _locreq(module_dirname(import.meta.url));
 export const SEALIOUS_SANITY = Boolean(process.env.SEALIOUS_SANITY);
 export const PORT = process.env.SEALIOUS_PORT
diff --git a/src/back/index.ts b/src/back/index.ts
index e5de13e..0b7be54 100644
--- a/src/back/index.ts
+++ b/src/back/index.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ import _locreq from "locreq";
 import TheApp from "./app.js";
 import { PORT, SEALIOUS_SANITY } from "./config.js";
 import { mainRouter } from "./routes/index.js";
-import { module_dirname } from "./util.js";
+import { module_dirname } from "./utils/module_dirname.js";
+
 const locreq = _locreq(module_dirname(import.meta.url));
 
 export const the_app = new TheApp();
diff --git a/src/back/test_utils/with-prod-app.ts b/src/back/test_utils/with-prod-app.ts
index 54d3f65..b936c5f 100644
--- a/src/back/test_utils/with-prod-app.ts
+++ b/src/back/test_utils/with-prod-app.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 import _locreq from "locreq";
 import { v4 as uuid } from "uuid";
+import { module_dirname } from "../utils/module_dirname.js";
 
 const locreq = _locreq(module_dirname(import.meta.url));
 import { SMTPMailer } from "sealious";
 import { TestUtils } from "sealious";
 import TheApp from "../app.js";
 import { mainRouter } from "../routes/index.js";
-import { module_dirname } from "../util.js";
 import getPort from "get-port";
 import {
 	MAILCATCHER_API_PORT,
diff --git a/src/back/util.ts b/src/back/util.ts
index 0a1a0d3..f036c01 100644
--- a/src/back/util.ts
+++ b/src/back/util.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import type { BaseContext } from "koa";
 import qs from "qs";
-import { dirname } from "node:path";
 
 export async function sleep(time: number) {
 	return new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, time));
@@ -21,7 +20,3 @@ export function UrlWithNewParams(
 ): string {
 	return `${ctx.path}?${qs.stringify(query_params)}`;
 }
-
-export function module_dirname(module_url: string): string {
-	return dirname(module_url).replace(/^file:\/\//, "");
-}
diff --git a/src/back/utils/module_dirname.ts b/src/back/utils/module_dirname.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0bb1a5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/back/utils/module_dirname.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import { dirname } from "node:path";
+
+export function module_dirname(module_url: string): string {
+	return dirname(module_url).replace(/^file:\/\//, "");
+}
diff --git a/src/back/vitest.config.ts b/src/back/vitest.config.ts
index a431442..a1b4547 100644
--- a/src/back/vitest.config.ts
+++ b/src/back/vitest.config.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 import { defineConfig } from "vitest/config";
 
-const exclude = ["docker_node_modules", "node_modules", "dist", "lib", "webhint"];
-
-import AutoImport from "unplugin-auto-import/vite";
+// we're testing from the build 'dist' directory
+const exclude = ["docker_node_modules", "node_modules", "src", "lib", "webhint"];
 
 export default defineConfig({
 	test: {
@@ -14,14 +13,7 @@ export default defineConfig({
 			exclude,
 			enabled: true,
 			all: true,
-			include: ["src/**", "test?(-*).?(c|m)[jt]s?(x)"],
+			include: ["dist/**"],
 		},
 	},
-	plugins: [
-		AutoImport({
-			include: [/\.tsx?$/],
-			imports: [{ tempstream: [["TempstreamJSX", "React"]] }],
-			dts: false,
-		}),
-	],
 });