diff --git a/core/modules/aggregator/lib/Drupal/aggregator/Tests/AggregatorTestBase.php b/core/modules/aggregator/lib/Drupal/aggregator/Tests/AggregatorTestBase.php
index e900025..e5f13f9 100644
--- a/core/modules/aggregator/lib/Drupal/aggregator/Tests/AggregatorTestBase.php
+++ b/core/modules/aggregator/lib/Drupal/aggregator/Tests/AggregatorTestBase.php
@@ -56,7 +56,11 @@ function createFeed($feed_url = NULL, array $edit = array()) {
     $this->drupalPostForm('aggregator/sources/add', $edit, t('Save'));
     $this->assertRaw(t('The feed %name has been added.', array('%name' => $edit['title'])), format_string('The feed !name has been added.', array('!name' => $edit['title'])));
 
-    $fid = db_query("SELECT fid FROM {aggregator_feed} WHERE title = :title AND url = :url", array(':title' => $edit['title'], ':url' => $edit['url']))->fetchField();
+    $fids = \Drupal::entityQuery('aggregator_feed')
+      ->condition('title', $edit['title'])
+      ->condition('url', $edit['url'])
+      ->execute();
+    $fid = reset($fids);
     $this->assertTrue(!empty($fid), 'The feed found in database.');
     return aggregator_feed_load($fid);
   }
@@ -165,10 +169,11 @@ function updateFeedItems(FeedInterface $feed, $expected_count = NULL) {
     $this->clickLink('Update items');
 
     // Ensure we have the right number of items.
-    $result = db_query('SELECT iid FROM {aggregator_item} WHERE fid = :fid', array(':fid' => $feed->id()));
-    $feed->items = array();
-    foreach ($result as $item) {
-      $feed->items[] = $item->iid;
+    $iids = \Drupal::entityQuery('aggregator_item')
+      ->condition('fid', $feed->id())
+      ->execute();
+    foreach ($iids as $iid) {
+      $feed->items[] = $iid;
     }
 
     if ($expected_count !== NULL) {
@@ -217,7 +222,11 @@ function updateAndDelete(FeedInterface $feed, $expected_count) {
    *   TRUE if feed is unique.
    */
   function uniqueFeed($feed_name, $feed_url) {
-    $result = db_query("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {aggregator_feed} WHERE title = :title AND url = :url", array(':title' => $feed_name, ':url' => $feed_url))->fetchField();
+    $result = \Drupal::entityQuery('aggregator_feed')
+      ->condition('title', $feed_name)
+      ->condition('url', $feed_url)
+      ->count()
+      ->execute();
     return (1 == $result);
   }
 
diff --git a/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/WebTestBase.php b/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/WebTestBase.php
index 61c54d1..c93cbaf 100644
--- a/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/WebTestBase.php
+++ b/core/modules/simpletest/lib/Drupal/simpletest/WebTestBase.php
@@ -775,7 +775,8 @@ protected function setUp() {
     // Copy and prepare an actual settings.php, so as to resemble a regular
     // installation.
     // Not using File API; a potential error must trigger a PHP warning.
-    copy(DRUPAL_ROOT . '/sites/default/default.settings.php', DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . $this->siteDirectory . '/settings.php');
+    $directory = DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . $this->siteDirectory;
+    copy(DRUPAL_ROOT . '/sites/default/default.settings.php', $directory . '/settings.php');
 
     // All file system paths are created by System module during installation.
     // @see system_requirements()
@@ -808,6 +809,21 @@ protected function setUp() {
     // Execute the non-interactive installer.
     require_once DRUPAL_ROOT . '/core/includes/install.core.inc';
     install_drupal($parameters);
+    if (file_exists(DRUPAL_ROOT . '/sites/default/settings.testing.php')) {
+      // Install made settings.php and the containing directory read-only,
+      // make them writeable again.
+      drupal_verify_install_file($directory, FILE_WRITABLE, 'dir');
+      drupal_verify_install_file($directory . '/settings.php', FILE_WRITABLE);
+      // Copy the testing specific overrides in place.
+      copy(DRUPAL_ROOT . '/sites/default/settings.testing.php', $directory . '/settings.testing.php');
+      // Add the name of the testing class to settings.php and include the
+      // testing specific overrides
+      file_put_contents($directory . '/settings.php', "\n\$test_class = '" . get_class($this) ."';\n" . 'include DRUPAL_ROOT . \'/\' . $conf_path . \'/settings.testing.php\';' ."\n", FILE_APPEND);
+      // Make the files secure again.
+      drupal_verify_install_file($directory . '/settings.php', FILE_NOT_WRITABLE);
+      drupal_verify_install_file($directory . '/settings.testing.php', FILE_NOT_WRITABLE);
+      drupal_verify_install_file($directory, FILE_NOT_WRITABLE, 'dir');
+    }
 
     // Import new settings.php written by the installer.
     drupal_settings_initialize();
@@ -821,7 +837,7 @@ protected function setUp() {
     // directory has to be writable.
     // TestBase::restoreEnvironment() will delete the entire site directory.
     // Not using File API; a potential error must trigger a PHP warning.
-    chmod(DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . $this->siteDirectory, 0777);
+    chmod($directory, 0777);
 
     $this->rebuildContainer();