diff --git a/src/testdir/test_gui.vim b/src/testdir/test_gui.vim
index d95d991..fbea706 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_gui.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_gui.vim
@@ -10,7 +10,11 @@
     set guifont=Courier\ 10\ Pitch/8/-1/5/50/0/0/0/0/0
   endif
 
-  " Gnome insists on creating $HOME/.gnome2/..
+  " Gnome insists on creating $HOME/.gnome2/, and we're going to abide by
+  " that, taking care to have the font cache work normally.
+  if $XDG_CACHE_HOME == ''
+    let $XDG_CACHE_HOME = g:tester_HOME . '/.cache'
+  endif
   call mkdir('Xhome')
   let $HOME = fnamemodify('Xhome', ':p')
 endfunc
diff --git a/src/testdir/unix.vim b/src/testdir/unix.vim
index 36dd4e1..2290ec9 100644
--- a/src/testdir/unix.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/unix.vim
@@ -2,4 +2,9 @@
 " Always use "sh", don't use the value of "$SHELL".
 set shell=sh
 
+" While some tests overwrite $HOME to prevent them from polluting user files,
+" we need to remember the original value so that we can tell external systems
+" where to ask about their own user settings.
+let g:tester_HOME = $HOME
+
 source setup.vim
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 8aeb688..3aa1786 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -765,6 +765,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    277,
+/**/
     276,
 /**/
     275,