diff --git a/modules/core/file_fetcher.js b/modules/core/file_fetcher.js
index a51b61c47..de0ba7d0d 100644
--- a/modules/core/file_fetcher.js
+++ b/modules/core/file_fetcher.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { json as d3_json } from 'd3-fetch';
+import { utilFetchJson } from '../util/util';
 
 let _mainFileFetcher = coreFileFetcher(); // singleton
 
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export function coreFileFetcher() {
 
     let prom = _inflight[url];
     if (!prom) {
-      _inflight[url] = prom = d3_json(url)
+      _inflight[url] = prom = utilFetchJson(url)
         .then(result => {
           delete _inflight[url];
           if (!result) {
diff --git a/modules/util/index.js b/modules/util/index.js
index d82208a15..683c476c2 100644
--- a/modules/util/index.js
+++ b/modules/util/index.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ export { utilEntitySelector } from './util';
 export { utilEntityOrMemberSelector } from './util';
 export { utilEntityOrDeepMemberSelector } from './util';
 export { utilFastMouse } from './util';
+export { utilFetchJson } from './util';
 export { utilFunctor } from './util';
 export { utilGetAllNodes } from './util';
 export { utilGetSetValue } from './get_set_value';
diff --git a/modules/util/util.js b/modules/util/util.js
index 3865c560f..096d8d41c 100644
--- a/modules/util/util.js
+++ b/modules/util/util.js
@@ -572,3 +572,14 @@ export function utilUnicodeCharsCount(str) {
 export function utilUnicodeCharsTruncated(str, limit) {
     return Array.from(str).slice(0, limit).join('');
 }
+
+// Variation of d3.json (https://github.com/d3/d3-fetch/blob/master/src/json.js)
+export function utilFetchJson(resourse, init) {
+    return fetch(resourse, init)
+        .then((response) => {
+            // fetch in PhantomJS tests may return ok=false and status=0 even if it's okay
+            if ((!response.ok && response.status !== 0) || !response.json) throw new Error(response.status + ' ' + response.statusText);
+            if (response.status === 204 || response.status === 205) return;
+            return response.json();
+        });
+}
diff --git a/test/spec/spec_helpers.js b/test/spec/spec_helpers.js
index 2f6898f0a..957334164 100644
--- a/test/spec/spec_helpers.js
+++ b/test/spec/spec_helpers.js
@@ -7,9 +7,16 @@ for (var k in iD.services) { delete iD.services[k]; }
 
 // Run without data for speed (tests which need data can set it up themselves)
 
+iD.fileFetcher.assetPath('../dist/');
+
 // Initializing `coreContext` will try loading the locale data and English locale strings:
-iD.fileFetcher.cache().locales = { en: { rtl: false, languageNames: {}, scriptNames: {} }};
-iD.fileFetcher.cache().locale_en = { en: {} };
+iD.fileFetcher.cache().locales = { en: { rtl: false, pct: 1}};
+iD.fileFetcher.cache().locales_index_tagging = { en: { rtl: false, pct: 1 } };
+iD.fileFetcher.cache().locale_tagging_en = { en: {} };
+iD.fileFetcher.cache().locales_index_general = { en: { rtl: false, pct: 1 } };
+// load the actual data for `iD.fileFetcher.cache().locale_general_en`
+iD.localizer.loadLocale('en', 'general', 'locales');
+
 // Initializing `coreContext` initializes `_background`, which tries loading:
 iD.fileFetcher.cache().imagery = [];
 // Initializing `coreContext` initializes `_presets`, which tries loading:
@@ -24,7 +31,6 @@ iD.fileFetcher.cache().nsi_filters = { discardNames: [] };
 // Initializing `coreContext` initializes `_uploader`, which tries loading:
 iD.fileFetcher.cache().discarded = {};
 
-
 mocha.setup({
     timeout: 5000,  // 5 sec
     ui: 'bdd',
diff --git a/test/spec/util/util.js b/test/spec/util/util.js
index 29407d209..95f8e1c18 100644
--- a/test/spec/util/util.js
+++ b/test/spec/util/util.js
@@ -227,48 +227,29 @@ describe('iD.util', function() {
     });
 
     describe('utilDisplayName', function() {
-        before(function() {
-            iD.fileFetcher.assetPath('dist/');
-        });
-        after(function() {
-            iD.fileFetcher.assetPath('');
-        });
-
         it('returns the name if tagged with a name', function() {
             expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {name: 'East Coast Greenway'}})).to.eql('East Coast Greenway');
         });
-        it('distinguishes unnamed features by ref', function(done) {
-            iD.localizer.loadLocale('en', 'general', 'locales').then(function() {
-                expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {ref: '66'}})).to.eql('66');
-                done();
-            });
+        it('distinguishes unnamed features by ref', function() {
+            expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {ref: '66'}})).to.eql('66');
         });
-        it('distinguishes unnamed features by network or cycle_network', function(done) {
-            iD.localizer.loadLocale('en', 'general', 'locales').then(function() {
-                expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {network: 'SORTA', ref: '3X'}})).to.eql('SORTA 3X');
-                expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {network: 'ncn', cycle_network: 'US:US', ref: '76'}})).to.eql('US:US 76');
-                done();
-            });
+        it('distinguishes unnamed features by network or cycle_network', function() {
+            expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {network: 'SORTA', ref: '3X'}})).to.eql('SORTA 3X');
+            expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {network: 'ncn', cycle_network: 'US:US', ref: '76'}})).to.eql('US:US 76');
         });
-        it('distinguishes unnamed routes by direction', function(done) {
-            iD.localizer.loadLocale('en', 'general', 'locales').then(function() {
-                expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {network: 'US:US', ref: '66', direction: 'west', route: 'road'}})).to.eql('US:US 66 west');
-                // Marguerite X: Counter-Clockwise
-                expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {network: 'Marguerite', ref: 'X', direction: 'anticlockwise', route: 'bus'}})).to.eql('Marguerite X anticlockwise');
-                done();
-            });
+        it('distinguishes unnamed routes by direction', function() {
+            expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {network: 'US:US', ref: '66', direction: 'west', route: 'road'}})).to.eql('US:US 66 west');
+            // Marguerite X: Counter-Clockwise
+            expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {network: 'Marguerite', ref: 'X', direction: 'anticlockwise', route: 'bus'}})).to.eql('Marguerite X anticlockwise');
         });
-        it('distinguishes unnamed routes by waypoints', function(done) {
-            iD.localizer.loadLocale('en', 'general', 'locales').then(function() {
-                expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {network: 'SORTA', ref: '3X', from: 'Downtown', route: 'bus'}})).to.eql('SORTA 3X');
-                expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {network: 'SORTA', ref: '3X', to: 'Kings Island', route: 'bus'}})).to.eql('SORTA 3X');
-                expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {network: 'SORTA', ref: '3X', via: 'Montgomery', route: 'bus'}})).to.eql('SORTA 3X');
-                // Green Line: Old Ironsides => Winchester
-                expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {network: 'VTA', ref: 'Green', from: 'Old Ironsides', to: 'Winchester', route: 'bus'}})).to.eql('VTA Green from Old Ironsides to Winchester');
-                // BART Yellow Line: Antioch => Pittsburg/Bay Point => SFO Airport => Millbrae
-                expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {network: 'BART', ref: 'Yellow', from: 'Antioch', to: 'Millbrae', via: 'Pittsburg/Bay Point;San Francisco International Airport', route: 'subway'}})).to.eql('BART Yellow from Antioch to Millbrae via Pittsburg/Bay Point;San Francisco International Airport');
-                done();
-            });
+        it('distinguishes unnamed routes by waypoints', function() {
+            expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {network: 'SORTA', ref: '3X', from: 'Downtown', route: 'bus'}})).to.eql('SORTA 3X');
+            expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {network: 'SORTA', ref: '3X', to: 'Kings Island', route: 'bus'}})).to.eql('SORTA 3X');
+            expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {network: 'SORTA', ref: '3X', via: 'Montgomery', route: 'bus'}})).to.eql('SORTA 3X');
+            // Green Line: Old Ironsides => Winchester
+            expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {network: 'VTA', ref: 'Green', from: 'Old Ironsides', to: 'Winchester', route: 'bus'}})).to.eql('VTA Green from Old Ironsides to Winchester');
+            // BART Yellow Line: Antioch => Pittsburg/Bay Point => SFO Airport => Millbrae
+            expect(iD.utilDisplayName({tags: {network: 'BART', ref: 'Yellow', from: 'Antioch', to: 'Millbrae', via: 'Pittsburg/Bay Point;San Francisco International Airport', route: 'subway'}})).to.eql('BART Yellow from Antioch to Millbrae via Pittsburg/Bay Point;San Francisco International Airport');
         });
     });
 });