diff --git a/discO/__init__.py b/discO/__init__.py
index 8650f31a..6773bf01 100644
--- a/discO/__init__.py
+++ b/discO/__init__.py
@@ -24,8 +24,10 @@
 # IMPORTS
 
 # keep this content at the top. (sets the __version__)
-from ._astropy_init import *  # noqa: F401, F403  # isort:skip
-from ._astropy_init import __version__  # noqa: F401  # isort:skip
+from ._astropy_init import *  # noqa: F401, F403  # isort: skip
+from ._astropy_init import __version__  # noqa: F401  # isort: skip
+
+from . import setup_package  # noqa: F401  # isort: skip
 
 # LOCAL
 from . import core, data, plugin
diff --git a/discO/conftest.py b/discO/conftest.py
index 76fdbc3e..283393aa 100644
--- a/discO/conftest.py
+++ b/discO/conftest.py
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 # IMPORTS
 
 # STDLIB
+import configparser
+import importlib
 import os
 
 # THIRD PARTY
@@ -22,7 +24,8 @@
 
 try:
     # THIRD PARTY
-    from pytest_astropy_header.display import PYTEST_HEADER_MODULES, TESTED_VERSIONS
+    from pytest_astropy_header.display import PYTEST_HEADER_MODULES  # noqa: F401
+    from pytest_astropy_header.display import TESTED_VERSIONS
 
     ASTROPY_HEADER = True
 except ImportError:
@@ -55,9 +58,28 @@
 if not HAS_GALPY:
     collect_ignore.append("plugin/galpy/")
 else:
+    # THIRD PARTY
+    import galpy
+
+    importlib.reload(galpy)
+
+    # THIRD PARTY
     from galpy.util import config as galpy_config
-    galpy_config.__config__["astropy"]["astropy-units"] = "True"
-    galpy_config.__config__["astropy"]["astropy-coords"] = "True"
+
+    # configuration
+    galpy_config._APY_LOADED = True
+    galpy_config.__config__.set("astropy", "astropy-units", "True")
+    galpy_config.__config__.set("astropy", "astropy-coords", "True")
+
+    if ".tmp" in os.getcwd():
+
+        # write config and read it
+        cfilename = os.path.join(os.path.expanduser("~"), ".galpyrc")
+        galpy_config.write_config(cfilename, galpy_config.__config__)
+
+        __config__ = configparser.ConfigParser()
+        __config__.read(cfilename)
+        galpy_config.__config__ = __config__
 
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------
@@ -75,12 +97,6 @@ def pytest_configure(config):
 
         config.option.astropy_header = True
 
-        # Customize the following lines to add/remove entries from the list of
-        # packages for which version numbers are displayed when running the
-        # tests.
-        PYTEST_HEADER_MODULES.pop("Pandas", None)
-        PYTEST_HEADER_MODULES["scikit-image"] = "skimage"
-
         # LOCAL
         from . import __version__
 
diff --git a/discO/plugin/galpy/tests/test_residual.py b/discO/plugin/galpy/tests/test_residual.py
index 6bd7cac2..499660e3 100644
--- a/discO/plugin/galpy/tests/test_residual.py
+++ b/discO/plugin/galpy/tests/test_residual.py
@@ -21,10 +21,6 @@
 from discO.plugin.galpy.wrapper import GalpyPotentialWrapper
 from discO.utils import vectorfield
 
-##############################################################################
-# PYTEST
-
-
 ##############################################################################
 # TESTS
 ##############################################################################
@@ -42,7 +38,7 @@ def setup_class(cls):
 
         # TODO!! actual potential that properly evaluates
         cls.original_potential = gpot.NFWPotential(amp=2e12 * u.solMass)
-        cls.original_potential.turn_physical_on(ro=8 * u.kpc, vo=220 * u.km / u.s)
+        gpot.turn_physical_on(cls.original_potential, ro=8 * u.kpc, vo=220 * u.km / u.s)
 
         cls.klass = cls.obj
 
diff --git a/discO/setup_package.py b/discO/setup_package.py
index 9bf74230..d0d78dea 100644
--- a/discO/setup_package.py
+++ b/discO/setup_package.py
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
 
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 
+# STDLIB
+import importlib
+
 __all__ = ["HAS_AGAMA", "HAS_GALA", "HAS_GALPY", "HAS_TQDM"]
 
 
@@ -48,12 +51,16 @@
 else:
     HAS_GALPY = True
 
-    # TODO better way of ensuring unit!
+    importlib.reload(galpy)
+
     # THIRD PARTY
-    from galpy.util.config import __config__
+    from galpy.util import config as galpy_config
 
-    __config__.set("astropy", "astropy-units", "True")
-    __config__.set("astropy", "astropy-coords", "True")
+    # force configuration
+    galpy_config._APY_LOADED = True
+    galpy_config.__config__.set("astropy", "astropy-units", "True")
+    galpy_config.__config__.set("astropy", "astropy-coords", "True")
+    galpy_config.default_configuration["astropy"]["astropy-units"] = True
 
 # /try
 
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 25fbeed8..78c9b9c0 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ packages = find:
 python_requires = >=3.8
 setup_requires = setuptools_scm
 install_requires =
+    extension_helpers
     astropy >= 4.3
     numpy >= 1.17
     PyYAML