diff --git a/tests/node/app-boot-test.js b/tests/node/app-boot-test.js
index f1bbe0bfaec..80ec9d1a837 100644
--- a/tests/node/app-boot-test.js
+++ b/tests/node/app-boot-test.js
@@ -13,21 +13,21 @@ QUnit.module('App Boot', function (hooks) {
   QUnit.test('nested {{component}}', function (assert) {
     this.template('index', '{{root-component}}');
 
-    this.template(
-      'components/root-component',
+    this.component(
+      'root-component',
+      {
+        location: 'World',
+        hasExistence: true,
+      },
       "\
-      <h1>Hello {{#if this.hasExistence}}{{this.location}}{{/if}}</h1>\
-      <div>{{component 'foo-bar'}}</div>\
-    "
+    <h1>Hello {{#if this.hasExistence}}{{this.location}}{{/if}}</h1>\
+    <div>{{component 'foo-bar'}}</div>\
+  "
     );
 
-    this.component('root-component', {
-      location: 'World',
-      hasExistence: true,
-    });
-
-    this.template(
-      'components/foo-bar',
+    this.component(
+      'foo-bar',
+      undefined,
       '\
       <p>The files are *inside* the computer?!</p>\
     '
diff --git a/tests/node/helpers/setup-app.js b/tests/node/helpers/setup-app.js
index 2e6a1ec4328..0a6738c9168 100644
--- a/tests/node/helpers/setup-app.js
+++ b/tests/node/helpers/setup-app.js
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ module.exports = function (hooks) {
 
     this.Ember = Ember;
     this.compile = compile;
+    this.setComponentTemplate = Ember._setComponentTemplate;
+    this.templateOnlyComponent = Ember._templateOnlyComponent;
 
     Ember.testing = true;
 
@@ -166,8 +168,11 @@ function registerTemplate(name, template) {
   this.register('template:' + name, this.compile(template));
 }
 
-function registerComponent(name, componentProps) {
-  let component = this.Ember.Component.extend(componentProps);
+function registerComponent(name, componentProps, templateContents) {
+  let component = this.setComponentTemplate(
+    this.compile(templateContents),
+    componentProps ? this.Ember.Component.extend(componentProps) : this.templateOnlyComponent()
+  );
   this.register('component:' + name, component);
 }