diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/zotero.js b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/zotero.js
index 4b8f1a3848..431fdd5aa1 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/zotero.js
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/zotero.js
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ Components.utils.import("resource://gre/modules/Services.jsm");
 	this.join = join;
 	this.randomString = randomString;
 	this.moveToUnique = moveToUnique;
+	this.reinit = reinit; // defined in zotero-service.js
 	
 	// Public properties
 	this.initialized = false;
diff --git a/components/zotero-service.js b/components/zotero-service.js
index e80bb0e7e3..736a35db1a 100644
--- a/components/zotero-service.js
+++ b/components/zotero-service.js
@@ -177,6 +177,21 @@ ZoteroContext.prototype = {
 		}
 		
 		return zContext;
+	},
+
+	/**
+	 * Shuts down Zotero, calls a callback (that may return a promise),
+	 * then reinitializes Zotero. Returns a promise that is resolved
+	 * when this process completes.
+	 */
+	"reinit":function(cb, isConnector) {
+		Services.obs.notifyObservers(zContext.Zotero, "zotero-before-reload", isConnector ? "connector" : "full");
+		return zContext.Zotero.shutdown().then(function() {
+			return cb ? cb() : false;
+		}).finally(function() {
+			makeZoteroContext(isConnector);
+			zContext.Zotero.init(zInitOptions);
+		});
 	}
 };
 
diff --git a/test/content/support.js b/test/content/support.js
index fabf535f89..8e6b801cad 100644
--- a/test/content/support.js
+++ b/test/content/support.js
@@ -164,4 +164,15 @@ function getTestDataDirectory() {
 	    resURI = Services.io.newURI("resource://zotero-unit-tests/data", null, null);
 	return Services.io.newURI(resource.resolveURI(resURI), null, null).
 	       QueryInterface(Components.interfaces.nsIFileURL).file;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Resets the Zotero DB and restarts Zotero. Returns a promise resolved
+ * when this finishes.
+ */
+function resetDB() {
+	var db = Zotero.getZoteroDatabase();
+	return Zotero.reinit(function() {
+		db.remove(false);
+	});
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/tests/index.js b/test/tests/index.js
index 8af1a146db..9ea8d06ba9 100644
--- a/test/tests/index.js
+++ b/test/tests/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 var TESTS = {
-	"recognizePDF":["recognizePDF.js"],
+	"support":["support.js"],
+	"utilities":["utilities.js"],
 	"lookup":["lookup.js"],
-	"utilities":["utilities.js"]
+	"recognizePDF":["recognizePDF.js"]
 };
diff --git a/test/tests/support.js b/test/tests/support.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f8c91f6f3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tests/support.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+describe("Support Functions for Unit Testing", function() {
+	describe("resetDB", function() {
+		it("should restore the DB to factory settings", function() {
+			var quickstart = Zotero.Items.erase(1);
+			assert.equal(Zotero.Items.get(1), false);
+			return resetDB().then(function() {
+				assert.equal(Zotero.Items.get(1).getField("url"), "http://zotero.org/support/quick_start_guide");
+			});
+		});
+	});
+});