diff --git a/src/cell.hpp b/src/cell.hpp
index fece134947041d705564008e54be61ce93d50f60..98b871cb193ee09a595416128e6342b84fa028b9 100644
--- a/src/cell.hpp
+++ b/src/cell.hpp
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@
 #include <thread>
 #include <vector>
 
-#include <segment.hpp>
-#include <cell_tree.hpp>
-#include <stimulus.hpp>
+#include "segment.hpp"
+#include "cell_tree.hpp"
+#include "stimulus.hpp"
 
 namespace nest {
 namespace mc {
diff --git a/src/fvm.hpp b/src/fvm.hpp
index f047581ef96bb07819ac43c34673bd45ba0e2426..d4bf2aaa3b139d7e0f51201e8bb522682c4e5fce 100644
--- a/src/fvm.hpp
+++ b/src/fvm.hpp
@@ -5,16 +5,16 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 
-#include <algorithms.hpp>
-#include <cell.hpp>
-#include <ion.hpp>
-#include <math.hpp>
-#include <matrix.hpp>
-#include <mechanism.hpp>
-#include <mechanism_interface.hpp>
-#include <util.hpp>
-#include <segment.hpp>
-#include <stimulus.hpp>
+#include "algorithms.hpp"
+#include "cell.hpp"
+#include "ion.hpp"
+#include "math.hpp"
+#include "matrix.hpp"
+#include "mechanism.hpp"
+#include "mechanism_interface.hpp"
+#include "util.hpp"
+#include "segment.hpp"
+#include "stimulus.hpp"
 
 #include <Vector.hpp>
 
diff --git a/src/swcio.cpp b/src/swcio.cpp
index f96676449d9526154d4f7d0cd3531da62bba715e..792d0fc7bdb3b4898b575dae552d0347efd85e9c 100644
--- a/src/swcio.cpp
+++ b/src/swcio.cpp
@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@
 #include <sstream>
 #include <unordered_set>
 
-#include <algorithms.hpp>
-#include <point.hpp>
-#include <swcio.hpp>
-#include <util.hpp>
+#include "algorithms.hpp"
+#include "point.hpp"
+#include "swcio.hpp"
+#include "util.hpp"
 
 namespace nest {
 namespace mc {
diff --git a/src/swcio.hpp b/src/swcio.hpp
index a58bbac9aee9a32c03ae9bb33eb9289782a537b2..70f979cda362f503a81965c274a5cdeb23ea5056 100644
--- a/src/swcio.hpp
+++ b/src/swcio.hpp
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 
-#include <cell.hpp>
-#include <point.hpp>
+#include "cell.hpp"
+#include "point.hpp"
 
 namespace nest {
 namespace mc {
diff --git a/tests/test_algorithms.cpp b/tests/test_algorithms.cpp
index f69569c9611068250cc3265524cfe64e1e10bd55..7ecfa894ca3760efb5be5db95e2be85b97e759db 100644
--- a/tests/test_algorithms.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_algorithms.cpp
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
+#include <vector>
+
 #include "gtest.h"
+#include "util.hpp"
 
-#include <vector>
+#include "../src/algorithms.hpp"
 
-#include <algorithms.hpp>
-#include <util.hpp>
 
 TEST(algorithms, sum)
 {
diff --git a/tests/test_matrix.cpp b/tests/test_matrix.cpp
index 07738a6c1b4e90ba23b6f74fb96fedd19346245e..2f2587f44ecce48e4e2222795695b78a8b70705e 100644
--- a/tests/test_matrix.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_matrix.cpp
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 #include <numeric>
+#include <vector>
 
 #include "gtest.h"
 
-#include <matrix.hpp>
-#include <math.hpp>
-#include <Vector.hpp>
+#include "../src/matrix.hpp"
+#include "../src/math.hpp"
+
 
 TEST(matrix, construct_from_parent_only)
 {
diff --git a/tests/test_mechanisms.cpp b/tests/test_mechanisms.cpp
index d61c89d20b40136044dfd7556157b68947d8e56f..aef84890275263ca7ef9570c1017864736a6f331 100644
--- a/tests/test_mechanisms.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_mechanisms.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #include "gtest.h"
 
-#include <mechanism_interface.hpp>
-#include <matrix.hpp>
+#include "../src/mechanism_interface.hpp"
+#include "../src/matrix.hpp"
 
 TEST(mechanisms, helpers) {
     nest::mc::mechanisms::setup_mechanism_helpers();
diff --git a/tests/test_parameters.cpp b/tests/test_parameters.cpp
index 0dce58b0c5472de6db9d721ad78dece7a9b3de94..8a4b0d200785036d727fda4cae698a7950fbf040 100644
--- a/tests/test_parameters.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_parameters.cpp
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
-
 #include <fstream>
 
 #include "gtest.h"
 #include "util.hpp"
 
-#include <parameter_list.hpp>
+#include "../src/parameter_list.hpp"
 
 // test out the parameter infrastructure
 TEST(parameters, setting)
diff --git a/tests/test_swcio.cpp b/tests/test_swcio.cpp
index 6968fd432a89842023807c8ed0ffb2ca8140b231..c3fc24d3926c86abd1ed3be760c1c6f5b7316ced 100644
--- a/tests/test_swcio.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_swcio.cpp
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@
 
 #include "gtest.h"
 
-#include <cell.hpp>
-#include <swcio.hpp>
+#include "../src/cell.hpp"
+#include "../src/swcio.hpp"
 
 // SWC tests
 void expect_record_equals(const nest::mc::io::swc_record &expected,
diff --git a/tests/test_tree.cpp b/tests/test_tree.cpp
index 696ef886202590abb5c806e06d6b4b92670bb837..d933705513539b77fc16e4cea0cd2522829beac5 100644
--- a/tests/test_tree.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_tree.cpp
@@ -2,11 +2,12 @@
 #include <fstream>
 #include <numeric>
 #include <vector>
+#include <json.hpp>
 
 #include "gtest.h"
 
-#include <cell_tree.hpp>
-#include <json.hpp>
+#include "../src/cell_tree.hpp"
+
 
 using json = nlohmann::json;
 using range = memory::Range;
diff --git a/tests/validate_ball_and_stick.cpp b/tests/validate_ball_and_stick.cpp
index 6e8098bd68daa2185b5fc2d374d93304f6f6c2c8..2b85502201b26a903a6f22d02dd9fa68cfd97145 100644
--- a/tests/validate_ball_and_stick.cpp
+++ b/tests/validate_ball_and_stick.cpp
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 #include <fstream>
+#include <json.hpp>
 
 #include "gtest.h"
 #include "util.hpp"
 
-#include <cell.hpp>
-#include <fvm.hpp>
 
-#include <json.hpp>
+#include "../src/cell.hpp"
+#include "../src/fvm.hpp"
 
 // compares results with those generated by nrn/ball_and_stick.py
 TEST(ball_and_stick, neuron_baseline)
diff --git a/tests/validate_soma.cpp b/tests/validate_soma.cpp
index 162242b56d9a201c42f26fa3b542285f03f01ee3..7b5c4c9b138e0f2cfc5a3c1153361f5e842fe96f 100644
--- a/tests/validate_soma.cpp
+++ b/tests/validate_soma.cpp
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 #include <fstream>
+#include <json.hpp>
+
 
 #include "gtest.h"
 #include "util.hpp"
 
-#include <cell.hpp>
-#include <fvm.hpp>
+#include "../src/cell.hpp"
+#include "../src/fvm.hpp"
+
 
-#include <json.hpp>
 
 // compares results with those generated by nrn/soma.py
 // single compartment model with HH channels