diff --git a/dev-libs/Ice/Ice-3.6.3.ebuild b/dev-libs/Ice/Ice-3.6.3.ebuild
index e86c9e7..ded41d9 100644
--- a/dev-libs/Ice/Ice-3.6.3.ebuild
+++ b/dev-libs/Ice/Ice-3.6.3.ebuild
@@ -99,20 +99,26 @@ src_prepare() {
 		csharp/config/Make.rules.cs || die "sed failed"
 
 	# skip mono tests, bug #498484
-#	sed -i \
-#		-e '/SUBDIRS/s|\ test||' \
-#		csharp/Makefile || die "sed failed"
+	sed -i \
+		-e '/SUBDIRS/s|\ test||' \
+		csharp/Makefile || die "sed failed"
 
 	# skip udp test due to multicast
 	# skip IceSSL tests due to requirement of internet connection
-#	sed -i \
-#		-e 's|allTests.py|allTests.py --rfilter=udp --rfilter=IceSSL --rfilter=IceGrid\/simple|' \
-#		cpp/Makefile || die "sed failed"
+	# IceUtil/stacktrace fails
+	sed -i \
+		-e 's|allTests.py|allTests.py --rfilter=IceUtil\/stacktrace --rfilter=udp --rfilter=IceSSL|' \
+		cpp/Makefile || die "sed failed"
 
 	# mainly broken .ice files
-#	sed -i \
-#		-e 's|allTests.py|allTests.py --rfilter=operations --rfilter=slicing\/objects|' \
-#		python/Makefile || die "sed failed"
+	sed -i \
+		-e 's|allTests.py|allTests.py --rfilter=operations --rfilter=slicing\/objects|' \
+		python/Makefile || die "sed failed"
+
+	# fails even on unicode locale
+	sed -i \
+		-e 's|allTests.py|allTests.py --rfilter=Slice\/unicodePaths|' \
+		ruby/Makefile || die "sed failed"
 }
 
 suitable_db_version() {
@@ -152,6 +158,9 @@ src_configure() {
 
 	if use python ; then
 		S=${S}/python python_copy_sources
+
+		# make a place for the build hackery
+		rm -r "${WORKDIR}/${P/I/i}"/python || die
 	fi
 
 	if use ruby ; then
@@ -212,9 +221,11 @@ src_compile() {
 	if use python ; then
 		building() {
 			# build requires that the directory is named 'python'
-			emake -C python ${MAKE_RULES} || die "emake python-${EPYTHON} failed"
+			mv "${BUILD_DIR}" "${S}"/python || die
+			emake -C python ${MAKE_RULES} PYTHON=${EPYTHON} || die "emake python-${EPYTHON} failed"
+			mv "${S}"/python "${BUILD_DIR}"
 		}
-		python_foreach_impl building
+		BUILD_DIR=python python_foreach_impl building
 	fi
 
 	if use ruby ; then
@@ -234,12 +245,14 @@ src_test() {
 
 	if use python ; then
 		testing() {
-			emake -C python ${MAKE_RULES} \
+			mv "${BUILD_DIR}" "${S}"/python || die
+			emake -C python ${MAKE_RULES} PYTHON=${EPYTHON} \
 				install_pythondir="\"${D}/$(python_get_sitedir)\"" \
 				install_libdir="\"${D}/$(python_get_sitedir)\"" \
 				test || die "emake python-${EPYTHON} test failed"
+			mv "${S}"/python "${BUILD_DIR}"
 		}
-		python_foreach_impl testing
+		BUILD_DIR=python python_foreach_impl testing
 	fi
 
 	if use ruby ; then
@@ -293,12 +306,14 @@ src_install() {
 		installation() {
 			mkdir -p "${D}/$(python_get_sitedir)" || die
 
+			mv "${BUILD_DIR}" "${S}"/python || die
 			emake -C python ${MAKE_RULES} \
 				install_pythondir="\"${D}/$(python_get_sitedir)\"" \
 				install_libdir="\"${D}/$(python_get_sitedir)\"" \
 				install || die "emake python-${EPYTHON} install failed"
+			mv "${S}"/python "${BUILD_DIR}"
 		}
-		python_foreach_impl installation
+		BUILD_DIR=python python_foreach_impl installation
 	fi
 
 	if use ruby ; then
diff --git a/dev-libs/Ice/Ice-3.6.9999.ebuild b/dev-libs/Ice/Ice-3.6.9999.ebuild
index 9884735..328c07d 100644
--- a/dev-libs/Ice/Ice-3.6.9999.ebuild
+++ b/dev-libs/Ice/Ice-3.6.9999.ebuild
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 EAPI=5
 
-PYTHON_COMPAT=( python{2_7,3_4,3_5} pypy )
+PYTHON_COMPAT=( python{2_7,3_5} pypy )
 
 RUBY_OPTIONAL="yes"
 USE_RUBY="ruby23"
@@ -104,20 +104,26 @@ src_prepare() {
 		csharp/config/Make.rules.cs || die "sed failed"
 
 	# skip mono tests, bug #498484
-#	sed -i \
-#		-e '/SUBDIRS/s|\ test||' \
-#		csharp/Makefile || die "sed failed"
+	sed -i \
+		-e '/SUBDIRS/s|\ test||' \
+		csharp/Makefile || die "sed failed"
 
 	# skip udp test due to multicast
 	# skip IceSSL tests due to requirement of internet connection
-#	sed -i \
-#		-e 's|allTests.py|allTests.py --rfilter=udp --rfilter=IceSSL --rfilter=IceGrid\/simple|' \
-#		cpp/Makefile || die "sed failed"
+	# IceUtil/stacktrace fails
+	sed -i \
+		-e 's|allTests.py|allTests.py --rfilter=IceUtil\/stacktrace --rfilter=udp --rfilter=IceSSL|' \
+		cpp/Makefile || die "sed failed"
 
 	# mainly broken .ice files
-#	sed -i \
-#		-e 's|allTests.py|allTests.py --rfilter=operations --rfilter=slicing\/objects|' \
-#		python/Makefile || die "sed failed"
+	sed -i \
+		-e 's|allTests.py|allTests.py --rfilter=operations --rfilter=slicing\/objects|' \
+		python/Makefile || die "sed failed"
+
+	# fails even on unicode locale
+	sed -i \
+		-e 's|allTests.py|allTests.py --rfilter=Slice\/unicodePaths|' \
+		ruby/Makefile || die "sed failed"
 }
 
 suitable_db_version() {
@@ -157,6 +163,9 @@ src_configure() {
 
 	if use python ; then
 		S=${S}/python python_copy_sources
+
+		# make a place for the build hackery
+		rm -r "${WORKDIR}/${PN}"/python || die
 	fi
 
 	if use ruby ; then
@@ -217,9 +226,11 @@ src_compile() {
 	if use python ; then
 		building() {
 			# build requires that the directory is named 'python'
-			emake -C python ${MAKE_RULES} || die "emake python-${EPYTHON} failed"
+			mv "${BUILD_DIR}" "${S}"/python || die
+			emake -C python ${MAKE_RULES} PYTHON=${EPYTHON} || die "emake python-${EPYTHON} failed"
+			mv "${S}"/python "${BUILD_DIR}"
 		}
-		python_foreach_impl building
+		BUILD_DIR=python python_foreach_impl building
 	fi
 
 	if use ruby ; then
@@ -239,12 +250,14 @@ src_test() {
 
 	if use python ; then
 		testing() {
-			emake -C python ${MAKE_RULES} \
+			mv "${BUILD_DIR}" "${S}"/python || die
+			emake -C python ${MAKE_RULES} PYTHON=${EPYTHON} \
 				install_pythondir="\"${D}/$(python_get_sitedir)\"" \
 				install_libdir="\"${D}/$(python_get_sitedir)\"" \
 				test || die "emake python-${EPYTHON} test failed"
+			mv "${S}"/python "${BUILD_DIR}"
 		}
-		python_foreach_impl testing
+		BUILD_DIR=python python_foreach_impl testing
 	fi
 
 	if use ruby ; then
@@ -294,12 +307,14 @@ src_install() {
 		installation() {
 			mkdir -p "${D}/$(python_get_sitedir)" || die
 
+			mv "${BUILD_DIR}" "${S}"/python || die
 			emake -C python ${MAKE_RULES} \
 				install_pythondir="\"${D}/$(python_get_sitedir)\"" \
 				install_libdir="\"${D}/$(python_get_sitedir)\"" \
 				install || die "emake python-${EPYTHON} install failed"
+			mv "${S}"/python "${BUILD_DIR}"
 		}
-		python_foreach_impl installation
+		BUILD_DIR=python python_foreach_impl installation
 	fi
 
 	if use ruby ; then