diff --git a/src/servers/app/AppServer.cpp b/src/servers/app/AppServer.cpp
index 19a6817c7e..a45773b547 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/AppServer.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/app/AppServer.cpp
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "RootLayer.h"
 #include "ScreenManager.h"
 #include "ServerApp.h"
+#include "ServerConfig.h"
 #include "ServerCursor.h"
 #include "ServerProtocol.h"
 #include "ServerWindow.h"
@@ -77,9 +78,6 @@ ColorSet gGUIColorSet;
 */
 AppServer::AppServer()
 	: MessageLooper("app_server"),
-#if TEST_MODE
-	BApplication(SERVER_SIGNATURE),
-#endif
 	fCursorSem(-1),
 	fCursorArea(-1)
 {
diff --git a/src/servers/app/AppServer.h b/src/servers/app/AppServer.h
index de500c600e..c8a5be4c61 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/AppServer.h
+++ b/src/servers/app/AppServer.h
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 #include <Application.h>
 #include <Window.h>
 #include <String.h>
-
 #include "ServerConfig.h"
 #include "MessageLooper.h"
 
@@ -35,12 +34,7 @@ namespace BPrivate {
 	and initializes most of the server's globals.
 */
 
-class AppServer :
-	public MessageLooper 
-#if TEST_MODE
-	, public BApplication
-#endif
-{
+class AppServer : public MessageLooper  {
 	public:
 		AppServer();
 		virtual ~AppServer();
diff --git a/src/servers/app/Jamfile b/src/servers/app/Jamfile
index 1551aedd22..381ac90cf8 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/Jamfile
+++ b/src/servers/app/Jamfile
@@ -13,6 +13,12 @@ UseFreeTypeHeaders ;
 
 SEARCH_SOURCE += [ FDirName $(SUBDIR) drawing ] ;
 
+HWINTERFACE_SOURCES = 
+	BBitmapBuffer.cpp
+	HWInterface.cpp
+	MultiLocker.cpp
+;
+
 if ( $(TARGET_PLATFORM) = haiku ) {
 	# This overrides the definitions in private/servers/app/ServerConfig.h
 	defines = [ FDefines TEST_MODE=0 ] ;
@@ -20,27 +26,23 @@ if ( $(TARGET_PLATFORM) = haiku ) {
 	SubDirCcFlags $(defines) ;
 	SubDirC++Flags $(defines) ;
 	
-	VIEW_DRIVER_SOURCES =
-		AccelerantBuffer.cpp
-		AccelerantHWInterface.cpp
-		BitmapBuffer.cpp
-		DisplayDriverPainter.cpp
-		HWInterface.cpp
-		MallocBuffer.cpp
-		UpdateQueue.cpp
-		;
 } else {
-	VIEW_DRIVER_SOURCES =
+	SharedLibrary hwinterface :
+		$(HWINTERFACE_SOURCES)
+	;
+	
+	LINKFLAGS on libhwinterfaceimpl.so ?= $(LINKFLAGS) ;
+	LINKFLAGS on libhwinterfaceimpl.so += -lbe ;
+	
+	SharedLibrary hwinterfaceimpl :
 		fake_input_server.cpp
-		BitmapBuffer.cpp
-		AccelerantBuffer.cpp
-		AccelerantHWInterface.cpp
-		DisplayDriverPainter.cpp
-		HWInterface.cpp
-		MallocBuffer.cpp
-		UpdateQueue.cpp
 		ViewHWInterface.cpp
-		;
+		: libopenbeos.so libhwinterface.so
+	;
+
+	# make this empty, because it is already in the hwinterfaceimpl lib
+	# and therefore does not need to be included in app_server anymore
+	HWINTERFACE_SOURCES = ;
 }
 
 SharedLibrary appserver :
@@ -72,7 +74,6 @@ Server app_server :
 	# Misc. Sources
 	DebugInfoManager.cpp
 	SubWindowList.cpp
-	MultiLocker.cpp
 	PicturePlayer.cpp
 	PNGDump.cpp
 	RAMLinkMsgReader.cpp
@@ -91,10 +92,16 @@ Server app_server :
 	ServerWindow.cpp
 
 	# DisplayDriver Classes
-	$(VIEW_DRIVER_SOURCES)
+	AccelerantBuffer.cpp
+	AccelerantHWInterface.cpp
+	BitmapBuffer.cpp
+	DisplayDriverPainter.cpp
+	MallocBuffer.cpp
+	UpdateQueue.cpp
+	# this will be empty when compiling for R5
+	$(HWINTERFACE_SOURCES)
 
 	VirtualScreen.cpp
-	BBitmapBuffer.cpp
 	BitmapHWInterface.cpp
 	DefaultDecorator.cpp
 	Layer.cpp
@@ -124,17 +131,18 @@ if $(TARGET_PLATFORM) = haiku {
 } else {
 	# link as test application under R5
 
-	LINKFLAGS on app_server ?= $(LINKFLAGS) ;
-	LINKFLAGS on app_server += -lbe ;
+	LinkSharedOSLibs libhwinterface.so :
+		libappserver.so libopenbeos.so ;
 
 	LinkSharedOSLibs libappserver.so :
-		root be <boot!home!config!lib>libopenbeos.so
-		textencoding libfreetype.so ;
+		<boot!home!config!lib>libopenbeos.so
+		libtextencoding.so libfreetype.so ;
 
 	LinkSharedOSLibs app_server :
-		root be game translation libz.so libpng.so libappserver.so
+		libz.so libpng.so libappserver.so
 		libpainter.a <boot!home!config!lib>libopenbeos.so 
-		libagg.a libfreetype.so textencoding ;
+		libhwinterface.so libhwinterfaceimpl.so
+		libagg.a libfreetype.so libtextencoding.so ;
 }
 
 SubInclude OBOS_TOP src servers app drawing Painter ;
diff --git a/src/servers/app/drawing/ViewHWInterface.cpp b/src/servers/app/drawing/ViewHWInterface.cpp
index f7e1e610e8..6a7aaee902 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/drawing/ViewHWInterface.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/app/drawing/ViewHWInterface.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include <new>
 #include <stdio.h>
 
+#include <Application.h>
 #include <Bitmap.h>
 #include <Cursor.h>
 #include <Locker.h>
@@ -92,6 +93,18 @@ string_for_color_space(color_space format)
 	return name;
 }
 
+// run_app_thread
+static int32
+run_app_thread(void* cookie)
+{
+	if (BApplication* app = (BApplication*)cookie) {
+		app->Lock();
+		app->Run();
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+
 //#define INPUTSERVER_TEST_MODE 1
 
 class CardView : public BView {
@@ -384,6 +397,8 @@ ViewHWInterface::~ViewHWInterface()
 
 	delete fBackBuffer;
 	delete fFrontBuffer;
+
+	delete be_app;
 }
 
 // Initialize
@@ -443,6 +458,23 @@ ViewHWInterface::SetMode(const display_mode &mode)
 
 	// create the window if we don't have one already
 	if (!fWindow) {
+		// if the window has not been created yet, the BApplication
+		// has not been created either, but we need one to display
+		// a real BWindow in the test environment.
+		// be_app->Run() needs to be called in another thread
+		BApplication* app = new BApplication("application/x-vnd.haiku-app-server");
+		app->Unlock();
+
+		thread_id appThread = spawn_thread(run_app_thread, "app thread",
+										   B_NORMAL_PRIORITY, app);
+		if (appThread >= B_OK)
+			ret = resume_thread(appThread);
+		else
+			ret = appThread;
+
+		if (ret < B_OK)
+			return ret;
+		
 		fWindow = new CardWindow(frame.OffsetToCopy(BPoint(50.0, 50.0)));
 
 		// fire up the window thread but don't show it on screen yet