diff --git a/openrct2.common.props b/openrct2.common.props
index bbdf78fe06..7400067710 100644
--- a/openrct2.common.props
+++ b/openrct2.common.props
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@
 <Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
   <PropertyGroup>
     <SolutionDir Condition="'$(SolutionDir)'==''">..\..\</SolutionDir>
-    <Config Condition="'$(Configuration)'=='Debug' OR '$(Configuration)'=='DebugTests'">Debug</Config>
-    <Config Condition="'$(Configuration)'=='Release' OR '$(Configuration)'=='ReleaseTests'">Release</Config>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.Default.props" />
@@ -16,13 +14,13 @@
     <CharacterSet>MultiByte</CharacterSet>
 
     <OutDir>$(SolutionDir)bin\</OutDir>
-    <IntDir>$(SolutionDir)obj\$(ProjectName)\$(Config)_$(Platform)\</IntDir>
+    <IntDir>$(SolutionDir)obj\$(ProjectName)\$(Configuration)_$(Platform)\</IntDir>
     <TargetName>$(ProjectName)</TargetName>
   </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Config)'=='Debug'">
+  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)'=='Debug'">
     <UseDebugLibraries>true</UseDebugLibraries>
   </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Config)'=='Release'">
+  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)'=='Release'">
     <UseDebugLibraries>false</UseDebugLibraries>
     <WholeProgramOptimization>true</WholeProgramOptimization>
   </PropertyGroup>
@@ -56,7 +54,7 @@
       <AdditionalOptions>/OPT:NOLBR /ignore:4099 %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
     </Link>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
-  <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Config)'=='Debug'">
+  <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)'=='Debug'">
     <ClCompile>
       <Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
       <SDLCheck>true</SDLCheck>
@@ -68,7 +66,7 @@
       <LinkTimeCodeGeneration>UseFastLinkTimeCodeGeneration</LinkTimeCodeGeneration>
     </Link>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
-  <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Config)'=='Release'">
+  <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)'=='Release'">
     <ClCompile>
       <Optimization>Full</Optimization>
       <FunctionLevelLinking>true</FunctionLevelLinking>
@@ -85,16 +83,6 @@
       <OptimizeReferences>true</OptimizeReferences>
     </Link>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
-  <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)'=='DebugTests'">
-    <ClCompile>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>__TEST__;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
-    </ClCompile>
-  </ItemDefinitionGroup>
-  <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)'=='ReleaseTests'">
-    <ClCompile>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>NDEBUG;__TEST__;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
-    </ClCompile>
-  </ItemDefinitionGroup>
 
   <!-- Debug|Win32 is reserved for RCT2 interop builds, this means it has to be a DLL -->
   <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'!='Debug|Win32'">
diff --git a/src/openrct2/core/Guard.cpp b/src/openrct2/core/Guard.cpp
index 746c1a0780..0edfe9adc9 100644
--- a/src/openrct2/core/Guard.cpp
+++ b/src/openrct2/core/Guard.cpp
@@ -24,14 +24,14 @@
 #undef GetMessage
 #endif
 
+#include "../OpenRCT2.h"
 #include "Console.hpp"
 #include "Diagnostics.hpp"
 #include "Guard.hpp"
+#include "String.hpp"
 
 extern "C"
 {
-    #include "../OpenRCT2.h"
-
     void openrct2_assert(bool expression, const char * message, ...)
     {
         va_list args;
@@ -44,6 +44,30 @@ extern "C"
 
 namespace Guard
 {
+    // The default behaviour when an assertion is raised.
+    static ASSERT_BEHAVIOUR _assertBehaviour =
+#ifdef __WINDOWS__
+        ASSERT_BEHAVIOUR::MESSAGE_BOX
+#else
+        ASSERT_BEHAVIOUR::CASSERT
+#endif
+        ;
+
+#ifdef __WINDOWS__
+    static void GetAssertMessage(char * buffer, size_t bufferSize, const char * formattedMessage);
+    static void ForceCrash();
+#endif
+
+    ASSERT_BEHAVIOUR GetAssertBehaviour()
+    {
+        return _assertBehaviour;
+    }
+
+    void SetAssertBehaviour(ASSERT_BEHAVIOUR behaviour)
+    {
+        _assertBehaviour = behaviour;
+    }
+
     void Assert(bool expression, const char * message, ...)
     {
         va_list args;
@@ -56,47 +80,46 @@ namespace Guard
     {
         if (expression) return;
 
+        char version[128];
+        openrct2_write_full_version_info(version, sizeof(version));
+        Console::Error::WriteLine("An assertion failed, please report this to the OpenRCT2 developers.");
+        Console::Error::WriteLine("Version: %s", version);
+
+        // This is never freed, but acceptable considering we are about to crash out
+        utf8 * formattedMessage = nullptr;
         if (message != nullptr)
         {
-            Console::Error::WriteLine("Assertion failed:");
-            Console::Error::WriteLine_VA(message, args);
+            formattedMessage = String::Format_VA(message, args);
+            Console::Error::WriteLine(formattedMessage);
         }
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
         Debug::Break();
 #endif
-#ifdef __WINDOWS__
-        char version[128];
-        openrct2_write_full_version_info(version, sizeof(version));
 
-        char buffer[512];
-        strcpy(buffer, "An assertion failed, please report this to the OpenRCT2 developers.\r\n\r\nVersion: ");
-        strcat(buffer, version);
-        if (message != nullptr)
-        {
-            strcat(buffer, "\r\n");
-            char *bufend = (char *)strchr(buffer, 0);
-            vsnprintf(bufend, sizeof(buffer) - (bufend - buffer), message, args);
-        }
-#ifdef __TEST__
-        // Abort if we are building for testing
-        abort();
-#else
-        // Show message box if we are not building for testing
-        sint32 result = MessageBoxA(nullptr, buffer, OPENRCT2_NAME, MB_ABORTRETRYIGNORE | MB_ICONEXCLAMATION);
-        if (result == IDABORT)
-        {
-#ifdef USE_BREAKPAD
-            // Force a crash that breakpad will handle allowing us to get a dump
-            *((void**)0) = 0;
-#else
+        switch (_assertBehaviour) {
+        case ASSERT_BEHAVIOUR::ABORT:
+            abort();
+            break;
+        default:
+        case ASSERT_BEHAVIOUR::CASSERT:
             assert(false);
-#endif
+            break;
+#ifdef __WINDOWS__
+        case ASSERT_BEHAVIOUR::MESSAGE_BOX:
+        {
+            // Show message box if we are not building for testing
+            char buffer[512];
+            GetAssertMessage(buffer, sizeof(buffer), formattedMessage);
+            sint32 result = MessageBoxA(nullptr, buffer, OPENRCT2_NAME, MB_ABORTRETRYIGNORE | MB_ICONEXCLAMATION);
+            if (result == IDABORT)
+            {
+                ForceCrash();
+            }
+            break;
         }
 #endif
-#else
-        assert(false);
-#endif
+        }
     }
 
     void Fail(const char * message, ...)
@@ -111,4 +134,30 @@ namespace Guard
     {
         Assert_VA(false, message, args);
     }
+
+#ifdef __WINDOWS__
+    static void GetAssertMessage(char * buffer, size_t bufferSize, const char * formattedMessage)
+    {
+        char version[128];
+        openrct2_write_full_version_info(version, sizeof(version));
+
+        String::Set(buffer, bufferSize, "An assertion failed, please report this to the OpenRCT2 developers.\r\n\r\nVersion: ");
+        String::Append(buffer, bufferSize, version);
+        if (formattedMessage != nullptr)
+        {
+            String::Append(buffer, bufferSize, "\r\n");
+            String::Append(buffer, bufferSize, formattedMessage);
+        }
+    }
+
+    static void ForceCrash()
+    {
+#ifdef USE_BREAKPAD
+        // Force a crash that breakpad will handle allowing us to get a dump
+        *((void**)0) = 0;
+#else
+        assert(false);
+#endif
+    }
+#endif
 }
diff --git a/src/openrct2/core/Guard.hpp b/src/openrct2/core/Guard.hpp
index 905e5ccf8e..9c2c397fe8 100644
--- a/src/openrct2/core/Guard.hpp
+++ b/src/openrct2/core/Guard.hpp
@@ -27,11 +27,21 @@ void openrct2_assert(bool expression, const char * message, ...);
 
 #include <stdarg.h>
 
+enum class ASSERT_BEHAVIOUR
+{
+    ABORT,
+    CASSERT,
+    MESSAGE_BOX,
+};
+
 /**
  * Utility methods for asserting function parameters.
  */
 namespace Guard
 {
+    ASSERT_BEHAVIOUR GetAssertBehaviour();
+    void SetAssertBehaviour(ASSERT_BEHAVIOUR behaviour);
+
     void Assert(bool expression, const char * message = nullptr, ...);
     void Assert_VA(bool expression, const char * message, va_list args);
     void Fail(const char * message = nullptr, ...);
diff --git a/test/tests/tests.cpp b/test/tests/tests.cpp
index 4190c4fa39..27c1a9bd5e 100644
--- a/test/tests/tests.cpp
+++ b/test/tests/tests.cpp
@@ -3,9 +3,13 @@
 #ifdef _MSC_VER
 
 #include <gtest/gtest.h>
+#include <openrct2/core/Guard.hpp>
 
 int main(int argc, char * * argv)
 { 
+    // Abort on an assertions so the tests do not hang
+    Guard::SetAssertBehaviour(ASSERT_BEHAVIOUR::ABORT);
+
     testing::InitGoogleTest(&argc, argv);
     return RUN_ALL_TESTS();
 }