diff --git a/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/tests.py b/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/tests.py
index d10d6a4ac1..b6828515ab 100644
--- a/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/tests.py
+++ b/tests/modeltests/proxy_model_inheritance/tests.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ from django.test import TransactionTestCase
 class ProxyModelInheritanceTests(TransactionTestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
-        self.old_sys_path = sys.path
+        self.old_sys_path = sys.path[:]
         sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
         self.old_installed_apps = settings.INSTALLED_APPS
         settings.INSTALLED_APPS = ('app1', 'app2')
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py
index 6683ebbc45..492d795117 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py
@@ -1356,7 +1356,7 @@ class Templates(unittest.TestCase):
 class TemplateTagLoading(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
-        self.old_path = sys.path
+        self.old_path = sys.path[:]
         self.old_apps = settings.INSTALLED_APPS
         self.egg_dir = '%s/eggs' % os.path.dirname(__file__)
         self.old_tag_modules = template.templatetags_modules
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/utils/module_loading.py b/tests/regressiontests/utils/module_loading.py
index a9e2c7907b..cffec9bad9 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/utils/module_loading.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/utils/module_loading.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class DefaultLoader(unittest.TestCase):
 
 class EggLoader(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
-        self.old_path = sys.path
+        self.old_path = sys.path[:]
         self.egg_dir = '%s/eggs' % os.path.dirname(__file__)
 
     def tearDown(self):