diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 5c4af35..20b3b5c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "express": "3.x",
     "glob": "3.2.x",
-    "grunt-express": "~1.4.0",
+    "grunt-express": "benhutchins/grunt-express",
     "grunt-mocha": "0.4.x",
     "jade": "~0.35",
     "request": "^2.34.0",
diff --git a/tasks/js-test-env.js b/tasks/js-test-env.js
index e15de22..a6734c2 100644
--- a/tasks/js-test-env.js
+++ b/tasks/js-test-env.js
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ var findTests  = require('./lib/findTests');
 
 module.exports = function (grunt) {
 
-  grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-express');
-  grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-mocha');
+  grunt.loadTasks(path.join(__dirname, '../node_modules/grunt-express/tasks'));
+  grunt.loadTasks(path.join(__dirname, '../node_modules/grunt-mocha/tasks'));
 
   function startCoverageServer() {
     // start the jscover proxy server
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ module.exports = function (grunt) {
         startCoverageServer();
       }
 
-      var express = Object.merge({
+      var express = _.extend({}, {
         options: {
           hostname: options.hostname,
           port: options.port,
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ module.exports = function (grunt) {
     var options = this.options(defaults);
 
     ensureServerIsRunning(options, function () {
-      var mochaConfig = Object.merge({
+      var mochaConfig = _.extend({}, {
         urls: ['test/*.unittests.html'],
 
         inject: path.join(__dirname, 'lib', 'phantom-bridge.js'),
@@ -221,7 +221,8 @@ module.exports = function (grunt) {
 
   // start the js-test-env web server with keepalive
   grunt.registerTask('js-test-server', 'Start server with keepalive.', function (target) {
-    var options = Object.merge(
+    var options = _.extend(
+      {},
       defaults,
       grunt.config.get('js-test.options') || {},
       grunt.config.get('js-test.' + target + '.options')
diff --git a/tasks/lib/server.js b/tasks/lib/server.js
index 373c6c4..e7624e0 100644
--- a/tasks/lib/server.js
+++ b/tasks/lib/server.js
@@ -15,17 +15,14 @@ var findReferenceTags = require('./deps');
 
 var app = express();
 
-app.configure(function () {
-  app.locals.pretty = true;
-  app.set('view engine', 'jade');
-  // app.use(express.logger('dev'));
-  app.use(express.bodyParser({ limit: '200mb' }));
-  // app.use(express.methodOverride());
-  app.use(express.errorHandler());
-
-  // proxy static js-test-env javascript files
-  app.use('/js-test-env', express.static(path.join(__dirname, '..', '..', 'views', 'deps')));
-});
+app.locals.pretty = true; // output pretty HTML
+app.set('view engine', 'jade');
+// app.use(express.logger('dev'));
+app.use(express.bodyParser({ limit: '200mb' }));
+app.use(express.errorHandler());
+
+// proxy static js-test-env javascript files
+app.use('/js-test-env', express.static(path.join(__dirname, '..', '..', 'views', 'deps')));
 
 module.exports = function (grunt, options) {
   var tests = require('./findTests')(options);