diff --git a/Gruntfile.js b/Gruntfile.js
index 2d362689..205feff8 100644
--- a/Gruntfile.js
+++ b/Gruntfile.js
@@ -66,7 +66,8 @@ module.exports = function(grunt) {
           files: [
             'test/support.js',
             'test/model.test.js',
-            'test/geo-point.test.js'
+            'test/geo-point.test.js',
+            'test/app.test.js'
           ],
 
           // list of files to exclude
diff --git a/lib/browser-express.js b/lib/browser-express.js
index 386e8159..82aba2fa 100644
--- a/lib/browser-express.js
+++ b/lib/browser-express.js
@@ -1,7 +1,25 @@
 module.exports = browserExpress;
 
 function browserExpress() {
-  return {};
+  return new BrowserExpress();
 }
 
 browserExpress.errorHandler = {};
+
+function BrowserExpress() {
+  this.settings = {};
+}
+
+BrowserExpress.prototype.set = function(key, value) {
+  if (arguments.length == 1) {
+    return this.get(key);
+  }
+
+  this.settings[key] = value;
+
+  return this; // fluent API
+};
+
+BrowserExpress.prototype.get = function(key) {
+  return this.settings[key];
+};
diff --git a/test/app.test.js b/test/app.test.js
index 0d38ff2f..2ab4e287 100644
--- a/test/app.test.js
+++ b/test/app.test.js
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@ var SIMPLE_APP = path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'simple-app');
 var loopback = require('../');
 var DataModel = loopback.DataModel;
 
+var describe = require('./util/describe');
+var it = require('./util/it');
+
 describe('app', function() {
 
   describe('app.model(Model)', function() {
@@ -35,7 +38,7 @@ describe('app', function() {
       expect(classes).to.contain('color');
     });
 
-    it('updates REST API when a new model is added', function(done) {
+    it.onServer('updates REST API when a new model is added', function(done) {
       app.use(loopback.rest());
       request(app).get('/colors').expect(404, function(err, res) {
         if (err) return done(err);
@@ -76,6 +79,8 @@ describe('app', function() {
       app = loopback();
       app.boot({
         app: {port: 3000, host: '127.0.0.1'},
+        // prevent loading of models.json, it is not available in the browser
+        models: {},
         dataSources: {
           db: {
             connector: 'memory'
@@ -144,7 +149,7 @@ describe('app', function() {
     });
   });
 
-  describe('app.boot([options])', function () {
+  describe.onServer('app.boot([options])', function () {
     beforeEach(function () {
       app.boot({
         app: {
@@ -313,7 +318,7 @@ describe('app', function() {
     });
   });
 
-  describe('app.boot(appRootDir)', function () {
+  describe.onServer('app.boot(appRootDir)', function () {
     it('Load config files', function () {
       var app = loopback();
 
@@ -327,7 +332,7 @@ describe('app', function() {
     });
   });
 
-  describe('listen()', function() {
+  describe.onServer('listen()', function() {
     it('starts http server', function(done) {
       var app = loopback();
       app.set('port', 0);
@@ -387,7 +392,7 @@ describe('app', function() {
     });
   });
 
-  describe('enableAuth', function() {
+  describe.onServer('enableAuth', function() {
     it('should set app.isAuthEnabled to true', function() {
       expect(app.isAuthEnabled).to.not.equal(true);
       app.enableAuth();
@@ -395,7 +400,7 @@ describe('app', function() {
     });
   });
 
-  describe('app.get("/", loopback.status())', function () {
+  describe.onServer('app.get("/", loopback.status())', function () {
     it('should return the status of the application', function (done) {
       var app = loopback();
       app.get('/', loopback.status());
@@ -456,4 +461,26 @@ describe('app', function() {
       expect(app.connectors.FOOBAR).to.equal(loopback.Memory);
     });
   });
+
+  describe('app.settings', function() {
+    it('can be altered via `app.set(key, value)`', function() {
+      app.set('write-key', 'write-value');
+      expect(app.settings).to.have.property('write-key', 'write-value');
+    });
+
+    it('can be read via `app.get(key)`', function() {
+      app.settings['read-key'] = 'read-value';
+      expect(app.get('read-key')).to.equal('read-value');
+    });
+
+    it('is unique per app instance', function() {
+      var app1 = loopback();
+      var app2 = loopback();
+
+      expect(app1.settings).to.not.equal(app2.settings);
+
+      app1.set('key', 'value');
+      expect(app2.get('key'), 'app2 value').to.equal(undefined);
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/test/model.test.js b/test/model.test.js
index b00f41de..10d02a7b 100644
--- a/test/model.test.js
+++ b/test/model.test.js
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ var Change = loopback.Change;
 var defineModelTestsWithDataSource = require('./util/model-tests');
 var DataModel = loopback.DataModel;
 
+var describe = require('./util/describe');
+
 describe('Model / DataModel', function() {
   defineModelTestsWithDataSource({
     dataSource: {
diff --git a/test/util/it.js b/test/util/it.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f1b004e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/util/it.js
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+var loopback = require('../../');
+
+module.exports = it;
+
+it.onServer = function itOnServer(name, fn) {
+  if (loopback.isServer) {
+    it(name, fn);
+  } else {
+    it.skip(name, fn);
+  }
+};
+
+it.inBrowser = function itInBrowser(name, fn) {
+  if (loopback.isBrowser) {
+    it(name, fn);
+  } else {
+    it.skip(name, fn);
+  }
+};