diff --git a/debug/org.eclipse.debug.tests/src/org/eclipse/debug/tests/AbstractDebugTest.java b/debug/org.eclipse.debug.tests/src/org/eclipse/debug/tests/AbstractDebugTest.java
index 4cd15825367..143b7059732 100644
--- a/debug/org.eclipse.debug.tests/src/org/eclipse/debug/tests/AbstractDebugTest.java
+++ b/debug/org.eclipse.debug.tests/src/org/eclipse/debug/tests/AbstractDebugTest.java
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IStatus;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.Status;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.jobs.Job;
-import org.eclipse.jface.preference.IPreferenceStore;
-import org.eclipse.jface.preference.PreferenceMemento;
 import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display;
 import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbench;
 import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchWindow;
@@ -43,11 +41,6 @@ public class AbstractDebugTest {
 	 */
 	protected long testTimeout = 30000;
 
-	/**
-	 * Preference helper to restore changed preference values after test run.
-	 */
-	private final PreferenceMemento prefMemento = new PreferenceMemento();
-
 	@Rule
 	public TestName name = new TestName();
 
@@ -62,7 +55,6 @@ public void setUp() throws Exception {
 	public void tearDown() throws Exception {
 		TestUtil.log(IStatus.INFO, name.getMethodName(), "tearDown");
 		TestUtil.cleanUp(name.getMethodName());
-		prefMemento.resetPreferences();
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -143,27 +135,4 @@ private static void closeIntro(final IWorkbench wb) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Change a preference value for this test run. The preference will be reset
-	 * to its value before test started automatically on {@link #tearDown()}.
-	 *
-	 * @param <T> preference value type. The type must have a corresponding
-	 *            {@link IPreferenceStore} setter.
-	 * @param store preference store to manipulate (must not be
-	 *            <code>null</code>)
-	 * @param name preference to change
-	 * @param value new preference value
-	 * @throws IllegalArgumentException when setting a type which is not
-	 *             supported by {@link IPreferenceStore}
-	 *
-	 * @see IPreferenceStore#setValue(String, double)
-	 * @see IPreferenceStore#setValue(String, float)
-	 * @see IPreferenceStore#setValue(String, int)
-	 * @see IPreferenceStore#setValue(String, long)
-	 * @see IPreferenceStore#setValue(String, boolean)
-	 * @see IPreferenceStore#setValue(String, String)
-	 */
-	protected <T> void setPreference(IPreferenceStore store, String name, T value) {
-		prefMemento.setValue(store, name, value);
-	}
 }
diff --git a/debug/org.eclipse.debug.tests/src/org/eclipse/debug/tests/console/ProcessConsoleManagerTests.java b/debug/org.eclipse.debug.tests/src/org/eclipse/debug/tests/console/ProcessConsoleManagerTests.java
index b841ef2fe86..d3c12fcf536 100644
--- a/debug/org.eclipse.debug.tests/src/org/eclipse/debug/tests/console/ProcessConsoleManagerTests.java
+++ b/debug/org.eclipse.debug.tests/src/org/eclipse/debug/tests/console/ProcessConsoleManagerTests.java
@@ -37,9 +37,11 @@
 import org.eclipse.debug.tests.AbstractDebugTest;
 import org.eclipse.debug.tests.TestUtil;
 import org.eclipse.debug.ui.IDebugUIConstants;
+import org.eclipse.jface.preference.PreferenceMemento;
 import org.eclipse.ui.console.ConsolePlugin;
 import org.eclipse.ui.console.IConsole;
 import org.eclipse.ui.console.IConsoleManager;
+import org.junit.After;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 /**
@@ -47,6 +49,13 @@
  */
 public class ProcessConsoleManagerTests extends AbstractDebugTest {
 
+	private final PreferenceMemento prefMemento = new PreferenceMemento();
+
+	@After
+	public void restorePreferences() {
+		prefMemento.resetPreferences();
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Test addition and removal of a ProcessConsole. It also kind of tests
 	 * {@link LaunchManager} because the ProcessConsoleManager primary works
@@ -102,7 +111,7 @@ public void testBug546710_ConsoleCreationRaceCondition() throws Exception {
 		final MockProcess mockProcess2 = new MockProcess(0);
 		final IProcess process2 = mockProcess2.toRuntimeProcess("SecondMockProcess");
 		try {
-			setPreference(DebugUIPlugin.getDefault().getPreferenceStore(), IDebugUIConstants.PREF_AUTO_REMOVE_OLD_LAUNCHES, true);
+			prefMemento.setValue(DebugUIPlugin.getDefault().getPreferenceStore(), IDebugUIConstants.PREF_AUTO_REMOVE_OLD_LAUNCHES, true);
 			// Stop the JobManager to reliable trigger the tested race
 			// condition.
 			TestUtil.waitForJobs(name.getMethodName(), ProcessConsoleManager.class, 0, 10000);
diff --git a/debug/org.eclipse.debug.tests/src/org/eclipse/debug/tests/launching/LaunchHistoryTests.java b/debug/org.eclipse.debug.tests/src/org/eclipse/debug/tests/launching/LaunchHistoryTests.java
index ad4e4b73272..2bfad4e7155 100644
--- a/debug/org.eclipse.debug.tests/src/org/eclipse/debug/tests/launching/LaunchHistoryTests.java
+++ b/debug/org.eclipse.debug.tests/src/org/eclipse/debug/tests/launching/LaunchHistoryTests.java
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
 import org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.DebugUIPlugin;
 import org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.launchConfigurations.LaunchHistory;
 import org.eclipse.debug.ui.IDebugUIConstants;
+import org.eclipse.jface.preference.PreferenceMemento;
+import org.junit.After;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 /**
@@ -40,6 +42,13 @@
  */
 public class LaunchHistoryTests extends AbstractLaunchTest {
 
+	private final PreferenceMemento prefMemento = new PreferenceMemento();
+
+	@After
+	public void restorePreferences() {
+		prefMemento.resetPreferences();
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Returns the run launch history
 	 */
@@ -60,7 +69,7 @@ private int getMaxHistorySize() {
 	 * @param value the new maximum size for launch histories
 	 */
 	private void setMaxHistorySize(int value) {
-		setPreference(DebugUIPlugin.getDefault().getPreferenceStore(), IDebugUIConstants.PREF_MAX_HISTORY_SIZE, value);
+		prefMemento.setValue(DebugUIPlugin.getDefault().getPreferenceStore(), IDebugUIConstants.PREF_MAX_HISTORY_SIZE, value);
 	}
 
 	/**