diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/lookup.js b/chrome/content/zotero/lookup.js
index 54eb0cc61..71d0e2aa0 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/lookup.js
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/lookup.js
@@ -87,10 +87,11 @@ const Zotero_Lookup = new function () {
 		}
 
 		if(!items.length) {
-			var prompts = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/embedcomp/prompt-service;1"]
-											.getService(Components.interfaces.nsIPromptService);
-			prompts.alert(window, Zotero.getString("lookup.failure.title"),
-				Zotero.getString("lookup.failureToID.description"));
+			Zotero.alert(
+				window,
+				Zotero.getString("lookup.failure.title"),
+				Zotero.getString("lookup.failureToID.description")
+			);
 			return false;
 		}
 
@@ -127,10 +128,11 @@ const Zotero_Lookup = new function () {
 							if(successful) {
 								document.getElementById("zotero-lookup-panel").hidePopup();
 							} else {
-								var prompts = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/embedcomp/prompt-service;1"]
-																				.getService(Components.interfaces.nsIPromptService);
-								prompts.alert(window, Zotero.getString("lookup.failure.title"),
-									Zotero.getString("lookup.failure.description"));
+								Zotero.alert(
+									window,
+									Zotero.getString("lookup.failure.title"),
+									Zotero.getString("lookup.failure.description")
+								);
 							}
 						}
 					});
diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/zotero.js b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/zotero.js
index c93f83afa..18ce38d53 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/zotero.js
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/zotero.js
@@ -1260,6 +1260,29 @@ Components.utils.import("resource://gre/modules/osfile.jsm");
 			err.lineNumber ? err.lineNumber : null, null);
 	}
 	
+	
+	/**
+	 * Display an alert in a given window
+	 *
+	 * This is just a wrapper around nsIPromptService.alert() that takes the Zotero.noUserInput
+	 * flag into consideration
+	 *
+	 * @param {Window}
+	 * @param {String} title
+	 * @param {String} msg
+	 */
+	this.alert = function (window, title, msg) {
+		if (this.noUserInput) {
+			Zotero.debug("Not displaying alert: " + title + ": " + msg);
+			return;
+		}
+		
+		var ps = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/embedcomp/prompt-service;1"]
+			.getService(Components.interfaces.nsIPromptService);
+		ps.alert(window, title, msg);
+	}
+	
+	
 	function getErrors(asStrings) {
 		var errors = [];
 		
diff --git a/test/runtests.sh b/test/runtests.sh
index ee9ee850a..d62b31800 100755
--- a/test/runtests.sh
+++ b/test/runtests.sh
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ mkdir "$PROFILE/zotero"
 cat <<EOF > "$PROFILE/prefs.js"
 user_pref("extensions.autoDisableScopes", 0);
 user_pref("extensions.zotero.debug.log", $DEBUG);
+user_pref("extensions.zotero.debug.time", $DEBUG);
 user_pref("extensions.zotero.firstRunGuidance", false);
 user_pref("extensions.zotero.firstRun2", false);
 EOF