diff --git a/SilKit/IntegrationTests/CMakeLists.txt b/SilKit/IntegrationTests/CMakeLists.txt
index 634a56dce..b27858c69 100644
--- a/SilKit/IntegrationTests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/SilKit/IntegrationTests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ add_subdirectory(SimTestHarness)
 # local headers as interface lib
 add_subdirectory(Hourglass)
 
+# extension loading 
+add_subdirectory(ExtensionTests)
+
 add_library(ITest_Utils INTERFACE)
 target_include_directories(ITest_Utils
     INTERFACE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR})
diff --git a/SilKit/source/extensions/Tests/CMakeLists.txt b/SilKit/IntegrationTests/ExtensionTests/CMakeLists.txt
similarity index 89%
rename from SilKit/source/extensions/Tests/CMakeLists.txt
rename to SilKit/IntegrationTests/ExtensionTests/CMakeLists.txt
index b20260fea..7b277ad51 100644
--- a/SilKit/source/extensions/Tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/SilKit/IntegrationTests/ExtensionTests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -35,10 +35,10 @@ set_target_properties(WrongBuildSystem PROPERTIES
     ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/$<CONFIG>"
 )
 
-add_silkit_test_to_executable(SilKitUnitTests SOURCES Test_SilKitExtensions.cpp LIBS O_SilKit_Extensions O_SilKit_VersionImpl I_SilKit_Core_Mock_Participant SilKit)
+add_silkit_test_to_executable(SilKitIntegrationTests SOURCES ITest_SilKitExtensions.cpp LIBS O_SilKit_Extensions O_SilKit_VersionImpl I_SilKit_Core_Mock_Participant SilKit)
 
 if(${SILKIT_BUILD_TESTS})
-    add_dependencies(SilKitUnitTests
+    add_dependencies(SilKitIntegrationTests
         DummyExtension
         WrongVersionExtension
         WrongBuildSystem
diff --git a/SilKit/source/extensions/Tests/DummyExtension.cpp b/SilKit/IntegrationTests/ExtensionTests/DummyExtension.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from SilKit/source/extensions/Tests/DummyExtension.cpp
rename to SilKit/IntegrationTests/ExtensionTests/DummyExtension.cpp
diff --git a/SilKit/source/extensions/Tests/DummyExtension.hpp b/SilKit/IntegrationTests/ExtensionTests/DummyExtension.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from SilKit/source/extensions/Tests/DummyExtension.hpp
rename to SilKit/IntegrationTests/ExtensionTests/DummyExtension.hpp
diff --git a/SilKit/source/extensions/Tests/Test_SilKitExtensions.cpp b/SilKit/IntegrationTests/ExtensionTests/ITest_SilKitExtensions.cpp
similarity index 92%
rename from SilKit/source/extensions/Tests/Test_SilKitExtensions.cpp
rename to SilKit/IntegrationTests/ExtensionTests/ITest_SilKitExtensions.cpp
index fc459e280..0f58d6090 100644
--- a/SilKit/source/extensions/Tests/Test_SilKitExtensions.cpp
+++ b/SilKit/IntegrationTests/ExtensionTests/ITest_SilKitExtensions.cpp
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class StdoutLogger : public SilKit::Core::Tests::MockLogger
 };
 } // namespace
 
-class Test_SilKitExtensions : public Test
+class ITest_SilKitExtensions : public Test
 {
 protected:
     void TearDown() override
@@ -77,11 +77,11 @@ class Test_SilKitExtensions : public Test
     StdoutLogger logger;
 };
 
-std::string Test_SilKitExtensions::currentWorkingDir;
+std::string ITest_SilKitExtensions::currentWorkingDir;
 
 using triple = std::tuple<uint32_t, uint32_t, uint32_t>;
 
-TEST_F(Test_SilKitExtensions, load_dummy_lib)
+TEST_F(ITest_SilKitExtensions, load_dummy_lib)
 {
     {
         const auto testDir = std::filesystem::path{"silkit_library_test"};
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ TEST_F(Test_SilKitExtensions, load_dummy_lib)
 }
 
 
-TEST_F(Test_SilKitExtensions, static_cast)
+TEST_F(ITest_SilKitExtensions, static_cast)
 {
     const auto testDir = std::filesystem::path{"silkit_library_test"};
     std::filesystem::current_path(testDir);
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ TEST_F(Test_SilKitExtensions, static_cast)
     ASSERT_EQ(dummy->GetDummyValue(), 12345L);
 }
 
-TEST_F(Test_SilKitExtensions, wrong_version_number)
+TEST_F(ITest_SilKitExtensions, wrong_version_number)
 {
     try
     {
@@ -142,13 +142,13 @@ TEST_F(Test_SilKitExtensions, wrong_version_number)
         wrong version number";
 }
 
-TEST_F(Test_SilKitExtensions, wrong_build_system)
+TEST_F(ITest_SilKitExtensions, wrong_build_system)
 {
     auto extension = SilKit::LoadExtension(&logger, "WrongBuildSystem");
     //should print a harmless warning on stdout
 }
 
-TEST_F(Test_SilKitExtensions, multiple_extensions_loaded)
+TEST_F(ITest_SilKitExtensions, multiple_extensions_loaded)
 {
     const auto testDir = std::filesystem::path{"silkit_library_test"};
     std::filesystem::current_path(testDir);
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ TEST_F(Test_SilKitExtensions, multiple_extensions_loaded)
 }
 
 #if !defined(_WIN32)
-TEST_F(Test_SilKitExtensions, load_from_envvar)
+TEST_F(ITest_SilKitExtensions, load_from_envvar)
 {
     const auto testDir = std::filesystem::path{"silkit_library_test"};
     setenv("TEST_VAR", testDir.c_str(), 1); // should be invariant
diff --git a/SilKit/source/extensions/Tests/WrongBuildSystem.cpp b/SilKit/IntegrationTests/ExtensionTests/WrongBuildSystem.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from SilKit/source/extensions/Tests/WrongBuildSystem.cpp
rename to SilKit/IntegrationTests/ExtensionTests/WrongBuildSystem.cpp
diff --git a/SilKit/source/extensions/Tests/WrongVersionExtension.cpp b/SilKit/IntegrationTests/ExtensionTests/WrongVersionExtension.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from SilKit/source/extensions/Tests/WrongVersionExtension.cpp
rename to SilKit/IntegrationTests/ExtensionTests/WrongVersionExtension.cpp
diff --git a/SilKit/source/extensions/CMakeLists.txt b/SilKit/source/extensions/CMakeLists.txt
index 9ab4170f8..f05829250 100755
--- a/SilKit/source/extensions/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/SilKit/source/extensions/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -84,8 +84,3 @@ target_compile_definitions(O_SilKit_Extensions
     PRIVATE
     SILKIT_EXTENSION_OS="${extension_os}"
 )
-
-if(SILKIT_BUILD_TESTS)
-    add_subdirectory(Tests)
-endif()
-
diff --git a/SilKit/source/extensions/SilKitExtensions.cpp b/SilKit/source/extensions/SilKitExtensions.cpp
index 619f8680c..60236fc77 100644
--- a/SilKit/source/extensions/SilKitExtensions.cpp
+++ b/SilKit/source/extensions/SilKitExtensions.cpp
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ std::vector<std::string> FindLibrary(const std::string& name, const SilKit::Exte
             const auto current = std::filesystem::path{dir} / path;
             if (std::filesystem::exists(current))
             {
-                rv.push_back(current.string());
+                rv.push_back(std::filesystem::absolute(current).string());
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/SilKit/source/extensions/detail/LoadExtension_win.cpp b/SilKit/source/extensions/detail/LoadExtension_win.cpp
index a0f4b45d2..7fa6fd7ec 100644
--- a/SilKit/source/extensions/detail/LoadExtension_win.cpp
+++ b/SilKit/source/extensions/detail/LoadExtension_win.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ const std::string lib_prefix = "";
 
 LibraryHandle OpenLibrary(const std::string& path)
 {
-    LibraryHandle tmp = ::LoadLibraryA(path.c_str());
+    LibraryHandle tmp = ::LoadLibraryExA(path.c_str(), nullptr, LOAD_WITH_ALTERED_SEARCH_PATH);
     if (tmp == nullptr)
     {
         throw ExtensionError("::LoadLibrary() failed: " + lastErrorMessage());