diff --git a/types/bintrees/bintrees-tests.ts b/types/bintrees/bintrees-tests.ts
index fb4a22a3d8..84b75c98be 100644
--- a/types/bintrees/bintrees-tests.ts
+++ b/types/bintrees/bintrees-tests.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
-/// <reference types="mocha" />
 /// <reference types="node" />
 import assert = require('assert');
 import { BinTree, RBTree } from 'bintrees';
 
+// Declaring shims removes mocha dependency.  These tests are never executed, only typechecked, so this is fine.
+declare function describe(description: string, callback: () => void): void;
+declare function it(description: string, callback: () => void): void;
+
 describe('bintrees', () => {
     it('builds a simple tree', () => {
         let treeA = new RBTree((a: number, b: number) => a - b);
diff --git a/types/chai-jest-snapshot/index.d.ts b/types/chai-jest-snapshot/index.d.ts
index 862da8cd16..470e4fa423 100644
--- a/types/chai-jest-snapshot/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/chai-jest-snapshot/index.d.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // Project: https://github.com/suchipi/chai-jest-snapshot#readme
 // Definitions by: Matt Perry <https://github.com/mattvperry>
 // Definitions: https://github.com/DefinitelyTyped/DefinitelyTyped
+// TypeScript Version: 2.1
 
 /// <reference types="chai" />
 /// <reference types="mocha" />
diff --git a/types/chai-spies/chai-spies-tests.ts b/types/chai-spies/chai-spies-tests.ts
index 326b1e0137..1d99f0add2 100644
--- a/types/chai-spies/chai-spies-tests.ts
+++ b/types/chai-spies/chai-spies-tests.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import * as chai from 'chai';
 import * as spies from 'chai-spies';
-import * as Mocha from 'mocha';
 
 function original(): void {
   // do something cool
diff --git a/types/chai-string/chai-string-tests.ts b/types/chai-string/chai-string-tests.ts
index dc798c102a..9cd9a2e024 100644
--- a/types/chai-string/chai-string-tests.ts
+++ b/types/chai-string/chai-string-tests.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 
-/// <reference types="mocha" />
-
 var should = chai.should();
 var assert = chai.assert;
 var expect = chai.expect;
@@ -8,6 +6,11 @@ var expect = chai.expect;
 import chai_string = require("chai-string");
 chai.use(chai_string);
 
+// Stub mocha functions
+const {describe, it, before, after, beforeEach, afterEach} = null as any as {
+    [s: string]: ((s: string, cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & ((cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & {only: any, skip: any};
+};
+
 describe('chai-string', function() {
 
   describe('#startsWith', function() {
diff --git a/types/create-error/create-error-tests.ts b/types/create-error/create-error-tests.ts
index 7a635b8dc6..ed2d9533e3 100644
--- a/types/create-error/create-error-tests.ts
+++ b/types/create-error/create-error-tests.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
-/// <reference types="mocha" />
 
 declare function equal<T>(a: T, b: T): void;
 declare function deepEqual<T>(a: T, b: T): void;
 
+// Stub mocha functions
+const {describe, it, before, after, beforeEach, afterEach} = null as any as {
+  [s: string]: ((s: string, cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & ((cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & {only: any, skip: any};
+};
+
 import * as createError from 'create-error';
 
 // Example taken from https://github.com/tgriesser/create-error/blob/0.3.1/README.md#use
diff --git a/types/d3kit/v1/d3kit-tests.ts b/types/d3kit/v1/d3kit-tests.ts
index 9ffb7ca2ba..18f1f144f9 100644
--- a/types/d3kit/v1/d3kit-tests.ts
+++ b/types/d3kit/v1/d3kit-tests.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
-/// <reference types="mocha" />
 /// <reference types="chai" />
 
+// Stub mocha functions
+const {describe, it, before, after, beforeEach, afterEach} = null as any as {
+    [s: string]: ((s: string, cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & ((cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & {only: any, skip: any};
+};
+
 var expect = chai.expect;
 describe('Skeleton', function(){
     var element: Element, $element: d3.Selection<any>, $svg: d3.Selection<any>, skeleton: d3kit.Skeleton;
diff --git a/types/expect/expect-tests.ts b/types/expect/expect-tests.ts
index fea4a3d4d9..5df83340cb 100644
--- a/types/expect/expect-tests.ts
+++ b/types/expect/expect-tests.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
-/// <reference types="mocha"" />
-
 import { Expectation, Extension, Spy, createSpy, isSpy, assert, spyOn, extend, restoreSpies } from 'expect';
 import * as expect from 'expect';
 
+// Stub mocha functions
+const {describe, it, before, after, beforeEach, afterEach} = null as any as {
+  [s: string]: ((s: string, cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & ((cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & {only: any, skip: any};
+};
+
 describe('chaining assertions', () => {
   it('should allow chaining for array-like applications', () => {
     expect([ 1, 2, 'foo', 3 ])
diff --git a/types/expectations/expectations-tests.ts b/types/expectations/expectations-tests.ts
index b0cef0aa0f..4e994e7546 100644
--- a/types/expectations/expectations-tests.ts
+++ b/types/expectations/expectations-tests.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
-/// <reference types="mocha" />
-
 // transplant from https://github.com/spmason/expectations/blob/695c25bd35bb1751533a8082a5aa378e3e1b381f/test/expect.tests.js
 
 var root = this;
 
+// Stub mocha functions
+const {describe, it, before, after, beforeEach, afterEach} = null as any as {
+    [s: string]: ((s: string, cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & ((cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & {only: any, skip: any};
+};
+
 describe('expect', ()=> {
     describe('toEqual', ()=> {
         it('can expect true to be true', ()=> {
diff --git a/types/fbemitter/fbemitter-tests.ts b/types/fbemitter/fbemitter-tests.ts
index 1a4983242f..22424fc442 100644
--- a/types/fbemitter/fbemitter-tests.ts
+++ b/types/fbemitter/fbemitter-tests.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 ///<reference types="node" />
-///<reference types="mocha" />
 
 'use strict';
 
@@ -11,6 +10,11 @@ import { EventEmitter, EventSubscription } from 'fbemitter';
 import * as util from 'util';
 import * as assert from 'assert';
 
+// Stub mocha functions
+const {describe, it, before, after, beforeEach, afterEach} = null as any as {
+    [s: string]: ((s: string, cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & ((cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & {only: any, skip: any};
+};
+
 describe('EventEmitter', function tests() {
     'use strict';
 
diff --git a/types/gulp-mocha/index.d.ts b/types/gulp-mocha/index.d.ts
index ae56e9a9ac..ba1a6d4fca 100644
--- a/types/gulp-mocha/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/gulp-mocha/index.d.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // Project: https://github.com/sindresorhus/gulp-mocha
 // Definitions by: Asana <https://asana.com>
 // Definitions: https://github.com/DefinitelyTyped/DefinitelyTyped
+// TypeScript Version: 2.1
 
 /// <reference types="mocha"/>
 /// <reference types="node"/>
diff --git a/types/gulp-util/gulp-util-tests.ts b/types/gulp-util/gulp-util-tests.ts
index 47e705bf00..1781ce7664 100644
--- a/types/gulp-util/gulp-util-tests.ts
+++ b/types/gulp-util/gulp-util-tests.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-/// <reference types="mocha" />
-
 import gulp = require('gulp');
 import util = require('gulp-util');
 import path = require('path');
@@ -7,6 +5,11 @@ import Stream = require('stream');
 import through = require('through2');
 const es = require('event-stream');
 
+// Stub mocha functions
+const {describe, it, before, after, beforeEach, afterEach} = null as any as {
+    [s: string]: ((s: string, cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & ((cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & {only: any, skip: any};
+};
+
 // TODO: These aren't useful as types tests since they take `any`.
 declare const should: ShouldStatic;
 interface ShouldStatic {
diff --git a/types/hexo-fs/hexo-fs-tests.ts b/types/hexo-fs/hexo-fs-tests.ts
index 5f73cd91fc..7bd5dc13b8 100644
--- a/types/hexo-fs/hexo-fs-tests.ts
+++ b/types/hexo-fs/hexo-fs-tests.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 import fs = require('hexo-fs');
 import { join, dirname } from 'path';
-import 'mocha';
 import chai = require('chai');
 import Promise = require('bluebird');
 
+// Stub mocha functions
+const {describe, it, before, after, beforeEach, afterEach} = null as any as {
+    [s: string]: ((s: string, cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & ((cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & {only: any, skip: any};
+};
+
 const should = chai.should();
 
 function createDummyFolder(path: string) {
@@ -198,7 +202,8 @@ it('copyFile() - callback', callback => {
             if (err) return callback(err);
 
             fs.readFile(dest, (err, content) => {
-                if (err) return callback(err);
+                if (err)
+                    return callback(err);
                 content!.should.eql(body);
 
                 Promise.all([
diff --git a/types/incremental-dom/incremental-dom-tests.ts b/types/incremental-dom/incremental-dom-tests.ts
index 2e30297e57..f593299575 100644
--- a/types/incremental-dom/incremental-dom-tests.ts
+++ b/types/incremental-dom/incremental-dom-tests.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
-/// <reference types="mocha" />
 declare var expect: any;
 
+// Stub mocha functions
+const {describe, it, before, after, beforeEach, afterEach} = null as any as {
+  [s: string]: ((s: string, cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & ((cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & {only: any, skip: any};
+};
+
 import id = require('incremental-dom');
 var patch = id.patch;
 var elementVoid = id.elementVoid;
diff --git a/types/libpq/libpq-tests.ts b/types/libpq/libpq-tests.ts
index f1ae6cc1e3..7d19e910cd 100644
--- a/types/libpq/libpq-tests.ts
+++ b/types/libpq/libpq-tests.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
-/// <reference types="mocha" />
-
 import { Buffer } from 'buffer';
 import assert = require('assert');
 import * as async from 'async';
 import PQ = require('libpq');
 
+// Stub mocha functions
+const {describe, it, before, after, beforeEach, afterEach} = null as any as {
+    [s: string]: ((s: string, cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & ((cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & {only: any, skip: any};
+};
+
 declare const _: { times<T>(n: number, f: () => T): T[] };
 
 declare const ok: Function;
diff --git a/types/mocha-steps/index.d.ts b/types/mocha-steps/index.d.ts
index 0234f02529..8bd32496aa 100644
--- a/types/mocha-steps/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/mocha-steps/index.d.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // Project: https://github.com/rprieto/mocha-steps
 // Definitions by: AryloYeung <https://github.com/Arylo>
 // Definitions: https://github.com/DefinitelyTyped/DefinitelyTyped
+// TypeScript Version: 2.1
 
 /// <reference types="mocha" />
 
diff --git a/types/mz/mz-tests.ts b/types/mz/mz-tests.ts
index 7eda9f28bf..b873c98bbe 100644
--- a/types/mz/mz-tests.ts
+++ b/types/mz/mz-tests.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
-/// <reference types="mocha" />
-
 import assert = require('assert')
 import fs = require('mz/fs')
 
+// Stub mocha functions
+const {describe, it, before, after, beforeEach, afterEach} = null as any as {
+  [s: string]: ((s: string, cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & ((cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & {only: any, skip: any};
+};
+
 describe('fs', function () {
 
   it('.stat()', function (done) {
diff --git a/types/project-oxford/project-oxford-tests.ts b/types/project-oxford/project-oxford-tests.ts
index ea2849d986..b4a76a78c4 100644
--- a/types/project-oxford/project-oxford-tests.ts
+++ b/types/project-oxford/project-oxford-tests.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
-/// <reference types="mocha" />
-
 import oxford = require("project-oxford");
 
 import assert = require('assert');
 import _Promise = require('bluebird');
 import fs = require('fs');
 
+// Stub mocha functions
+const {describe, it, before, after, beforeEach, afterEach} = null as any as {
+    [s: string]: ((s: string, cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & ((cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & {only: any, skip: any};
+};
+
 var client = new oxford.Client(process.env.OXFORD_KEY);
 
 // Store variables, no point in calling the api too often
diff --git a/types/quixote/quixote-tests.ts b/types/quixote/quixote-tests.ts
index 5ee9905ac0..381ee5f5fd 100644
--- a/types/quixote/quixote-tests.ts
+++ b/types/quixote/quixote-tests.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
-/// <reference types="mocha" />
-
+// Stub mocha functions
+const {describe, it, before, after, beforeEach, afterEach} = null as any as {
+    [s: string]: ((s: string, cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & ((cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & {only: any, skip: any};
+};
 
 function test_createFrame() {
     var frame: QFrame;
diff --git a/types/vinyl-fs/vinyl-fs-tests.ts b/types/vinyl-fs/vinyl-fs-tests.ts
index 9aa9a02513..6cecf42f47 100644
--- a/types/vinyl-fs/vinyl-fs-tests.ts
+++ b/types/vinyl-fs/vinyl-fs-tests.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,10 @@ import File = require('vinyl');
 // const spies = require('./spy');
 declare const spies: any;
 
-import 'mocha';
+// Stub mocha functions
+const {describe, it, before, after, beforeEach, afterEach} = null as any as {
+    [s: string]: ((s: string, cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & ((cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & {only: any, skip: any};
+};
 
 // TODO: These aren't useful as types tests since they take `any`.
 declare const should: ShouldStatic;
diff --git a/types/vinyl/v0/vinyl-tests.ts b/types/vinyl/v0/vinyl-tests.ts
index 27ea92a283..8c7de1ea52 100644
--- a/types/vinyl/v0/vinyl-tests.ts
+++ b/types/vinyl/v0/vinyl-tests.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
-/// <reference types="mocha" />
-
 import File = require('vinyl');
 import Stream = require('stream');
 import fs = require('fs');
 
+// Stub mocha functions
+const {describe, it, before, after, beforeEach, afterEach} = null as any as {
+    [s: string]: ((s: string, cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & ((cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & {only: any, skip: any};
+};
+
 declare var fakeStream: NodeJS.ReadWriteStream;
 
 // TODO: These aren't useful as types tests since they take `any`.
diff --git a/types/vinyl/vinyl-tests.ts b/types/vinyl/vinyl-tests.ts
index 77ef5d6d1b..bd059b0427 100644
--- a/types/vinyl/vinyl-tests.ts
+++ b/types/vinyl/vinyl-tests.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-/// <reference types="mocha" />
-
 import * as fs from 'fs';
 import * as path from 'path';
 import expect = require('expect');
@@ -8,6 +6,11 @@ const cloneable = require('cloneable-readable');
 
 import File = require('vinyl');
 
+// Stub mocha functions
+const {describe, it, before, after, beforeEach, afterEach} = null as any as {
+    [s: string]: ((s: string, cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & ((cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & {only: any, skip: any};
+};
+
 /**
  * Custom and private properties needed for tests.
  *
diff --git a/types/webdriverio/webdriverio-tests.ts b/types/webdriverio/webdriverio-tests.ts
index 4a078ef6e9..56dc3ddfda 100644
--- a/types/webdriverio/webdriverio-tests.ts
+++ b/types/webdriverio/webdriverio-tests.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
-/// <reference types="mocha" />
-
 import * as webdriverio from "webdriverio";
 import { assert } from "chai";
 
+// Stub mocha functions
+const {describe, it, before, after, beforeEach, afterEach} = null as any as {
+    [s: string]: ((s: string, cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & ((cb: (done: any) => void) => void) & {only: any, skip: any};
+};
+
 describe("webdriver.io page", () => {
     it("should have the right title - the good old callback way", () => {
         assert.equal(