diff --git a/app.js b/app.js
index 19dada53..1dd465f0 100755
--- a/app.js
+++ b/app.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ var path = require('path');
 var fs = require('fs');
 var _ = require('underscore');
 var semver = require('semver');
-const glob = require('glob');
+const setICUEnvVariable = require('./lib/cartodb/utils/icu_data_env_setter');
 
 // jshint undef:false
 var log = console.log.bind(console);
@@ -17,18 +17,7 @@ if (!semver.satisfies(nodejsVersion, '>=6.9.0')) {
     process.exit(1);
 }
 
-// See https://github.com/CartoDB/support/issues/984
-// CartoCSS properties text-wrap-width/text-wrap-character not working
 // This function should be called before the require('yargs').
-function setICUEnvVariable() {
-    if (process.env.ICU_DATA === undefined) {
-        let directory = glob.sync(__dirname + '/node_modules/mapnik/lib/binding/*/share/mapnik/icu/');
-
-        if (directory && directory.length > 0) {
-            process.env.ICU_DATA = directory[0];
-        }
-    }
-}
 setICUEnvVariable();
 
 var argv = require('yargs')
diff --git a/lib/cartodb/utils/icu_data_env_setter.js b/lib/cartodb/utils/icu_data_env_setter.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1b4a0f3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/cartodb/utils/icu_data_env_setter.js
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const glob = require('glob');
+const path = require('path');
+
+// See https://github.com/CartoDB/support/issues/984
+// CartoCSS properties text-wrap-width/text-wrap-character not working
+function setICUEnvVariable() {
+    if (process.env.ICU_DATA === undefined) {
+        let directory = glob.sync(path.join(__dirname, '../../..', '/node_modules/mapnik/lib/binding/*/share/mapnik/icu/'));
+
+        if (directory && directory.length > 0) {
+            process.env.ICU_DATA = directory[0];
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+module.exports = setICUEnvVariable;
diff --git a/test/support/test_helper.js b/test/support/test_helper.js
index 57011698..7d5c6a7c 100644
--- a/test/support/test_helper.js
+++ b/test/support/test_helper.js
@@ -15,22 +15,13 @@ var redis = require('redis');
 var nock = require('nock');
 var log4js = require('log4js');
 var pg = require('pg');
+const setICUEnvVariable = require('../../lib/cartodb/utils/icu_data_env_setter');
 
 // set environment specific variables
 global.environment  = require(__dirname + '/../../config/environments/test');
 global.environment.name = 'test';
 process.env.NODE_ENV = 'test';
 
-// See https://github.com/CartoDB/support/issues/984
-// CartoCSS properties text-wrap-width/text-wrap-character not working
-function setICUEnvVariable() {
-    const glob = require('glob');
-    const path = require('path');
-    let directory = glob.sync(path.join(__dirname, '../..', '/node_modules/mapnik/lib/binding/*/share/mapnik/icu/'));
-    if (directory && directory.length > 0) {
-        process.env.ICU_DATA = directory[0];
-    }
-}
 setICUEnvVariable();
 
 // don't output logs in test environment to reduce noise