diff --git a/lib/common.py b/lib/common.py
index 829cc1298..08959dc1c 100644
--- a/lib/common.py
+++ b/lib/common.py
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 from lib import utils
 from snakemake.shell import shell
 from snakemake.io import expand
+from lib import helpers
+from pathlib import Path
 
 # List of possible keys in config that are to be interpreted as paths
 PATH_KEYS = [
@@ -623,8 +625,6 @@ def load_config(config, missing_references_ok=False):
     Resolves any included references directories/files and runs the deprecation
     handler.
     """
-    if isinstance(config, str):
-        config = yaml.load(open(config), Loader=yaml.FullLoader)
 
     # Here we populate a list of reference sections. Items later on the list
     # will have higher priority
@@ -722,32 +722,22 @@ def is_paired_end(sampletable, sample):
     # We can't fall back to detecting PE based on two fastq files provided for
     # each sample when it's an SRA sampletable (which only has SRR accessions).
     #
-    # So detect first detect if SRA sampletable based on presence of "Run"
-    # column and all values of that column starting with "SRR", and then raise
-    # an error if the Layout column does not exist.
-
-    if "Run" in sampletable.columns:
-        if all(sampletable["Run"].str.startswith("SRR")):
-            if "Layout" not in sampletable.columns and "layout" not in sampletable.columns:
-                raise ValueError(
-                    "Sampletable appears to be SRA, but no 'Layout' column "
-                    "found. This is required to specify single- or paired-end "
-                    "libraries.")
+    # So instead first detect if there is in fact a second fastq file listed,
+    # and if not then check if the layout of the library is listed
 
     row = sampletable.set_index(sampletable.columns[0]).loc[sample]
     if 'orig_filename_R2' in row:
         return True
-    if 'layout' in row and 'LibraryLayout' in row:
-        raise ValueError("Expecting column 'layout' or 'LibraryLayout', "
-                         "not both")
-    try:
-        return row['layout'].lower() in ['pe', 'paired']
-    except KeyError:
-        pass
-    try:
-        return row['LibraryLayout'].lower() in ['pe', 'paired']
-    except KeyError:
-        pass
+    if "Run" in sampletable.columns:
+        if all(sampletable["Run"].str.startswith("SRR")):
+            layout_columns = set(sampletable.columns).intersection(['layout', 'LibraryLayout', 'Layout'])
+            if len(layout_columns) != 1:
+                raise ValueError("Expected exactly one of ['layout', 'LibraryLayout', 'Layout'] in sample table")
+            layout_column = list(layout_columns)[0]
+            try:
+                return row[layout_column].lower() in ['pe', 'paired']
+            except KeyError:
+                pass
     return False
 
 
diff --git a/lib/helpers.py b/lib/helpers.py
index 053bca2b1..651a9c139 100644
--- a/lib/helpers.py
+++ b/lib/helpers.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 from snakemake.shell import shell
 from snakemake.io import expand, regex
 from lib import common
+import os
 
 
 class ConfigurationError(Exception):
@@ -203,3 +204,22 @@ def strand_arg_lookup(config, lookup):
         keys = list(lookup.keys())
         raise KeyError(f"'{config.stranded}' not one of {keys}")
     return lookup[config.stranded]
+
+def get_top_level_dir(start_dir=None):
+    # Start from the specified directory or current working directory if none is given
+    current_dir = os.path.abspath(start_dir or os.getcwd())
+    # Search current directory and above for targets
+    while True:
+        # Check if the target directories exists in the current directory
+        if (os.path.isdir(os.path.join(current_dir, ".git")) and os.path.isdir(os.path.join(current_dir, "workflows"))):
+            return current_dir
+        # Move up one level
+        parent_dir = os.path.dirname(current_dir)
+        # Stop if we've reached the root directory
+        if current_dir == parent_dir:
+            break
+        current_dir = parent_dir
+        #TODO: Check for other edge cases?
+
+    return None
+
diff --git a/lib/test_suite.py b/test/tests/test_suite.py
similarity index 68%
rename from lib/test_suite.py
rename to test/tests/test_suite.py
index 21b9c0527..b1389f037 100644
--- a/lib/test_suite.py
+++ b/test/tests/test_suite.py
@@ -1,8 +1,25 @@
-import os
-import pprint
+import sys
+import subprocess
+top_level_dir = subprocess.run(["dirname $(dirname $(pwd))"], shell=True, capture_output=True, text=True).stdout.strip()
+print("top level dir: ", top_level_dir)
+sys.path.insert(0, top_level_dir)
+import pytest
 from textwrap import dedent
-from . import common
+from lib import common, helpers, patterns_targets
 
+# Make config object that can be re-used for any test
+@pytest.fixture
+def config(request):
+    config_path = request.param
+    config = common.load_config(config_path, test=True)
+    return patterns_targets.RNASeqConfig(config, config.get('patterns', '../workflows/rnaseq/config/rnaseq_patterns.yaml'))
+
+# Call helpers.detect_layout(), which implicitly tests common.is_paired_end()
+# TODO: Make assertion condition NOT hard coded in to work with current example table
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("config", ['../../workflows/rnaseq/config/config.yaml'], indirect=True)
+def test_is_paired_end(config):
+    is_paired = helpers.detect_layout(config.sampletable) == 'PE'
+    assert not is_paired, f"Test failed, is_paired = {is_paired}"
 
 def test_config_loading(tmpdir):
     f0 = tmpdir.mkdir('subdir').join('file0.yaml')