diff --git a/test/ColumnTests.cpp b/test/ColumnTests.cpp
index 9ef9518ae..1d7a4a086 100644
--- a/test/ColumnTests.cpp
+++ b/test/ColumnTests.cpp
@@ -832,6 +832,8 @@ namespace column
 
 	void testJacobianAD(cadet::JsonParameterProvider& jpp, const double absTolFDpattern)
 	{
+		cadet::ad::setDirections(cadet::ad::getMaxDirections()); // AD directions needed in createAndConfigureUnit but requiredADdirs not know before configureModelDiscretization (which is called in configureUnit)
+
 		cadet::IModelBuilder* const mb = cadet::createModelBuilder();
 		REQUIRE(nullptr != mb);
 
@@ -889,6 +891,9 @@ namespace column
 
 	void testJacobianForwardBackward(cadet::JsonParameterProvider& jpp, const double absTolFDpattern)
 	{
+		// Enable AD
+		cadet::ad::setDirections(cadet::ad::getMaxDirections()); // AD directions needed in createAndConfigureUnit but requiredADdirs not know before configureModelDiscretization (which is called in configureUnit)
+
 		cadet::IModelBuilder* const mb = cadet::createModelBuilder();
 		REQUIRE(nullptr != mb);
 
@@ -897,9 +902,6 @@ namespace column
 
 		cadet::IUnitOperation* const unitAna = unitoperation::createAndConfigureUnit(jpp, *mb);
 		cadet::IUnitOperation* const unitAD = unitoperation::createAndConfigureUnit(jpp, *mb);
-
-		// Enable AD
-		cadet::ad::setDirections(cadet::ad::getMaxDirections());
 		unitAD->useAnalyticJacobian(false);
 
 		cadet::active* adRes = new cadet::active[unitAD->numDofs()];
@@ -1223,10 +1225,10 @@ namespace column
 			{
 				if (hasBinding)
 					cadet::test::setBindingMode(jpp, isKinetic);
+				cadet::ad::setDirections(cadet::ad::getMaxDirections()); // AD directions already needed in createAndConfigureUnit
 				cadet::IUnitOperation* const unit = createAndConfigureUnit(*mb, jpp);
 
 				// Enable AD
-				cadet::ad::setDirections(cadet::ad::getMaxDirections());
 				cadet::active* adRes = new cadet::active[unit->numDofs()];
 				const AdJacobianParams adParams{adRes, nullptr, 0};
 				unit->prepareADvectors(adParams);
@@ -1495,6 +1497,8 @@ namespace column
 					// Use some test case parameters
 					cadet::JsonParameterProvider jpp = createColumnWithTwoCompLinearBinding(uoType, spatialMethod);
 					cadet::test::setBindingMode(jpp, isKinetic);
+					if (adEnabled)
+						cadet::ad::setDirections(cadet::ad::getMaxDirections());
 					cadet::IUnitOperation* const unit = createAndConfigureUnit(*mb, jpp);
 
 					// Fill state vector with given initial values
@@ -1530,6 +1534,8 @@ namespace column
 					// Use some test case parameters
 					cadet::JsonParameterProvider jpp = createColumnWithSMA(uoType, spatialMethod);
 					cadet::test::setBindingMode(jpp, isKinetic);
+					if (adEnabled)
+						cadet::ad::setDirections(cadet::ad::getMaxDirections());
 					cadet::IUnitOperation* const unit = createAndConfigureUnit(*mb, jpp);
 
 					// Fill state vector with given initial values
@@ -1564,6 +1570,8 @@ namespace column
 					// Use some test case parameters
 					cadet::JsonParameterProvider jpp = linearBinding ? createColumnWithTwoCompLinearBinding(uoType, spatialMethod) : createColumnWithSMA(uoType, spatialMethod);
 					cadet::test::setBindingMode(jpp, isKinetic);
+					if (adEnabled)
+						cadet::ad::setDirections(cadet::ad::getMaxDirections()); // needed in configure() of DG unit operations
 					cadet::IUnitOperation* const unit = createAndConfigureUnit(*mb, jpp);
 
 					unit->setSensitiveParameter(cadet::makeParamId("INIT_C", 0, 0, cadet::ParTypeIndep, cadet::BoundStateIndep, cadet::ReactionIndep, cadet::SectionIndep), 0, 1.0);
@@ -1596,6 +1604,8 @@ namespace column
 			{
 				// Use some test case parameters
 				cadet::JsonParameterProvider jpp = createColumnWithSMA(uoType, spatialMethod);
+				if (adEnabled)
+					cadet::ad::setDirections(cadet::ad::getMaxDirections());
 				cadet::IUnitOperation* const unit = createAndConfigureUnit(*mb, jpp);
 
 				unitoperation::testInletDofJacobian(unit, adEnabled);
diff --git a/test/ModelSystem.cpp b/test/ModelSystem.cpp
index 6780c2e48..b1591212c 100644
--- a/test/ModelSystem.cpp
+++ b/test/ModelSystem.cpp
@@ -582,6 +582,7 @@ namespace
 
 TEST_CASE("ModelSystem Jacobian AD vs analytic", "[ModelSystem],[Jacobian],[AD]")
 {
+	cadet::ad::setDirections(cadet::ad::getMaxDirections());
 	cadet::IModelBuilder* const mb = cadet::createModelBuilder();
 	REQUIRE(nullptr != mb);
 
@@ -625,7 +626,6 @@ TEST_CASE("ModelSystem Jacobian AD vs analytic", "[ModelSystem],[Jacobian],[AD]"
 			delete[] secContArray;
 
 			// Enable AD
-			cadet::ad::setDirections(cadet::ad::getMaxDirections());
 			for (unsigned int i = 0; i < sysAD->numModels(); ++i)
 				sysAD->getUnitOperationModel(i)->useAnalyticJacobian(false);
 
@@ -759,6 +759,8 @@ TEST_CASE("ModelSystem sensitivity Jacobians", "[ModelSystem],[Sensitivity]")
 	const double absTol = 5e-8;
 	const double relTol = 5e-6; // std::numeric_limits<float>::epsilon() * 100.0;
 
+	cadet::ad::setDirections(cadet::ad::getMaxDirections());
+
 	cadet::IModelBuilder* const mb = cadet::createModelBuilder();
 	REQUIRE(nullptr != mb);
 
@@ -796,7 +798,6 @@ TEST_CASE("ModelSystem sensitivity Jacobians", "[ModelSystem],[Sensitivity]")
 			delete[] secContArray;
 
 			// Enable AD
-			cadet::ad::setDirections(cadet::ad::getMaxDirections());
 			cadet::active* adRes = new cadet::active[sys->numDofs()];
 			sys->prepareADvectors(cadet::AdJacobianParams{adRes, nullptr, 0});
 
diff --git a/test/UnitOperationTests.cpp b/test/UnitOperationTests.cpp
index 6fb5ae38f..f5380ca0e 100644
--- a/test/UnitOperationTests.cpp
+++ b/test/UnitOperationTests.cpp
@@ -64,14 +64,14 @@ namespace unitoperation
 
 	void testJacobianAD(cadet::JsonParameterProvider& jpp, const double absTolFDpattern)
 	{
+		// Enable AD
+		cadet::ad::setDirections(cadet::ad::getMaxDirections());
+
 		cadet::IModelBuilder* const mb = cadet::createModelBuilder();
 		REQUIRE(nullptr != mb);
 
 		cadet::IUnitOperation* const unitAna = createAndConfigureUnit(jpp, *mb);
 		cadet::IUnitOperation* const unitAD = createAndConfigureUnit(jpp, *mb);
-
-		// Enable AD
-		cadet::ad::setDirections(cadet::ad::getMaxDirections());
 		unitAD->useAnalyticJacobian(false);
 
 		cadet::active* adRes = new cadet::active[unitAD->numDofs()];