--- a/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/activitystream/homepanel/topstories/PocketStoriesLoader.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/activitystream/homepanel/topstories/PocketStoriesLoader.java
@@ -75,31 +75,33 @@ public class PocketStoriesLoader extends
     private static final String PARAM_LOCALE = "locale_lang";
 
     private static final long REFRESH_INTERVAL_MILLIS = TimeUnit.HOURS.toMillis(3);
 
     private static final int BUFFER_SIZE = 2048;
     private static final int CONNECT_TIMEOUT = (int) TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(15);
     private static final int READ_TIMEOUT = (int) TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(15);
 
+    private static boolean isTesting = false;
+
     private String localeLang;
     private final SharedPreferences sharedPreferences;
 
     private static String placeholderUrl;
 
     public PocketStoriesLoader(Context context) {
         super(context);
 
         sharedPreferences = context.getSharedPreferences(POCKET_PREFS_FILE, Context.MODE_PRIVATE);
         localeLang = Locales.getLanguageTag(Locale.getDefault());
     }
 
     @Override
     protected void onStartLoading() {
-        if (APIKEY == null) {
+        if (APIKEY == null || isTesting) {
             deliverResult(makePlaceholderStories());
             return;
         }
         // Check timestamp to determine if we have cached stories. This won't properly handle a client manually
         // changing clock times, but this is not a time-sensitive task.
         final long previousTime = sharedPreferences.getLong(CACHE_TIMESTAMP_MILLIS_PREFIX + localeLang, 0);
         if (System.currentTimeMillis() - previousTime > REFRESH_INTERVAL_MILLIS) {
             forceLoad();
@@ -190,19 +192,23 @@ public class PocketStoriesLoader extends
         final List<TopStory> stories = new LinkedList<>();
         for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
             // Urls must be different for bookmark/pinning UI to work properly. Assume this is true for Pocket stories.
             stories.add(new TopStory(PLACEHOLDER_TITLE + i, placeholderUrl + i, null));
         }
         return stories;
     }
 
-    /** Overrides the placeholder URL - intended for use with testing. */
-    @RobocopTarget
-    @VisibleForTesting public static void setPlaceholderUrl(String placeholderUrl) {
+    private static void setPlaceholderUrl(String placeholderUrl) {
         // See use of placeholderUrl for why suffix is necessary.
         final String requiredSuffix = "#";
         if (!placeholderUrl.endsWith(requiredSuffix)) {
             placeholderUrl = placeholderUrl + requiredSuffix;
         }
         PocketStoriesLoader.placeholderUrl = placeholderUrl;
     }
+
+    @RobocopTarget
+    @VisibleForTesting public static void configureForTesting(final String placeholderUrl) {
+        isTesting = true;
+        setPlaceholderUrl(placeholderUrl);
+    }
 }

--- a/mobile/android/tests/browser/robocop/src/org/mozilla/gecko/tests/testActivityStreamPocketReferrer.java
+++ b/mobile/android/tests/browser/robocop/src/org/mozilla/gecko/tests/testActivityStreamPocketReferrer.java
@@ -39,17 +39,17 @@ public class testActivityStreamPocketRef
     private boolean tabLoadContainsPocketReferrer = false;
 
     @Override
     public void setUp() throws Exception {
         super.setUp();
 
         // Override the default placeholder URL so we don't access the network during testing.
         // Note: this actually only seems to take effect after we load a page and go back to about:home.
-        PocketStoriesLoader.setPlaceholderUrl(getAbsoluteHostnameUrl(StringHelper.get().ROBOCOP_BLANK_PAGE_01_URL));
+        PocketStoriesLoader.configureForTesting(getAbsoluteHostnameUrl(StringHelper.get().ROBOCOP_BLANK_PAGE_01_URL));
     }
 
     public void testActivityStreamPocketReferrer() throws Exception {
         blockForReadyAndLoadJS(JS_FILE);
         NavigationHelper.goBack(); // to top sites.
 
         checkReferrerInTopStories();
         checkReferrerInTopStoriesContextMenu();