diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 488a49cc09c53ed0e88b4b162f7d052249cac207..c07dfd0e6c75da6205920849da7a00560945a38c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@
 \#*\#
 TAGS
 *.mat
-*.xls
-*.xlsx
 
 # Build system rules
 .deps
diff --git a/tests/.gitignore b/tests/.gitignore
index f374b4b02902e3144e7689db9c2a2c91d0134604..7e271be0bd7ba77044b4ee179efbd3facabcb638 100644
--- a/tests/.gitignore
+++ b/tests/.gitignore
@@ -36,9 +36,11 @@ wsOct
 !/block_bytecode/run_ls2003.m
 !/bvar_a_la_sims/bvar_sample.m
 !/conditional_forecasts/2/fsdat_simul.m
-!/data/test.xlsx
 !/dates/fsdat_simul.m
+!/decision_rules/example1_results_dyn_432.mat
+!/decision_rules/third_order/FV_2011_policyfunctions.mat
 !/decision_rules/third_order/comparison_policy_functions_dynare_mathematica.m
+!/deterministic_simulations/lola_data.mat
 !/ep/ar_steadystate.m
 !/ep/exact_solution.m
 !/ep/mean_preserving_spread.m
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index 0fb213b70998f0249c2ffab04db8e3158340604e..7222592ea40c6b4ad7dd6ed53f5849f94c0ca584 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -795,6 +795,7 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	block_bytecode/run_ls2003.m \
 	bvar_a_la_sims/bvar_sample.m \
 	dates/fsdat_simul.m \
+	dates/data_uav.xlsx \
 	external_function/extFunDeriv.m \
 	external_function/extFunNoDerivs.m \
 	external_function/extFunWithFirstAndSecondDerivs.m \
@@ -828,6 +829,8 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	ms-sbvar/archive-files/specification_2v.dat \
 	ms-sbvar/archive-files/specification_2v2c.dat \
 	recursive/data_ca1.m \
+	recursive/data_ca1_csv.csv \
+	recursive/data_ca1_xls.xlsx \
 	kalman_filter_smoother/fsdat_simul.m \
 	kalman/lik_init/fs2000_common.inc \
 	kalman/lik_init/fs2000_ns_common.inc \
@@ -840,7 +843,9 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	identification/as2007/as2007_steadystate.m \
 	estimation/fsdat_simul.m \
 	ep/mean_preserving_spread.m \
+	decision_rules/example1_results_dyn_432.mat \
 	decision_rules/third_order/comparison_policy_functions_dynare_mathematica.m \
+	decision_rules/third_order/FV_2011_policyfunctions.mat \
 	shock_decomposition/example1_calib_shock_decomp_data.mat \
 	shock_decomposition/fsdat_simul.m \
 	smoother2histval/fsdat_simul.m \
@@ -863,7 +868,8 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	optimizers/optimizer_function_wrapper.m \
 	optimizers/fs2000.common.inc \
 	estimation/MH_recover/fs2000.common.inc \
-	prior_posterior_function/posterior_function_demo.m
+	prior_posterior_function/posterior_function_demo.m \
+	deterministic_simulations/lola_data.mat
 
 
 if HAVE_MATLAB
diff --git a/tests/dates/data_uav.xlsx b/tests/dates/data_uav.xlsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..14951ca19e303043f307b8c769859ee9c2938c10
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/dates/data_uav.xlsx differ
diff --git a/tests/dates/dseries_interact.mod b/tests/dates/dseries_interact.mod
index 068d070b25ac81eafec3212a12efd551a1f045d3..21132901685bf0bd00a3bc93f38aa915780dc583 100644
--- a/tests/dates/dseries_interact.mod
+++ b/tests/dates/dseries_interact.mod
@@ -39,12 +39,6 @@ end;
 
 varobs log_nn;
 
-if ~isoctave() && ~matlab_ver_less_than('8.4')
-   websave('data_uav.xlsx','http://www.dynare.org/Datasets/data_uav.xlsx', weboptions('Timeout', 30))
-else
-   urlwrite('http://www.dynare.org/Datasets/data_uav.xlsx','data_uav.xlsx')
-end
-
 %reading Excel sheet from column A on creates quarterly dseries starting in
 %1950
 estimation(first_obs=2,datafile=data_uav, xls_sheet=Tabelle1, xls_range=a1:b54, mh_replic=2, mh_nblocks=1, mh_jscale=1.1, mh_drop=0.8, plot_priors=0, smoother) log_nn nn hh ;
@@ -53,5 +47,3 @@ shock_decomposition( parameter_set=posterior_median ) nn hh;
 %reading Excel sheet from column B on creates annual dseries starting with 1
 estimation(first_obs=2,datafile=data_uav, xls_sheet=Tabelle1, xls_range=b1:b54, mh_replic=2, mh_nblocks=1, mh_jscale=1.1, mh_drop=0.8, plot_priors=0, smoother) log_nn nn hh ;
 shock_decomposition( parameter_set=posterior_median ) nn hh;
-
-delete('data_uav.xlsx')
diff --git a/tests/decision_rules/example1.mod b/tests/decision_rules/example1.mod
index 0ac815ab0213c9d3cb4ee7e9d7c4d7251b9c5f55..e566f355b39c3dbcb064c847735f63495299fa63 100644
--- a/tests/decision_rules/example1.mod
+++ b/tests/decision_rules/example1.mod
@@ -68,12 +68,6 @@ end;
 steady(solve_algo=4,maxit=1000);
 stoch_simul;
 
-if ~isoctave() && ~matlab_ver_less_than('8.4')
-   websave('example1_results_dyn_432.mat','http://www.dynare.org/Datasets/example1_results_dyn_432.mat', weboptions('Timeout', 30))
-else
-   urlwrite('http://www.dynare.org/Datasets/example1_results_dyn_432.mat','example1_results_dyn_432.mat')
-end
-
 dyn_432_results=load('example1_results_dyn_432.mat');
 
 if max(max(abs(oo_.dr.ghx-dyn_432_results.oo_.dr.ghx)))>1e-6 || max(max(abs(oo_.dr.ghu-dyn_432_results.oo_.dr.ghu))) >1e-6
@@ -84,5 +78,3 @@ if max(max(abs(oo_.dr.ghxx-dyn_432_results.oo_.dr.ghxx)))>1e-6 || max(max(abs(oo
         || max(max(abs(oo_.dr.ghxu-dyn_432_results.oo_.dr.ghxu))) >1e-6 || max(max(abs(oo_.dr.ghs2-dyn_432_results.oo_.dr.ghs2))) >1e-6
     error('Second order decision rules wrong')
 end
-
-delete('example1_results_dyn_432.mat')
diff --git a/tests/decision_rules/example1_results_dyn_432.mat b/tests/decision_rules/example1_results_dyn_432.mat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..9674ccf0d77cbaeabf81220e3445a3164017cee0
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/decision_rules/example1_results_dyn_432.mat differ
diff --git a/tests/decision_rules/third_order/FV_2011_policyfunctions.mat b/tests/decision_rules/third_order/FV_2011_policyfunctions.mat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..40d30f764b4eb86df57e2e397d8b019c6a82ae56
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/decision_rules/third_order/FV_2011_policyfunctions.mat differ
diff --git a/tests/decision_rules/third_order/comparison_policy_functions_dynare_mathematica.m b/tests/decision_rules/third_order/comparison_policy_functions_dynare_mathematica.m
index 4b4c0adde49739f82bb58a52fa99bdc13842120e..12271db230c13d714a4e5b3940edf8343e9793b3 100644
--- a/tests/decision_rules/third_order/comparison_policy_functions_dynare_mathematica.m
+++ b/tests/decision_rules/third_order/comparison_policy_functions_dynare_mathematica.m
@@ -1,10 +1,4 @@
 %read in the FV et al. policy functions derived from Mathematica
-if ~isoctave() && ~matlab_ver_less_than('8.4')
-   websave('FV_2011_policyfunctions.mat','http://www.dynare.org/Datasets/FV_2011_policyfunctions.mat', weboptions('Timeout', 30))
-else
-   urlwrite('http://www.dynare.org/Datasets/FV_2011_policyfunctions.mat','FV_2011_policyfunctions.mat')
-end
-
 load FV_2011_policyfunctions
 
 order=options_.order;
@@ -128,5 +122,3 @@ if max(max(max(max(abs(gxxx-gxxx_dyn))))) > 1e-8
     error('Third order wrong')
 else max(max(max(max(abs(gxxx-gxxx_dyn)))))
 end
-
-delete('FV_2011_policyfunctions.mat')
diff --git a/tests/deterministic_simulations/lola_data.mat b/tests/deterministic_simulations/lola_data.mat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..67c0c926c8df9a32565bdd42493f71cd3a889163
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/deterministic_simulations/lola_data.mat differ
diff --git a/tests/deterministic_simulations/lola_solve_one_boundary.mod b/tests/deterministic_simulations/lola_solve_one_boundary.mod
index 707d2f8b12ec5a638b5e2fd754e0652281c2ba4d..a293647fcd4fcfa26d219caef9887cfa1042585b 100644
--- a/tests/deterministic_simulations/lola_solve_one_boundary.mod
+++ b/tests/deterministic_simulations/lola_solve_one_boundary.mod
@@ -1,12 +1,6 @@
 //  Based on Luca Marchiori/Olivier Pierrard(2012) LOLA 2.0: Luxembourg OverLapping generation model for policy Analysis
 // Involves a call to solve_one_boundary.m that is tested here
 
-if ~isoctave() && ~matlab_ver_less_than('8.4')
-   websave('lola_data.mat','http://www.dynare.org/Datasets/lola_data.mat', weboptions('Timeout', 30))
-else
-   urlwrite('http://www.dynare.org/Datasets/lola_data.mat','lola_data.mat')
-end
-
 load lola_data.mat
 
 % ====================================================
@@ -983,5 +977,3 @@ simul(periods=125,maxit=100);
 if ~oo_.deterministic_simulation.status
    error('Perfect foresight simulation failed')
 end
-
-delete('lola_data.mat')
diff --git a/tests/recursive/data_ca1_csv.csv b/tests/recursive/data_ca1_csv.csv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..8351e0faeeb4b428eb10641b064708eb85f46019
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/recursive/data_ca1_csv.csv
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+y_obs,pie_obs,R_obs,de,dq
+0.9284676465,11.8716889412,20,0.4180375074,0.2273823775
+-0.7059940631,11.7522582094,21.25,1.0925442451,-1.2948827499
+-0.5118953519,9.6814402563,17.25,-1.6615040841,0.3315083931
+-0.9909559713,10.0890781236,17,1.4301627525,-2.4358967014
+-0.9812330618,12.1094840679,18.25,2.9129328873,-0.7902465769
+-0.8821828445,8.5455946041,15,0.4195791395,0.3587297196
+-0.9308930028,6.1923837442,12.5,-1.4884745796,0.7397799388
+1.5315820695,2.7654427189,11.5,-0.3362167697,0.4555599188
+2.2659052834,5.4741816251,11,0.3064367898,-0.0707985731
+1.054198038,6.3569842619,11,0.1407002505,0.6204014872
+1.2016107679,3.4253301593,11,0.4612964924,0.1435432399
+1.7393407797,4.7092607032,11.5,1.3579828298,0.3856469444
+1.7173526258,3.5423207975,12.5,2.9097529155,-0.8043085833
+0.4263436578,3.327191089,13,1.6421486265,-1.182146647
+1.6775181232,2.9344472734,11.25,0.3444349107,-1.6529373719
+1.370133011,4.7230336192,11.75,2.6151152658,0.327684243
+0.2812310738,4.4893853071,10.5,1.1704344926,1.1285510665
+1.5363899283,3.7325309699,10.25,-0.6839470467,0.1194353874
+1.6808143146,3.3472996913,10,1.4115934211,-1.5906568085
+-0.3433216011,5.0556351356,12,1.751173665,-2.4012776464
+0.8734156087,3.2779996255,10.25,-1.3989586671,0.0971444398
+0.2639969654,4.7822941983,9.75,0.0914692438,0.2993104576
+-0.5622336248,3.8859863824,9.75,-0.0505384765,0.3328267082
+2.1516191494,3.8485971013,8.75,-3.4481108049,0.7891386788
+1.2345093726,5.6222503094,9.5,-0.3669454074,2.329749812
+1.6255496746,4.2466713283,10,-0.8009583714,0.0293183771
+1.3303540253,2.7524897925,9.75,-0.8557231132,0.8524939398
+1.5207881408,3.5341598583,9.75,-3.379634692,-1.0513395812
+1.167049837,4.9275407946,10.75,-3.0142303324,0.459907432
+0.2772135721,4.5553213304,11.75,-0.8519955994,2.0324203485
+0.842215069,3.1116450965,12.25,-1.082904217,0.014323282
+1.0532502861,4.9288264758,13.5,-1.1953883867,0.7067647507
+0.4530512536,6.829989501,13.5,0.1118036565,0.0884625932
+0.1998859955,5.8264335466,13.5,-0.9205015184,-0.2650495867
+0.1379079996,2.6607636913,13.5,-1.1712292981,-0.9956424305
+0.7219496867,5.7049787682,14.25,1.1937816902,-1.1064483965
+-0.4184652492,3.7586111023,14.75,-1.0313167482,0.1885076758
+-0.6440283421,4.1510478815,13.75,-1.4891175655,0.2045609138
+-0.8482138527,5.6558032403,12.75,0.6770117039,-0.8496280545
+-1.5195407693,11.4866911266,11.25,-0.4460246808,-0.4563423508
+0.2652750552,2.8547274959,9.75,-0.5987782024,-0.9073116408
+0.3561625291,2.2961401566,9.5,-0.4682078843,-1.2213088344
+0.3683088644,-0.5390835047,8,-0.781333992,0.3740072465
+-0.1457514127,1.6150762179,8.25,3.6829193263,1.3243839985
+0.2854572837,2.1433405599,7,1.4281940538,-0.0081866084
+0.3723901294,1.6000021333,6.25,0.6261064241,-0.1013677277
+0.3827202031,1.7261424326,7.25,4.8963194102,-1.1006071192
+0.7379575156,2.9043058285,6,-0.042272101,0.4178952497
+0.6495325817,0.6571356825,6,0.692066154,0.4222991203
+0.627159202,1.7035268991,5.75,2.6206671131,-1.2923730403
+0.9054412998,1.9566319727,5.5,1.5949697565,-0.271158307
+1.493225779,-2.0874176531,6.25,1.230276948,0.4183368895
+1.4875073157,-1.5727412187,8,3.0166055099,-0.8939582544
+1.3978385809,2.2262306643,7,-0.8084231921,1.4762545389
+0.8927483632,1.3037808174,8,-0.2494850587,0.1598712042
+0.9206522461,4.1437741965,9.75,2.8204453623,0.1781492397
+-0.0026427664,3.0798997205,8.75,-2.5634246154,2.105998353
+0.0198190462,0.7662837593,8,-1.1583886599,1.5688888342
+0.4400505153,0.1275700858,7.5,0.040075357,0.0289143335
+0.1295366379,1.7817414153,6.75,0.9599439628,0.3077812244
+0.3985498272,3.0360677067,6.5,-0.3402097947,0.1009794695
+1.1717477543,0.629625188,5.75,0.4030036868,0.9023945794
+0.9911639813,2.5086291068,4.75,-1.4496399698,1.1615098695
+0.9676035661,2.1200373901,4.75,0.6108460308,-0.8899948961
+1.146893836,1.2418501146,4.75,2.0109809131,-1.73846431
+1.3259382405,0.9907138207,4.75,-0.0955142989,-0.0369257308
+0.8611350026,-0.2474494361,6,1.7279310714,-0.6915067896
+1.2687085015,2.0984476489,6.5,1.5072021757,-1.3139918708
+0.2603649877,1.1065013972,6.5,1.136590475,0.0720441665
+1.0973124221,0.4907963813,7.25,4.5912389415,-2.1407307076
+1.6379284178,0.6126525943,6.75,1.7960460504,-0.6443639954
+1.4846557603,0.9782958087,6.75,-2.007536209,1.3943753496
+1.0987608663,4.2521256909,6.25,-2.589011965,2.560543208
+1.4259217813,2.7698451831,6.25,0.8881957524,1.0311454927
+1.5295823946,1.3179595549,6.5,-0.9029075641,-0.0952198894
+1.0170168994,2.1473358992,7,-1.3054866978,2.6880373847
+0.7232536523,3.4355288935,7.5,1.8213700853,0.5925935862
+1.2472080601,3.8738380658,7.5,0.0522300654,0.9888712387
+0.4825314712,2.6779328703,7.5,2.9693944293,-0.1085911661
+0.1540561004,0.9272690317,6.75,0.1192220576,3.3048920945
+0.0694865769,6.6591652679,6.25,0.8890144761,-2.8397684904
+-0.1212674349,0.3414426157,5.25,0.3230532392,-3.4928922901
+0.7264736904,-3.5423730964,4,2.1914929045,-3.20855054
+1.3927170911,2.6312108572,3.75,0.8840657774,0.756225802
+1.0750207773,5.885788368,4.25,-2.5508827335,2.8901811637
+0.7590492516,4.2470360422,4.5,0.5756876657,-0.3882925062
diff --git a/tests/recursive/data_ca1_xls.xlsx b/tests/recursive/data_ca1_xls.xlsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..62ce5a51f8688ee68d7894f7475d5714045e7b62
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/recursive/data_ca1_xls.xlsx differ
diff --git a/tests/recursive/ls2003_bayesian_csv.mod b/tests/recursive/ls2003_bayesian_csv.mod
index 5f8e1f22e4a82720305b9537e5035fadc954cdc2..2678db52f8c8378742eb7461f8a0ad68d923082c 100644
--- a/tests/recursive/ls2003_bayesian_csv.mod
+++ b/tests/recursive/ls2003_bayesian_csv.mod
@@ -1,13 +1,3 @@
-if isoctave() && octave_ver_less_than('3.8')
-   return
-end
-
-if ~isoctave() && ~matlab_ver_less_than('8.4')
-   websave('data_ca1_csv.csv','http://www.dynare.org/Datasets/data_ca1_csv.csv', weboptions('Timeout', 30))
-else
-   urlwrite('http://www.dynare.org/Datasets/data_ca1_csv.csv','data_ca1_csv.csv')
-end
-
 var y y_s R pie dq pie_s de A y_obs pie_obs R_obs;
 varexo e_R e_q e_ys e_pies e_A;
 
@@ -72,5 +62,3 @@ stderr e_pies,inv_gamma_pdf,1.88,0.9827;
 end;
 
 estimation(datafile=data_ca1_csv,first_obs=8,nobs=[76 79],mh_nblocks=1,prefilter=1,mh_jscale=0.5,mh_replic=2000,forecast=8) y_obs R_obs pie_obs dq de;
-
-delete('data_ca1_csv.csv')
diff --git a/tests/recursive/ls2003_bayesian_xls.mod b/tests/recursive/ls2003_bayesian_xls.mod
index 73c32c40364ac58c31a86dc3b611bc9d8ab2e21c..967c3321b527c930f6394e24bc34fb85bd491650 100644
--- a/tests/recursive/ls2003_bayesian_xls.mod
+++ b/tests/recursive/ls2003_bayesian_xls.mod
@@ -1,13 +1,3 @@
-if isoctave() && octave_ver_less_than('3.8')
-   return
-end
-
-if ~isoctave() && ~matlab_ver_less_than('8.4')
-   websave('data_ca1_xls.xlsx','http://www.dynare.org/Datasets/data_ca1_xls.xlsx', weboptions('Timeout', 30))
-else
-   urlwrite('http://www.dynare.org/Datasets/data_ca1_xls.xlsx','data_ca1_xls.xlsx')
-end
-
 var y y_s R pie dq pie_s de A y_obs pie_obs R_obs;
 varexo e_R e_q e_ys e_pies e_A;
 
@@ -72,5 +62,3 @@ stderr e_pies,inv_gamma_pdf,1.88,0.9827;
 end;
 
 estimation(datafile=data_ca1_xls,first_obs=8,nobs=[76 79],mh_nblocks=1,prefilter=1,mh_jscale=0.5,mh_replic=2000,forecast=8) y_obs R_obs pie_obs dq de;
-
-delete('data_ca1_xls.xlsx')