diff --git a/auth/email/tests/behat/behat_auth_email.php b/auth/email/tests/behat/behat_auth_email.php
index b3fe2fbbca1..83924f7029b 100644
--- a/auth/email/tests/behat/behat_auth_email.php
+++ b/auth/email/tests/behat/behat_auth_email.php
@@ -49,6 +49,6 @@ class behat_auth_email extends behat_base {
         $confirmationpath = $confirmationurl->out_as_local_url(false);
         $url = $confirmationpath .  '?' . 'data='. $secret .'/'. $username;
 
-        $this->getSession()->visit($this->locate_path($url));
+        $this->execute('behat_general::i_visit', [$url]);
     }
 }
diff --git a/auth/tests/behat/behat_auth.php b/auth/tests/behat/behat_auth.php
index 7df38c70fd8..6103ace6b55 100644
--- a/auth/tests/behat/behat_auth.php
+++ b/auth/tests/behat/behat_auth.php
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class behat_auth extends behat_base {
         }
 
         // Visit login page.
-        $this->getSession()->visit($this->locate_path($loginurl->out_as_local_url()));
+        $this->execute('behat_general::i_visit', [$loginurl]);
 
         // Enter username and password.
         $this->execute('behat_forms::i_set_the_field_to', array('Username', $this->escape($username)));
diff --git a/backup/util/ui/tests/behat/behat_backup.php b/backup/util/ui/tests/behat/behat_backup.php
index a5ead378370..fe5f57544be 100644
--- a/backup/util/ui/tests/behat/behat_backup.php
+++ b/backup/util/ui/tests/behat/behat_backup.php
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class behat_backup extends behat_base {
         // table elements are used, and we need to catch exceptions contantly.
 
         // Go to homepage.
-        $this->getSession()->visit($this->locate_path('/?redirect=0'));
+        $this->execute('behat_general::i_visit', ['/?redirect=0']);
         $this->execute("behat_general::wait_until_the_page_is_ready");
 
         // Click the course link.
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ class behat_backup extends behat_base {
         // table elements are used, and we need to catch exceptions contantly.
 
         // Go to homepage.
-        $this->getSession()->visit($this->locate_path('/?redirect=0'));
+        $this->execute('behat_general::i_visit', ['/?redirect=0']);
 
         // Click the course link.
         $this->execute("behat_general::click_link", $backupcourse);
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ class behat_backup extends behat_base {
         // table elements are used, and we need to catch exceptions contantly.
 
         // Go to homepage.
-        $this->getSession()->visit($this->locate_path('/?redirect=0'));
+        $this->execute('behat_general::i_visit', ['/?redirect=0']);
         $this->execute("behat_general::wait_until_the_page_is_ready");
 
         // Click the course link.
diff --git a/calendar/tests/behat/behat_calendar.php b/calendar/tests/behat/behat_calendar.php
index 0bd835cc666..f15d85bb32c 100644
--- a/calendar/tests/behat/behat_calendar.php
+++ b/calendar/tests/behat/behat_calendar.php
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ class behat_calendar extends behat_base {
      */
     public function i_view_the_calendar_for($month, $year) {
         $time = make_timestamp($year, $month, 1);
-        $this->getSession()->visit($this->locate_path('/calendar/view.php?view=month&course=1&time='.$time));
+        $this->execute('behat_general::i_visit', ['/calendar/view.php?view=month&course=1&time='.$time]);
 
     }
 }
diff --git a/lib/tests/behat/behat_general.php b/lib/tests/behat/behat_general.php
index 3ed1a16a10d..351887a9ef2 100644
--- a/lib/tests/behat/behat_general.php
+++ b/lib/tests/behat/behat_general.php
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ class behat_general extends behat_base {
      * @Given /^I am on homepage$/
      */
     public function i_am_on_homepage() {
-        $this->getSession()->visit($this->locate_path('/'));
+        $this->execute('behat_general::i_visit', ['/']);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ class behat_general extends behat_base {
      * @Given /^I am on site homepage$/
      */
     public function i_am_on_site_homepage() {
-        $this->getSession()->visit($this->locate_path('/?redirect=0'));
+        $this->execute('behat_general::i_visit', ['/?redirect=0']);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ class behat_general extends behat_base {
      * @Given /^I am on course index$/
      */
     public function i_am_on_course_index() {
-        $this->getSession()->visit($this->locate_path('/course/index.php'));
+        $this->execute('behat_general::i_visit', ['/course/index.php']);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -1005,7 +1005,7 @@ EOF;
      * @Given /^I trigger cron$/
      */
     public function i_trigger_cron() {
-        $this->getSession()->visit($this->locate_path('/admin/cron.php'));
+        $this->execute('behat_general::i_visit', ['/admin/cron.php']);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -1778,4 +1778,16 @@ EOF;
         $value = ($shift == ' shift') ? [\WebDriver\Key::SHIFT . \WebDriver\Key::TAB] : [\WebDriver\Key::TAB];
         $this->getSession()->getDriver()->getWebDriverSession()->activeElement()->postValue(['value' => $value]);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Visit a local URL relative to the behat root.
+     *
+     * @When I visit :localurl
+     *
+     * @param string|moodle_url $localurl The URL relative to the behat_wwwroot to visit.
+     */
+    public function i_visit($localurl) {
+        $localurl = new moodle_url($localurl);
+        $this->getSession()->visit($this->locate_path($localurl->out_as_local_url(false)));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/lib/tests/behat/behat_hooks.php b/lib/tests/behat/behat_hooks.php
index 5a47176811d..7491a6a30b0 100644
--- a/lib/tests/behat/behat_hooks.php
+++ b/lib/tests/behat/behat_hooks.php
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@ EOF;
             // Again, this would be better in the BeforeSuite hook, but that does not have access to the selectors in
             // order to perform the necessary searches.
             $session = $this->getSession();
-            $session->visit($this->locate_path('/'));
+            $this->execute('behat_general::i_visit', ['/']);
 
             // Checking that the root path is a Moodle test site.
             if (self::is_first_scenario()) {
diff --git a/lib/tests/behat/behat_navigation.php b/lib/tests/behat/behat_navigation.php
index 0ec0d98294f..b9b1a3743b4 100644
--- a/lib/tests/behat/behat_navigation.php
+++ b/lib/tests/behat/behat_navigation.php
@@ -567,7 +567,7 @@ class behat_navigation extends behat_base {
 
                 }
             }
-            $this->getSession()->visit($this->locate_path($url->out_as_local_url()));
+            $this->execute('behat_general::i_visit', [$url]);
         }
 
         // Restore global user variable.
@@ -590,8 +590,7 @@ class behat_navigation extends behat_base {
      * @throws Exception if the specified page cannot be determined.
      */
     public function i_am_on_page(string $page) {
-        $this->getSession()->visit($this->locate_path(
-                $this->resolve_page_helper($page)->out_as_local_url()));
+        $this->execute('behat_general::i_visit', [$this->resolve_page_helper($page)]);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -670,8 +669,7 @@ class behat_navigation extends behat_base {
      * @throws Exception if the specified page cannot be determined.
      */
     public function i_am_on_page_instance(string $identifier, string $type) {
-        $this->getSession()->visit($this->locate_path(
-                $this->resolve_page_instance_helper($identifier, $type)->out_as_local_url()));
+        $this->execute('behat_general::i_visit', [$this->resolve_page_instance_helper($identifier, $type)]);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -776,7 +774,7 @@ class behat_navigation extends behat_base {
         global $DB;
         $course = $DB->get_record("course", array("fullname" => $coursefullname), 'id', MUST_EXIST);
         $url = new moodle_url('/course/view.php', ['id' => $course->id]);
-        $this->getSession()->visit($this->locate_path($url->out_as_local_url(false)));
+        $this->execute('behat_general::i_visit', [$url]);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -797,13 +795,13 @@ class behat_navigation extends behat_base {
             // Javascript is running so it is possible to grab the session ket and jump straight to editing mode.
             $url->param('edit', 1);
             $url->param('sesskey', $sesskey);
-            $this->getSession()->visit($this->locate_path($url->out_as_local_url(false)));
+            $this->execute('behat_general::i_visit', [$url]);
 
             return;
         }
 
         // Visit the course page.
-        $this->getSession()->visit($this->locate_path($url->out_as_local_url(false)));
+        $this->execute('behat_general::i_visit', [$url]);
 
         try {
             $this->execute("behat_forms::press_button", get_string('turneditingon'));