diff --git a/asv_bench/benchmarks/dataset_io.py b/asv_bench/benchmarks/dataset_io.py
index da18d541a16..3e070e1355b 100644
--- a/asv_bench/benchmarks/dataset_io.py
+++ b/asv_bench/benchmarks/dataset_io.py
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ def time_load_dataset_netcdf4_with_block_chunks_vindexing(self):
         ds = ds.isel(**self.vinds).load()
 
     def time_load_dataset_netcdf4_with_block_chunks_multiprocessing(self):
-        with dask.set_options(get=dask.multiprocessing.get):
+        with dask.config.set(scheduler="multiprocessing"):
             xr.open_dataset(self.filepath, engine='netcdf4',
                             chunks=self.block_chunks).load()
 
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ def time_load_dataset_netcdf4_with_time_chunks(self):
                         chunks=self.time_chunks).load()
 
     def time_load_dataset_netcdf4_with_time_chunks_multiprocessing(self):
-        with dask.set_options(get=dask.multiprocessing.get):
+        with dask.config.set(scheduler="multiprocessing"):
             xr.open_dataset(self.filepath, engine='netcdf4',
                             chunks=self.time_chunks).load()
 
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ def setup(self):
         self.ds.to_netcdf(self.filepath, format=self.format)
 
     def time_load_dataset_scipy_with_block_chunks(self):
-        with dask.set_options(get=dask.multiprocessing.get):
+        with dask.config.set(scheduler="multiprocessing"):
             xr.open_dataset(self.filepath, engine='scipy',
                             chunks=self.block_chunks).load()
 
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ def time_load_dataset_scipy_with_block_chunks_vindexing(self):
         ds = ds.isel(**self.vinds).load()
 
     def time_load_dataset_scipy_with_time_chunks(self):
-        with dask.set_options(get=dask.multiprocessing.get):
+        with dask.config.set(scheduler="multiprocessing"):
             xr.open_dataset(self.filepath, engine='scipy',
                             chunks=self.time_chunks).load()
 
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ def time_load_dataset_netcdf4_with_block_chunks(self):
                           chunks=self.block_chunks).load()
 
     def time_load_dataset_netcdf4_with_block_chunks_multiprocessing(self):
-        with dask.set_options(get=dask.multiprocessing.get):
+        with dask.config.set(scheduler="multiprocessing"):
             xr.open_mfdataset(self.filenames_list, engine='netcdf4',
                               chunks=self.block_chunks).load()
 
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ def time_load_dataset_netcdf4_with_time_chunks(self):
                           chunks=self.time_chunks).load()
 
     def time_load_dataset_netcdf4_with_time_chunks_multiprocessing(self):
-        with dask.set_options(get=dask.multiprocessing.get):
+        with dask.config.set(scheduler="multiprocessing"):
             xr.open_mfdataset(self.filenames_list, engine='netcdf4',
                               chunks=self.time_chunks).load()
 
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ def time_open_dataset_netcdf4_with_block_chunks(self):
                           chunks=self.block_chunks)
 
     def time_open_dataset_netcdf4_with_block_chunks_multiprocessing(self):
-        with dask.set_options(get=dask.multiprocessing.get):
+        with dask.config.set(scheduler="multiprocessing"):
             xr.open_mfdataset(self.filenames_list, engine='netcdf4',
                               chunks=self.block_chunks)
 
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ def time_open_dataset_netcdf4_with_time_chunks(self):
                           chunks=self.time_chunks)
 
     def time_open_dataset_netcdf4_with_time_chunks_multiprocessing(self):
-        with dask.set_options(get=dask.multiprocessing.get):
+        with dask.config.set(scheduler="multiprocessing"):
             xr.open_mfdataset(self.filenames_list, engine='netcdf4',
                               chunks=self.time_chunks)
 
@@ -392,22 +392,22 @@ def setup(self):
                           format=self.format)
 
     def time_load_dataset_scipy_with_block_chunks(self):
-        with dask.set_options(get=dask.multiprocessing.get):
+        with dask.config.set(scheduler="multiprocessing"):
             xr.open_mfdataset(self.filenames_list, engine='scipy',
                               chunks=self.block_chunks).load()
 
     def time_load_dataset_scipy_with_time_chunks(self):
-        with dask.set_options(get=dask.multiprocessing.get):
+        with dask.config.set(scheduler="multiprocessing"):
             xr.open_mfdataset(self.filenames_list, engine='scipy',
                               chunks=self.time_chunks).load()
 
     def time_open_dataset_scipy_with_block_chunks(self):
-        with dask.set_options(get=dask.multiprocessing.get):
+        with dask.config.set(scheduler="multiprocessing"):
             xr.open_mfdataset(self.filenames_list, engine='scipy',
                               chunks=self.block_chunks)
 
     def time_open_dataset_scipy_with_time_chunks(self):
-        with dask.set_options(get=dask.multiprocessing.get):
+        with dask.config.set(scheduler="multiprocessing"):
             xr.open_mfdataset(self.filenames_list, engine='scipy',
                               chunks=self.time_chunks)
 
diff --git a/doc/whats-new.rst b/doc/whats-new.rst
index 61da801badb..9a55b9380b9 100644
--- a/doc/whats-new.rst
+++ b/doc/whats-new.rst
@@ -106,7 +106,9 @@ Bug fixes
   (:issue:`2484`).  By `Spencer Clark <https://github.com/spencerkclark>`_.
 - Adding a TimedeltaIndex to, or subtracting a TimedeltaIndex from a
   CFTimeIndex is now allowed (:issue:`2484`).
-  By `Spencer Clark <https://github.com/spencerkclark>`_. 
+  By `Spencer Clark <https://github.com/spencerkclark>`_.
+- Avoid use of Dask's deprecated ``get=`` parameter in tests
+  by `Matthew Rocklin <https://github.com/mrocklin/>`_.
 
 .. _whats-new.0.10.9:
 
diff --git a/xarray/tests/__init__.py b/xarray/tests/__init__.py
index 56ecfa30c4d..a45f71bbc3b 100644
--- a/xarray/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/xarray/tests/__init__.py
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ def LooseVersion(vstring):
     if LooseVersion(dask.__version__) < '0.18':
         dask.set_options(get=dask.get)
     else:
-        dask.config.set(scheduler='sync')
+        dask.config.set(scheduler='single-threaded')
 try:
     import_seaborn()
     has_seaborn = True
diff --git a/xarray/tests/test_dask.py b/xarray/tests/test_dask.py
index e56f751bef9..62ce7d074fa 100644
--- a/xarray/tests/test_dask.py
+++ b/xarray/tests/test_dask.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 class DaskTestCase(object):
     def assertLazyAnd(self, expected, actual, test):
 
-        with (dask.config.set(get=dask.get)
+        with (dask.config.set(scheduler='single-threaded')
               if LooseVersion(dask.__version__) >= LooseVersion('0.18.0')
               else dask.set_options(get=dask.get)):
             test(actual, expected)
@@ -456,7 +456,11 @@ def counting_get(*args, **kwargs):
             count[0] += 1
             return dask.get(*args, **kwargs)
 
-        ds.load(get=counting_get)
+        if dask.__version__ < '0.19.4':
+            ds.load(get=counting_get)
+        else:
+            ds.load(scheduler=counting_get)
+
         assert count[0] == 1
 
     def test_stack(self):
@@ -831,7 +835,9 @@ def test_basic_compute():
                 dask.multiprocessing.get,
                 dask.local.get_sync,
                 None]:
-        with (dask.config.set(get=get)
+        with (dask.config.set(scheduler=get)
+              if LooseVersion(dask.__version__) >= LooseVersion('0.19.4')
+              else dask.config.set(scheduler=get)
               if LooseVersion(dask.__version__) >= LooseVersion('0.18.0')
               else dask.set_options(get=get)):
             ds.compute()