diff --git a/tests/lib/Database/SeriesFeed.php b/tests/lib/Database/SeriesFeed.php
index db78c0c8..9657ad44 100644
--- a/tests/lib/Database/SeriesFeed.php
+++ b/tests/lib/Database/SeriesFeed.php
@@ -29,10 +29,23 @@ trait SeriesFeed {
     ];
     
     function setUpSeries() {
+        // set up the test data
         $past  = gmdate("Y-m-d H:i:s",strtotime("now - 1 minute"));
         $future = gmdate("Y-m-d H:i:s",strtotime("now + 1 minute"));
         $now = gmdate("Y-m-d H:i:s",strtotime("now"));
-        $data = [
+        $this->data = [
+            'arsse_users' => [
+                'columns' => [
+                    'id'       => 'str',
+                    'password' => 'str',
+                    'name'     => 'str',
+                    'rights'   => 'int',
+                ],
+                'rows' => [
+                    ["jane.doe@example.com", "", "Jane Doe", UserDriver::RIGHTS_NONE],
+                    ["john.doe@example.com", "", "John Doe", UserDriver::RIGHTS_NONE],
+                ],
+            ],
             'arsse_feeds' => [
                 'columns' => [
                     'id'         => "int",
@@ -126,10 +139,7 @@ trait SeriesFeed {
                 ]
             ],
         ];
-        // merge tables
-        $this->data = array_merge($this->data, $data);
         $this->primeDatabase($this->data);
-        $this->user = "john.doe@example.com";
     }
 
     function testListLatestItems() {
diff --git a/tests/lib/Database/SeriesFolder.php b/tests/lib/Database/SeriesFolder.php
index 93110714..e53562b8 100644
--- a/tests/lib/Database/SeriesFolder.php
+++ b/tests/lib/Database/SeriesFolder.php
@@ -7,6 +7,46 @@ use Phake;
 
 trait SeriesFolder {
     function setUpSeries() {
+        $this->data = [
+            'arsse_users' => [
+                'columns' => [
+                    'id'       => 'str',
+                    'password' => 'str',
+                    'name'     => 'str',
+                    'rights'   => 'int',
+                ],
+                'rows' => [
+                    ["jane.doe@example.com", "", "Jane Doe", UserDriver::RIGHTS_NONE],
+                    ["john.doe@example.com", "", "John Doe", UserDriver::RIGHTS_NONE],
+                ],
+            ],
+            'arsse_folders' => [
+                'columns' => [
+                    'id'     => "int",
+                    'owner'  => "str",
+                    'parent' => "int",
+                    'name'   => "str",
+                ],
+                /* Layout translates to:
+                Jane
+                    Politics
+                John
+                    Technology
+                        Software
+                            Politics
+                        Rocketry
+                    Politics
+                */
+                'rows' => [
+                    [1, "john.doe@example.com", null, "Technology"],
+                    [2, "john.doe@example.com",    1, "Software"],
+                    [3, "john.doe@example.com",    1, "Rocketry"],
+                    [4, "jane.doe@example.com", null, "Politics"],        
+                    [5, "john.doe@example.com", null, "Politics"],
+                    [6, "john.doe@example.com",    2, "Politics"],
+                ]
+            ],
+        ];
         $this->primeDatabase($this->data);
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/lib/Database/SeriesSubscription.php b/tests/lib/Database/SeriesSubscription.php
index 8074d8e5..fa690a74 100644
--- a/tests/lib/Database/SeriesSubscription.php
+++ b/tests/lib/Database/SeriesSubscription.php
@@ -9,7 +9,36 @@ use Phake;
 
 trait SeriesSubscription {
     function setUpSeries() {
-        $data = [
+        $this->data = [
+            'arsse_users' => [
+                'columns' => [
+                    'id'       => 'str',
+                    'password' => 'str',
+                    'name'     => 'str',
+                    'rights'   => 'int',
+                ],
+                'rows' => [
+                    ["admin@example.net", '$2y$10$PbcG2ZR3Z8TuPzM7aHTF8.v61dtCjzjK78gdZJcp4UePE8T9jEgBW', "Hard Lip Herbert", UserDriver::RIGHTS_GLOBAL_ADMIN], // password is hash of "secret"
+                    ["jane.doe@example.com", "", "Jane Doe", UserDriver::RIGHTS_NONE],
+                    ["john.doe@example.com", "", "John Doe", UserDriver::RIGHTS_NONE],
+                ],
+            ],
+            'arsse_folders' => [
+                'columns' => [
+                    'id'     => "int",
+                    'owner'  => "str",
+                    'parent' => "int",
+                    'name'   => "str",
+                ],
+                'rows' => [
+                    [1, "john.doe@example.com", null, "Technology"],
+                    [2, "john.doe@example.com",    1, "Software"],
+                    [3, "john.doe@example.com",    1, "Rocketry"],
+                    [4, "jane.doe@example.com", null, "Politics"],        
+                    [5, "john.doe@example.com", null, "Politics"],
+                    [6, "john.doe@example.com",    2, "Politics"],
+                ]
+            ],
             'arsse_feeds' => [
                 'columns' => [
                     'id'         => "int",
@@ -83,8 +112,6 @@ trait SeriesSubscription {
                 ]
             ],
         ];
-        // merge tables
-        $this->data = array_merge($this->data, $data);
         $this->primeDatabase($this->data);
         // initialize a partial mock of the Database object to later manipulate the feedUpdate method
         Data::$db = Phake::PartialMock(Database::class, $this->drv);
diff --git a/tests/lib/Database/SeriesUser.php b/tests/lib/Database/SeriesUser.php
index 00cfd2b5..ac2c912e 100644
--- a/tests/lib/Database/SeriesUser.php
+++ b/tests/lib/Database/SeriesUser.php
@@ -7,6 +7,21 @@ use Phake;
 
 trait SeriesUser {
     function setUpSeries() {
+        $this->data = [
+            'arsse_users' => [
+                'columns' => [
+                    'id'       => 'str',
+                    'password' => 'str',
+                    'name'     => 'str',
+                    'rights'   => 'int',
+                ],
+                'rows' => [
+                    ["admin@example.net", '$2y$10$PbcG2ZR3Z8TuPzM7aHTF8.v61dtCjzjK78gdZJcp4UePE8T9jEgBW', "Hard Lip Herbert", UserDriver::RIGHTS_GLOBAL_ADMIN], // password is hash of "secret"
+                    ["jane.doe@example.com", "", "Jane Doe", UserDriver::RIGHTS_NONE],
+                    ["john.doe@example.com", "", "John Doe", UserDriver::RIGHTS_NONE],
+                ],
+            ],
+        ];
         $this->primeDatabase($this->data);
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/lib/Database/Setup.php b/tests/lib/Database/Setup.php
index 3620da20..093eb246 100644
--- a/tests/lib/Database/Setup.php
+++ b/tests/lib/Database/Setup.php
@@ -11,47 +11,7 @@ use Phake;
 
 trait Setup {
     protected $drv;
-    protected $data = [
-        'arsse_users' => [
-            'columns' => [
-                'id'       => 'str',
-                'password' => 'str',
-                'name'     => 'str',
-                'rights'   => 'int',
-            ],
-            'rows' => [
-                ["admin@example.net", '$2y$10$PbcG2ZR3Z8TuPzM7aHTF8.v61dtCjzjK78gdZJcp4UePE8T9jEgBW', "Hard Lip Herbert", UserDriver::RIGHTS_GLOBAL_ADMIN], // password is hash of "secret"
-                ["jane.doe@example.com", "", "Jane Doe", UserDriver::RIGHTS_NONE],
-                ["john.doe@example.com", "", "John Doe", UserDriver::RIGHTS_NONE],
-            ],
-        ],
-        'arsse_folders' => [
-            'columns' => [
-                'id'     => "int",
-                'owner'  => "str",
-                'parent' => "int",
-                'name'   => "str",
-            ],
-            /* Layout translates to:
-            Jane
-                Politics
-            John
-                Technology
-                    Software
-                        Politics
-                    Rocketry
-                Politics
-            */
-            'rows' => [
-                [1, "john.doe@example.com", null, "Technology"],
-                [2, "john.doe@example.com",    1, "Software"],
-                [3, "john.doe@example.com",    1, "Rocketry"],
-                [4, "jane.doe@example.com", null, "Politics"],        
-                [5, "john.doe@example.com", null, "Politics"],
-                [6, "john.doe@example.com",    2, "Politics"],
-            ]
-        ],
-    ];
+    protected $data = [];
 
     function setUp() {
         // establish a clean baseline