diff --git a/spec/helpers.rb b/spec/helpers.rb
index 5935e2034..0a1352edc 100644
--- a/spec/helpers.rb
+++ b/spec/helpers.rb
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ def initialize(name, port: 23456, postgresql_conf: '')
 		def create_test_db
 			trace "Creating the test DB"
 			log_and_run @logfile, pg_bin_path('psql'), '-p', @port.to_s, '-e', '-c', 'DROP DATABASE IF EXISTS test', 'postgres'
-			log_and_run @logfile, pg_bin_path('createdb'), '-p', @port.to_s, '-e', 'test'
+			log_and_run @logfile, pg_bin_path('createdb'), '-p', @port.to_s, 'test'
 		end
 
 		def connect
@@ -355,7 +355,6 @@ def next_serial
 		end
 
 		def create_ca_cert(name, ca_key, x509_name, valid_years: 10)
-			ca_key = OpenSSL::PKey::RSA.new File.read "#{ca_key}" unless ca_key.kind_of?(OpenSSL::PKey::RSA)
 			ca_name = OpenSSL::X509::Name.parse x509_name
 
 			ca_cert = OpenSSL::X509::Certificate.new
@@ -396,7 +395,6 @@ def create_key(name, rsa_size: 2048)
 		end
 
 		def create_signing_request(name, x509_name, key)
-			key = OpenSSL::PKey::RSA.new File.read "#{key}" unless key.kind_of?(OpenSSL::PKey::RSA)
 			csr = OpenSSL::X509::Request.new
 			csr.version = 0
 			csr.subject = OpenSSL::X509::Name.parse x509_name
@@ -411,9 +409,6 @@ def create_signing_request(name, x509_name, key)
 		end
 
 		def create_cert_from_csr(name, csr, ca_cert, ca_key, valid_years: 10, dns_names: nil)
-			ca_key = OpenSSL::PKey::RSA.new File.read "#{ca_key}" unless ca_key.kind_of?(OpenSSL::PKey::RSA)
-			ca_cert = OpenSSL::X509::Certificate.new File.read "#{ca_cert}" unless ca_cert.kind_of?(OpenSSL::X509::Certificate)
-			csr = OpenSSL::X509::Request.new File.read "#{csr}" unless csr.kind_of?(OpenSSL::X509::Request)
 			raise 'CSR can not be verified' unless csr.verify csr.public_key
 
 			csr_cert = OpenSSL::X509::Certificate.new