diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/model_integration.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/model_integration.test.php
index 30704e4c89c..da21aa2ad2a 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/model_integration.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/model_integration.test.php
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class ModelIntegrationTest extends BaseModelTest {
  */
 	function testPkInHabtmLinkModelArticleB() {
 		$this->loadFixtures('Article', 'Tag', 'ArticlesTag');
-		$TestModel2 =& new ArticleB();
+		$TestModel2 = new ArticleB();
 		$this->assertEqual($TestModel2->ArticlesTag->primaryKey, 'article_id');
 	}
 
@@ -92,21 +92,21 @@ function testCacheSourcesDisabling() {
 	function testPkInHabtmLinkModel() {
 		//Test Nonconformant Models
 		$this->loadFixtures('Content', 'ContentAccount', 'Account', 'JoinC', 'JoinAC');
-		$TestModel =& new Content();
+		$TestModel = new Content();
 		$this->assertEqual($TestModel->ContentAccount->primaryKey, 'iContentAccountsId');
 
 		//test conformant models with no PK in the join table
 		$this->loadFixtures('Article', 'Tag', 'User', 'Comment', 'Attachment', 'Syfile', 'Image', 'Item', 'Portfolio', 'ItemsPortfolio');
-		$TestModel2 =& new Article();
+		$TestModel2 = new Article();
 		$this->assertEqual($TestModel2->ArticlesTag->primaryKey, 'article_id');
 
 		//test conformant models with PK in join table
-		$TestModel3 =& new Portfolio();
+		$TestModel3 = new Portfolio();
 		$this->assertEqual($TestModel3->ItemsPortfolio->primaryKey, 'id');
 
 		//test conformant models with PK in join table - join table contains extra field
 		$this->loadFixtures('JoinA', 'JoinB', 'JoinAB');
-		$TestModel4 =& new JoinA();
+		$TestModel4 = new JoinA();
 		$this->assertEqual($TestModel4->JoinAsJoinB->primaryKey, 'id');
 
 	}
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ function testPkInHabtmLinkModel() {
  */
 	function testDynamicBehaviorAttachment() {
 		$this->loadFixtures('Apple', 'Sample', 'Author');
-		$TestModel =& new Apple();
+		$TestModel = new Apple();
 		$this->assertEqual($TestModel->Behaviors->attached(), array());
 
 		$TestModel->Behaviors->attach('Tree', array('left' => 'left_field', 'right' => 'right_field'));
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ function testCrossDatabaseJoins() {
 		}
 
 		$this->loadFixtures('Article', 'Tag', 'ArticlesTag', 'User', 'Comment');
-		$TestModel =& new Article();
+		$TestModel = new Article();
 
 		$expected = array(
 			array(
@@ -309,16 +309,8 @@ function testCrossDatabaseJoins() {
 		));
 		$this->assertEqual($TestModel->find('all'), $expected);
 
-		$db2 =& ConnectionManager::getDataSource('test2');
-
-		foreach (array('User', 'Comment') as $class) {
-			$this->_fixtures[$this->_fixtureClassMap[$class]]->create($db2);
-			$this->_fixtures[$this->_fixtureClassMap[$class]]->insert($db2);
-			$this->db->truncate(Inflector::pluralize(Inflector::underscore($class)));
-		}
-
-		$this->assertEqual($TestModel->User->find('all'), array());
-		$this->assertEqual($TestModel->Comment->find('all'), array());
+		$db2 = ConnectionManager::getDataSource('test2');
+		$this->loadFixtures('User', 'Comment');
 		$this->assertEqual($TestModel->find('count'), 3);
 
 		$TestModel->User->setDataSource('test2');
@@ -505,10 +497,6 @@ function testCrossDatabaseJoins() {
 					'updated' => '2007-03-18 10:43:31'
 		)));
 		$this->assertEqual($TestModel->Comment->find('all'), $expected);
-
-		foreach (array('User', 'Comment') as $class) {
-			$this->_fixtures[$this->_fixtureClassMap[$class]]->drop($db2);
-		}
 	}
 
 /**
@@ -558,7 +546,7 @@ function testSchema() {
  */
 	function testDeconstructFieldsTime() {
 		$this->loadFixtures('Apple');
-		$TestModel =& new Apple();
+		$TestModel = new Apple();
 
 		$data = array();
 		$data['Apple']['mytime']['hour'] = '';
@@ -645,7 +633,7 @@ function testDeconstructFieldsTime() {
  */
 	function testDeconstructFieldsDateTime() {
 		$this->loadFixtures('Apple');
-		$TestModel =& new Apple();
+		$TestModel = new Apple();
 
 		//test null/empty values first
 		$data['Apple']['created']['year'] = '';
@@ -875,7 +863,7 @@ function testTablePrefixSwitching() {
  * @return void
  */
 	function testInvalidAssociation() {
-		$TestModel =& new ValidationTest1();
+		$TestModel = new ValidationTest1();
 		$this->assertNull($TestModel->getAssociated('Foo'));
 	}
 
@@ -904,7 +892,7 @@ function testLoadModelSecondIteration() {
  */
 	function testResetOfExistsOnCreate() {
 		$this->loadFixtures('Article');
-		$Article =& new Article();
+		$Article = new Article();
 		$Article->id = 1;
 		$Article->saveField('title', 'Reset me');
 		$Article->delete();
@@ -926,7 +914,7 @@ function testResetOfExistsOnCreate() {
  */
 	function testUseTableFalseExistsCheck() {
 		$this->loadFixtures('Article');
-		$Article =& new Article();
+		$Article = new Article();
 		$Article->id = 1337;
 		$result = $Article->exists();
 		$this->assertFalse($result);
@@ -951,7 +939,7 @@ function testUseTableFalseExistsCheck() {
  */
 	function testPluginAssociations() {
 		$this->loadFixtures('TestPluginArticle', 'User', 'TestPluginComment');
-		$TestModel =& new TestPluginArticle();
+		$TestModel = new TestPluginArticle();
 
 		$result = $TestModel->find('all');
 		$expected = array(
@@ -1120,7 +1108,7 @@ function testGetAssociated() {
  */
 	function testAutoConstructAssociations() {
 		$this->loadFixtures('User', 'ArticleFeatured', 'Featured', 'ArticleFeaturedsTags');
-		$TestModel =& new AssociationTest1();
+		$TestModel = new AssociationTest1();
 
 		$result = $TestModel->hasAndBelongsToMany;
 		$expected = array('AssociationTest2' => array(
@@ -1136,8 +1124,8 @@ function testAutoConstructAssociations() {
 		$this->assertEqual($result, $expected);
 
 		// Tests related to ticket https://trac.cakephp.org/ticket/5594
-		$TestModel =& new ArticleFeatured();
-		$TestFakeModel =& new ArticleFeatured(array('table' => false));
+		$TestModel = new ArticleFeatured();
+		$TestFakeModel = new ArticleFeatured(array('table' => false));
 
 		$expected = array(
 			'User' => array(
@@ -1229,12 +1217,12 @@ function testAutoConstructAssociations() {
 	function testConstruct() {
 		$this->loadFixtures('Post', 'Comment');
 
-		$TestModel =& ClassRegistry::init('MergeVarPluginPost');
+		$TestModel = ClassRegistry::init('MergeVarPluginPost');
 		$this->assertEqual($TestModel->actsAs, array('Containable', 'Tree'));
 		$this->assertTrue(isset($TestModel->Behaviors->Containable));
 		$this->assertTrue(isset($TestModel->Behaviors->Tree));
 
-		$TestModel =& ClassRegistry::init('MergeVarPluginComment');
+		$TestModel = ClassRegistry::init('MergeVarPluginComment');
 		$expected = array('Containable', 'Containable' => array('some_settings'));
 		$this->assertEqual($TestModel->actsAs, $expected);
 		$this->assertTrue(isset($TestModel->Behaviors->Containable));
@@ -1248,13 +1236,13 @@ function testConstruct() {
  * @return void
  */
 	function testConstructWithAlternateDataSource() {
-		$TestModel =& ClassRegistry::init(array(
+		$TestModel = ClassRegistry::init(array(
 			'class' => 'DoesntMatter', 'ds' => 'test_suite', 'table' => false
 		));
 		$this->assertEqual('test_suite', $TestModel->useDbConfig);
 
 		//deprecated but test it anyway
-		$NewVoid =& new TheVoid(null, false, 'other');
+		$NewVoid = new TheVoid(null, false, 'other');
 		$this->assertEqual('other', $NewVoid->useDbConfig);
 	}
 
@@ -1265,13 +1253,13 @@ function testConstructWithAlternateDataSource() {
  * @return void
  */
 	function testColumnTypeFetching() {
-		$model =& new Test();
+		$model = new Test();
 		$this->assertEqual($model->getColumnType('id'), 'integer');
 		$this->assertEqual($model->getColumnType('notes'), 'text');
 		$this->assertEqual($model->getColumnType('updated'), 'datetime');
 		$this->assertEqual($model->getColumnType('unknown'), null);
 
-		$model =& new Article();
+		$model = new Article();
 		$this->assertEqual($model->getColumnType('User.created'), 'datetime');
 		$this->assertEqual($model->getColumnType('Tag.id'), 'integer');
 		$this->assertEqual($model->getColumnType('Article.id'), 'integer');
@@ -1284,7 +1272,7 @@ function testColumnTypeFetching() {
  * @return void
  */
 	function testHabtmUniqueKey() {
-		$model =& new Item();
+		$model = new Item();
 		$this->assertFalse($model->hasAndBelongsToMany['Portfolio']['unique']);
 	}
 
@@ -1295,17 +1283,17 @@ function testHabtmUniqueKey() {
  * @return void
  */
 	function testIdentity() {
-		$TestModel =& new Test();
+		$TestModel = new Test();
 		$result = $TestModel->alias;
 		$expected = 'Test';
 		$this->assertEqual($result, $expected);
 
-		$TestModel =& new TestAlias();
+		$TestModel = new TestAlias();
 		$result = $TestModel->alias;
 		$expected = 'TestAlias';
 		$this->assertEqual($result, $expected);
 
-		$TestModel =& new Test(array('alias' => 'AnotherTest'));
+		$TestModel = new Test(array('alias' => 'AnotherTest'));
 		$result = $TestModel->alias;
 		$expected = 'AnotherTest';
 		$this->assertEqual($result, $expected);
@@ -1319,7 +1307,7 @@ function testIdentity() {
  */
 	function testWithAssociation() {
 		$this->loadFixtures('Something', 'SomethingElse', 'JoinThing');
-		$TestModel =& new Something();
+		$TestModel = new Something();
 		$result = $TestModel->SomethingElse->find('all');
 
 		$expected = array(
@@ -1572,7 +1560,7 @@ function testWithAssociation() {
 	function testFindSelfAssociations() {
 		$this->loadFixtures('Person');
 
-		$TestModel =& new Person();
+		$TestModel = new Person();
 		$TestModel->recursive = 2;
 		$result = $TestModel->read(null, 1);
 		$expected = array(
@@ -1681,7 +1669,7 @@ function testFindSelfAssociations() {
  */
 	function testDynamicAssociations() {
 		$this->loadFixtures('Article', 'Comment');
-		$TestModel =& new Article();
+		$TestModel = new Article();
 
 		$TestModel->belongsTo = $TestModel->hasAndBelongsToMany = $TestModel->hasOne = array();
 		$TestModel->hasMany['Comment'] = array_merge($TestModel->hasMany['Comment'], array(
@@ -1789,11 +1777,11 @@ function testDynamicAssociations() {
  */
 	function testCreation() {
 		$this->loadFixtures('Article', 'ArticleFeaturedsTags');
-		$TestModel =& new Test();
+		$TestModel = new Test();
 		$result = $TestModel->create();
 		$expected = array('Test' => array('notes' => 'write some notes here'));
 		$this->assertEqual($result, $expected);
-		$TestModel =& new User();
+		$TestModel = new User();
 		$result = $TestModel->schema();
 
 		if (isset($this->db->columns['primary_key']['length'])) {
@@ -1843,12 +1831,12 @@ function testCreation() {
 
 		$this->assertEqual($result, $expected);
 
-		$TestModel =& new Article();
+		$TestModel = new Article();
 		$result = $TestModel->create();
 		$expected = array('Article' => array('published' => 'N'));
 		$this->assertEqual($result, $expected);
 
-		$FeaturedModel =& new Featured();
+		$FeaturedModel = new Featured();
 		$data = array(
 			'article_featured_id' => 1,
 			'category_id' => 1,
@@ -1907,8 +1895,8 @@ function testCreation() {
  * @return void
  */
 	function testEscapeField() {
-		$TestModel =& new Test();
-		$db =& $TestModel->getDataSource();
+		$TestModel = new Test();
+		$db = $TestModel->getDataSource();
 
 		$result = $TestModel->escapeField('test_field');
 		$expected = $db->name('Test.test_field');
@@ -1924,7 +1912,7 @@ function testEscapeField() {
 
 		ConnectionManager::create('mock', array('driver' => 'mock'));
 		$TestModel->setDataSource('mock');
-		$db =& $TestModel->getDataSource();
+		$db = $TestModel->getDataSource();
 
 		$result = $TestModel->escapeField('DomainHandle', 'Domain');
 		$expected = $db->name('Domain.DomainHandle');