diff --git a/abstract/approximate-size-test.js b/abstract/approximate-size-test.js
index 4c3ad1c6..8ae2221b 100644
--- a/abstract/approximate-size-test.js
+++ b/abstract/approximate-size-test.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ var leveldown
 var testCommon
 
 module.exports.setUp = function (_leveldown, test, _testCommon) {
-  test('setUp common', _testCommon.setUp)
+  test('setUp common for approximate size', _testCommon.setUp)
   test('setUp db', function (t) {
     leveldown = _leveldown
     testCommon = _testCommon
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ module.exports.args = function (test) {
   })
 
   test('test custom _serialize*', function (t) {
-    t.plan(3)
+    t.plan(4)
     var db = leveldown(testCommon.location())
     db._serializeKey = function (data) { return data }
     db._approximateSize = function (start, end, callback) {
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ module.exports.args = function (test) {
     db.open(function () {
       db.approximateSize({ foo: 'bar' }, { beep: 'boop' }, function (err) {
         t.error(err)
+        db.close(t.error.bind(t))
       })
     })
   })
diff --git a/abstract/del-test.js b/abstract/del-test.js
index d3600802..825cc19e 100644
--- a/abstract/del-test.js
+++ b/abstract/del-test.js
@@ -42,16 +42,17 @@ module.exports.args = function (test) {
   })
 
   test('test custom _serialize*', function (t) {
-    t.plan(2)
+    t.plan(3)
     var db = leveldown(testCommon.location())
     db._serializeKey = function (data) { return data }
     db._del = function (key, options, callback) {
       t.deepEqual(key, { foo: 'bar' })
-      callback()
+      process.nextTick(callback)
     }
     db.open(function () {
       db.del({ foo: 'bar' }, function (err) {
         t.error(err)
+        db.close(t.error.bind(t))
       })
     })
   })
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ module.exports.del = function (test) {
       t.error(err)
       db.del('foo', function (err) {
         t.error(err)
-        db.get('foo', function (err) {
+        db.get('foo', function (err, value) {
           t.ok(err, 'entry propertly deleted')
           t.ok(typeof value === 'undefined', 'value is undefined')
           t.ok(verifyNotFoundError(err), 'NotFound error')
diff --git a/abstract/get-test.js b/abstract/get-test.js
index a8473888..755651e4 100644
--- a/abstract/get-test.js
+++ b/abstract/get-test.js
@@ -43,16 +43,17 @@ module.exports.args = function (test) {
   })
 
   test('test custom _serialize*', function (t) {
-    t.plan(2)
+    t.plan(3)
     var db = leveldown(testCommon.location())
     db._serializeKey = function (data) { return data }
     db._get = function (key, options, callback) {
       t.deepEqual(key, { foo: 'bar' })
-      callback()
+      process.nextTick(callback)
     }
     db.open(function () {
       db.get({ foo: 'bar' }, function (err) {
         t.error(err)
+        db.close(t.error.bind(t))
       })
     })
   })
diff --git a/abstract/put-test.js b/abstract/put-test.js
index b300c136..58d9fe75 100644
--- a/abstract/put-test.js
+++ b/abstract/put-test.js
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ module.exports.args = function (test) {
     db._put = function (key, value, opts, callback) {
       t.ok(key)
       t.ok(value)
-      callback()
+      process.nextTick(callback)
     }
     db.put({}, {}, function (err, val) {
       t.error(err)
@@ -64,17 +64,18 @@ module.exports.args = function (test) {
   })
 
   test('test custom _serialize*', function (t) {
-    t.plan(3)
+    t.plan(4)
     var db = leveldown(testCommon.location())
     db._serializeKey = db._serializeValue = function (data) { return data }
     db._put = function (key, value, options, callback) {
       t.deepEqual(key, { foo: 'bar' })
       t.deepEqual(value, { beep: 'boop' })
-      callback()
+      process.nextTick(callback)
     }
     db.open(function () {
       db.put({ foo: 'bar' }, { beep: 'boop' }, function (err) {
         t.error(err)
+        db.close(t.error.bind(t))
       })
     })
   })
diff --git a/testCommon.js b/testCommon.js
index 8f5063c8..787eb9fa 100644
--- a/testCommon.js
+++ b/testCommon.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ var lastLocation = function () {
 }
 
 var cleanup = function (callback) {
-  if (process.browser) { return callback() }
+  if (process.browser) { return process.nextTick(callback) }
 
   fs.readdir(__dirname, function (err, list) {
     if (err) return callback(err)
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ var cleanup = function (callback) {
     var ret = 0
 
     list.forEach(function (f) {
-      rimraf(path.join(__dirname, f), function () {
+      rimraf(path.join(__dirname, f), function (err) {
+        if (err) return callback(err)
         if (++ret === list.length) { callback() }
       })
     })