diff --git a/ckanext/datastore/tests/test_configure.py b/ckanext/datastore/tests/test_configure.py
index 2594e988700..019bb317f48 100644
--- a/ckanext/datastore/tests/test_configure.py
+++ b/ckanext/datastore/tests/test_configure.py
@@ -1,22 +1,24 @@
 import unittest
-import ckan.plugins as p
-from nose.tools import raises
+import nose.tools
+import pyutilib.component.core
 
+import ckan.plugins
 import ckanext.datastore.plugin as plugin
 
-
 class TestConfiguration(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
-        self.p = p.load('datastore')
+        self._original_plugin = ckan.plugins.unload('datastore')
+        pyutilib.component.core.PluginGlobals.singleton_services()[plugin.DatastorePlugin] = True
+        self.p = pyutilib.component.core.PluginGlobals.singleton_services()[plugin.DatastorePlugin] = ckan.plugins.load('datastore')
 
     def tearDown(self):
-        p.unload('datastore')
+        ckan.plugins.unload('datastore')
+        pyutilib.component.core.PluginGlobals.singleton_services()[plugin.DatastorePlugin] = self._original_plugin
 
     def test_legacy_mode_default(self):
         assert not self.p.legacy_mode
 
     def test_set_legacy_mode(self):
-        assert not self.p.legacy_mode
         c = {
             'sqlalchemy.url': 'bar',
             'ckan.datastore.write_url': 'foo'
@@ -47,65 +49,67 @@ def test_same_ckan_and_datastore_db(self):
         self.p.ckan_url = 'postgresql://u:pass@localhost/ckan'
         assert not self.p._same_ckan_and_datastore_db()
 
+    def test_setup_plugin_for_check_urls_and_permissions_tests_should_leave_the_plugin_in_a_valid_state(self):
+        self.setUp_plugin_for_check_urls_and_permissions_tests()
+        self.p._check_urls_and_permissions() # Should be OK
 
-class TestCheckUrlsAndPermissions(unittest.TestCase):
-    def setUp(self):
-        self.p = p.load('datastore')
+    def test_check_urls_and_permissions_requires_different_ckan_and_datastore_dbs(self):
+        self.setUp_plugin_for_check_urls_and_permissions_tests()
 
-        self.p.legacy_mode = False
+        self.p._same_ckan_and_datastore_db = lambda: False
+        self.p._check_urls_and_permissions() # Should be OK
 
-        # initialize URLs
-        self.p.ckan_url = 'postgresql://u:pass@localhost/ckan'
-        self.p.write_url = 'postgresql://u:pass@localhost/ds'
-        self.p.read_url = 'postgresql://u2:pass@localhost/ds'
+        self.p._same_ckan_and_datastore_db = lambda: True
+        nose.tools.assert_raises(InvalidUrlsOrPermissionsException, self.p._check_urls_and_permissions)
 
-        # initialize mock for privileges check
-        def true_privileges_mock():
-            return True
-        self.p._read_connection_has_correct_privileges = true_privileges_mock
+    def test_check_urls_and_permissions_requires_different_read_and_write_urls_when_not_in_legacy_mode(self):
+        self.setUp_plugin_for_check_urls_and_permissions_tests()
+        self.p.legacy_mode = False
 
-        def raise_datastore_exception(message):
-            raise plugin.DatastoreException(message)
-        self.p._log_or_raise = raise_datastore_exception
+        self.p._same_read_and_write_url = lambda: False
+        self.p._check_urls_and_permissions() # Should be OK
 
-    def tearDown(self):
-        p.unload('datastore')
+        self.p._same_read_and_write_url = lambda: True
+        nose.tools.assert_raises(InvalidUrlsOrPermissionsException, self.p._check_urls_and_permissions)
 
-    def test_everything_correct_does_not_raise(self):
-        self.p._check_urls_and_permissions()
+    def test_check_urls_and_permissions_doesnt_require_different_read_and_write_urls_when_in_legacy_mode(self):
+        self.setUp_plugin_for_check_urls_and_permissions_tests()
+        self.p.legacy_mode = True
 
-    @raises(plugin.DatastoreException)
-    def test_raises_when_ckan_and_datastore_db_are_the_same(self):
-        self.p.read_url = 'postgresql://u2:pass@localhost/ckan'
-        self.p.ckan_url = 'postgresql://u:pass@localhost/ckan'
+        self.p._same_read_and_write_url = lambda: False
+        self.p._check_urls_and_permissions() # Should be OK
 
-        self.p._check_urls_and_permissions()
+        self.p._same_read_and_write_url = lambda: True
+        self.p._check_urls_and_permissions() # Should be OK
 
-    @raises(plugin.DatastoreException)
-    def test_raises_when_same_read_and_write_url(self):
-        self.p.read_url = 'postgresql://u:pass@localhost/ds'
-        self.p.write_url = 'postgresql://u:pass@localhost/ds'
+    def test_check_urls_and_permissions_requires_read_connection_with_correct_privileges_when_not_in_legacy_mode(self):
+        self.setUp_plugin_for_check_urls_and_permissions_tests()
+        self.p.legacy_mode = False
 
-        self.p._check_urls_and_permissions()
+        self.p._read_connection_has_correct_privileges = lambda: True
+        self.p._check_urls_and_permissions() # Should be OK
 
-    def test_same_read_and_write_url_in_legacy_mode(self):
-        self.p.read_url = 'postgresql://u:pass@localhost/ds'
-        self.p.write_url = 'postgresql://u:pass@localhost/ds'
+        self.p._read_connection_has_correct_privileges = lambda: False
+        nose.tools.assert_raises(InvalidUrlsOrPermissionsException, self.p._check_urls_and_permissions)
+
+    def test_check_urls_and_permissions_doesnt_care_about_read_connection_privileges_when_in_legacy_mode(self):
+        self.setUp_plugin_for_check_urls_and_permissions_tests()
         self.p.legacy_mode = True
 
-        self.p._check_urls_and_permissions()
+        self.p._read_connection_has_correct_privileges = lambda: True
+        self.p._check_urls_and_permissions() # Should be OK
+
+        self.p._read_connection_has_correct_privileges = lambda: False
+        self.p._check_urls_and_permissions() # Should be OK
 
-    @raises(plugin.DatastoreException)
-    def test_raises_when_we_have_write_permissions(self):
-        def false_privileges_mock():
-            return False
-        self.p._read_connection_has_correct_privileges = false_privileges_mock
-        self.p._check_urls_and_permissions()
+    def setUp_plugin_for_check_urls_and_permissions_tests(self):
+        def _raise_invalid_urls_or_permissions_exception(message):
+            raise InvalidUrlsOrPermissionsException(message)
 
-    def test_have_write_permissions_in_legacy_mode(self):
-        def false_privileges_mock():
-            return False
-        self.p._read_connection_has_correct_privileges = false_privileges_mock
+        self.p._same_ckan_and_datastore_db = lambda: False
         self.p.legacy_mode = True
+        self.p._same_read_and_write_url = lambda: False
+        self.p._read_connection_has_correct_privileges = lambda: True
+        self.p._log_or_raise = _raise_invalid_urls_or_permissions_exception
 
-        self.p._check_urls_and_permissions()
+class InvalidUrlsOrPermissionsException(Exception): pass