diff --git a/spec/actors/curation_concerns/apply_order_actor_spec.rb b/spec/actors/curation_concerns/apply_order_actor_spec.rb
index 0a26a4b42..9810c7da0 100644
--- a/spec/actors/curation_concerns/apply_order_actor_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/actors/curation_concerns/apply_order_actor_spec.rb
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@
   end
 
   describe '#update' do
-    let(:curation_concern) { create(:work_with_two_children, user: user) }
-    let(:child) { GenericWork.create(id: "Blah3", title: ['This is a title']) }
+    let(:curation_concern) { create(:work_with_one_child, user: user) }
+    let(:child) { GenericWork.new(id: "Blah3", title: ['This is a title']) }
 
     let(:user) { create(:user) }
 
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@
       before do
         allow(CurationConcerns::Actors::RootActor).to receive(:new).and_return(root_actor)
         allow(root_actor).to receive(:update).with({}).and_return(true)
+        g = child
+        g.save
         curation_concern.apply_depositor_metadata(user.user_key)
         curation_concern.save!
       end