diff --git a/spec/requests/add_release_tags_spec.rb b/spec/requests/add_release_tags_spec.rb
index bab92b460..e8fad443c 100644
--- a/spec/requests/add_release_tags_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/add_release_tags_spec.rb
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe 'Add release tags' do
-  let(:payload) { { sub: 'argo' } }
-  let(:jwt) { JWT.encode(payload, Settings.dor.hmac_secret, 'HS256') }
   let(:object) { Dor::Item.new(pid: 'druid:1234') }
 
   before do
diff --git a/spec/requests/authorization_spec.rb b/spec/requests/authorization_spec.rb
index c5fae8cb6..41470f2f5 100644
--- a/spec/requests/authorization_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/authorization_spec.rb
@@ -21,9 +21,6 @@
   end
 
   context 'with a bearer token in the old field' do
-    let(:payload) { { sub: 'argo' } }
-    let(:jwt) { JWT.encode(payload, Settings.dor.hmac_secret, 'HS256') }
-
     it 'Logs tokens to honeybadger' do
       get '/v1/objects/druid:mk420bs7601/versions/current',
           headers: { 'X-Auth' => "Bearer #{jwt}" }
@@ -34,9 +31,6 @@
   end
 
   context 'with a bearer token' do
-    let(:payload) { { sub: 'argo' } }
-    let(:jwt) { JWT.encode(payload, Settings.dor.hmac_secret, 'HS256') }
-
     it 'Logs tokens to honeybadger' do
       get '/v1/objects/druid:mk420bs7601/versions/current',
           headers: { 'Authorization' => "Bearer #{jwt}" }
diff --git a/spec/requests/batch_create_virtual_objects_spec.rb b/spec/requests/batch_create_virtual_objects_spec.rb
index 8f9faa773..3e08939f9 100644
--- a/spec/requests/batch_create_virtual_objects_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/batch_create_virtual_objects_spec.rb
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe 'Batch creation of virtual objects' do
-  let(:payload) { { sub: 'argo' } }
-  let(:jwt) { JWT.encode(payload, Settings.dor.hmac_secret, 'HS256') }
   let(:parent_id) { 'druid:mk420bs7601' }
   let(:child1_id) { 'druid:child1' }
   let(:child2_id) { 'druid:child2' }
diff --git a/spec/requests/collections_for_object_spec.rb b/spec/requests/collections_for_object_spec.rb
index 1a80f056b..9039573ec 100644
--- a/spec/requests/collections_for_object_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/collections_for_object_spec.rb
@@ -3,9 +3,6 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe 'Get the object' do
-  let(:payload) { { sub: 'argo' } }
-  let(:jwt) { JWT.encode(payload, Settings.dor.hmac_secret, 'HS256') }
-  let(:basic_auth) { ActionController::HttpAuthentication::Basic.encode_credentials(user, password) }
   let(:object) { instance_double(Dor::Item, collections: [collection]) }
   let(:collection_id) { 'druid:999123' }
   let(:collection) do
diff --git a/spec/requests/metadata_refresh_spec.rb b/spec/requests/metadata_refresh_spec.rb
index 67d035c4c..1ce7babb6 100644
--- a/spec/requests/metadata_refresh_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/metadata_refresh_spec.rb
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe 'Refresh metadata' do
-  let(:payload) { { sub: 'argo' } }
-  let(:jwt) { JWT.encode(payload, Settings.dor.hmac_secret, 'HS256') }
   let(:object) { Dor::Item.new(pid: 'druid:1234') }
 
   before do
diff --git a/spec/requests/metadata_spec.rb b/spec/requests/metadata_spec.rb
index fabfbf5f0..d86bb5b1c 100644
--- a/spec/requests/metadata_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/metadata_spec.rb
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe 'Display metadata' do
-  let(:payload) { { sub: 'argo' } }
-  let(:jwt) { JWT.encode(payload, Settings.dor.hmac_secret, 'HS256') }
   let(:object) { Dor::Item.new(pid: 'druid:1234') }
 
   before do
diff --git a/spec/requests/notify_goobi_spec.rb b/spec/requests/notify_goobi_spec.rb
index d64176189..53e9d9aa4 100644
--- a/spec/requests/notify_goobi_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/notify_goobi_spec.rb
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe 'Notify Goobi' do
-  let(:payload) { { sub: 'argo' } }
-  let(:jwt) { JWT.encode(payload, Settings.dor.hmac_secret, 'HS256') }
   let(:object) { Dor::Item.new(pid: 'druid:1234') }
   let(:fake_request) { "<stanfordCreationRequest><objectId>#{object.pid}</objectId></stanfordCreationRequest>" }
 
diff --git a/spec/requests/publish_object_spec.rb b/spec/requests/publish_object_spec.rb
index 37f49ad86..6c7d82536 100644
--- a/spec/requests/publish_object_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/publish_object_spec.rb
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe 'Publish object' do
-  let(:payload) { { sub: 'argo' } }
-  let(:jwt) { JWT.encode(payload, Settings.dor.hmac_secret, 'HS256') }
   let(:object) { Dor::Item.new(pid: 'druid:1234') }
 
   before do
diff --git a/spec/requests/register_object_spec.rb b/spec/requests/register_object_spec.rb
index 84ea9dd13..453293fa1 100644
--- a/spec/requests/register_object_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/register_object_spec.rb
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe 'Register object' do
-  let(:payload) { { sub: 'argo' } }
-  let(:jwt) { JWT.encode(payload, Settings.dor.hmac_secret, 'HS256') }
   let(:object) { Dor::Item.new(pid: 'druid:1234') }
 
   before do
diff --git a/spec/requests/show_object_spec.rb b/spec/requests/show_object_spec.rb
index 7e125f6f0..1e1ce0581 100644
--- a/spec/requests/show_object_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/show_object_spec.rb
@@ -3,9 +3,6 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe 'Get the object' do
-  let(:payload) { { sub: 'argo' } }
-  let(:jwt) { JWT.encode(payload, Settings.dor.hmac_secret, 'HS256') }
-  let(:basic_auth) { ActionController::HttpAuthentication::Basic.encode_credentials(user, password) }
   let(:object) { Dor::Item.new(pid: 'druid:1234') }
 
   before do
diff --git a/spec/requests/update_embargo_spec.rb b/spec/requests/update_embargo_spec.rb
index c3664643a..97dfa2eda 100644
--- a/spec/requests/update_embargo_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/update_embargo_spec.rb
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe 'Update embargo' do
-  let(:payload) { { sub: 'argo' } }
-  let(:jwt) { JWT.encode(payload, Settings.dor.hmac_secret, 'HS256') }
   let(:item) { Dor::Item.new(pid: 'druid:1234') }
   let(:mock_embargo_service) { instance_double(Dor::EmbargoService) }
   let(:events_datastream) { instance_double(Dor::EventsDS, add_event: true) }
diff --git a/spec/requests/update_marc_record_spec.rb b/spec/requests/update_marc_record_spec.rb
index 5f308dd5c..7f7f09470 100644
--- a/spec/requests/update_marc_record_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/update_marc_record_spec.rb
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe 'Update MARC record' do
-  let(:payload) { { sub: 'argo' } }
-  let(:jwt) { JWT.encode(payload, Settings.dor.hmac_secret, 'HS256') }
   let(:object) { Dor::Item.new(pid: 'druid:1234') }
 
   before do
diff --git a/spec/requests/virtual_merge_spec.rb b/spec/requests/virtual_merge_spec.rb
index 5a26e0aa1..f6412fdbc 100644
--- a/spec/requests/virtual_merge_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/virtual_merge_spec.rb
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe 'Virtual merge of objects' do
-  let(:payload) { { sub: 'argo' } }
-  let(:jwt) { JWT.encode(payload, Settings.dor.hmac_secret, 'HS256') }
   let(:parent_id) { 'druid:mk420bs7601' }
   let(:child1_id) { 'druid:child1' }
   let(:child2_id) { 'druid:child2' }
diff --git a/spec/support/auth_helper.rb b/spec/support/auth_helper.rb
index ee1b64234..ae59bc97a 100644
--- a/spec/support/auth_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/support/auth_helper.rb
@@ -4,4 +4,14 @@ module AuthHelper
   def login
     allow(controller).to receive(:check_auth_token)
   end
+
+  def jwt
+    JWT.encode(payload, Settings.dor.hmac_secret, 'HS256')
+  end
+
+  private
+
+  def payload
+    { sub: 'argo' }
+  end
 end