diff --git a/spec/controllers/admin/conferences_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/admin/conferences_controller_spec.rb
index 961f6463..d1845584 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/admin/conferences_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/admin/conferences_controller_spec.rb
@@ -13,11 +13,15 @@ describe Admin::ConferenceController do
   let(:participant) { create(:participant) }
 
   shared_examples 'access as administration or organizer' do
+
     describe 'PATCH #update' do
+
       context 'valid attributes' do
+
         it 'locates the requested conference' do
           patch :update, id: conference.short_title, conference:
               attributes_for(:conference, title: 'Example Con')
+
           expect(assigns(:conference)).to eq(conference)
         end
 
@@ -192,7 +196,7 @@ describe Admin::ConferenceController do
 
   describe 'administrator access' do
 
-    before(:each) do
+    before do
       sign_in(admin)
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/features/sponsor_spec.rb b/spec/features/sponsor_spec.rb
index b6678668..24998340 100644
--- a/spec/features/sponsor_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/sponsor_spec.rb
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ feature Sponsor do
       conference = create(:conference)
       conference.sponsorship_levels << create(:sponsorship_level, conference: conference)
       sign_in create(user)
+
       visit admin_conference_sponsors_path(
                 conference_id: conference.short_title)
       # Add sponsors
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ feature Sponsor do
       find(:css, "select[id^='conference_sponsors_attributes_']"\
                  "[id$='_sponsorship_level_id']").
                       find(:option, 'Platin').select_option
+
       click_button 'Update Conference'
 
       expect(flash).to eq('Sponsorships were successfully updated.')
@@ -55,7 +57,7 @@ feature Sponsor do
                       value).to eq('http://www.example.com')
 
       expect(find('div.nested-fields:nth-of-type(1)'\
-                  ' div:nth-of-type(5) select:nth-of-type(1)').
+                  ' div:nth-of-type(5) select:nth-of-type(1)').find('option[selected]').
                       text).to eq('Platin')
 
       # Remove sponsor
diff --git a/spec/features/volunteers_spec.rb b/spec/features/volunteers_spec.rb
index df696adf..bc1e6d76 100644
--- a/spec/features/volunteers_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/volunteers_spec.rb
@@ -103,9 +103,10 @@ feature Conference do
       expect(find('div.vpositions div.nested-fields:nth-of-type(1)'\
                   ' div:nth-of-type(2) textarea').
                       value).to eq('Example Description')
+
       expect(find('div.vpositions div.nested-fields:nth-of-type(1)'\
-                  ' div:nth-of-type(3) select:nth-of-type(1)').
-                      text).to eq("#{Date.today.strftime}")
+                  ' div:nth-of-type(3) select:nth-of-type(1)').find('option[selected]').
+                      text).to eq(Date.today.strftime)
 
       # Remove vposition
       click_link 'Remove vposition'
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index 0776c1b8..f6f3859f 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@ ENV['RAILS_ENV'] ||= 'test'
 require File.expand_path('../../config/environment', __FILE__)
 
 require 'rspec/rails'
+# To avoid confusion on missed migrations - use Rails 4 checker to ensure
+# all migrations applied
+ActiveRecord::Migration.maintain_test_schema!
+
+# Add poltergeist to use it as JS driver
+require 'capybara/poltergeist'
 
 # Requires supporting ruby files with custom matchers and macros, etc, in
 # spec/support/ and its subdirectories. Files matching `spec/**/*_spec.rb` are
@@ -24,9 +30,6 @@ RSpec.configure do |config|
   # config.mock_with :flexmock
   # config.mock_with :rr
 
-  # Remove this line if you're not using ActiveRecord or ActiveRecord fixtures
-  config.fixture_path = "#{::Rails.root}/spec/fixtures"
-
   # If you're not using ActiveRecord, or you'd prefer not to run each of your
   # examples within a transaction, remove the following line or assign false
   # instead of true.
@@ -38,33 +41,44 @@ RSpec.configure do |config|
   #     --seed 1234
   config.order = 'random'
 
-  # Include factory_girls syntax
+  # Setting up DB cleaning to maintain empty rows
+  config.before(:suite) do
+    DatabaseCleaner.strategy = :transaction
+    DatabaseCleaner.clean_with(:truncation)
+  end
+
+  config.around(:each) do |example|
+    DatabaseCleaner.cleaning do
+      example.run
+    end
+  end
+
+  # poltergeist as a underlying mech for Capybara
+  Capybara.javascript_driver = :poltergeist
+
+  # Includes helpers and connect them to specific types of tests
   config.include FactoryGirl::Syntax::Methods
-
-  # Enables devise sign_in function
+  config.include OmniauthMacros
   config.include Devise::TestHelpers, type: :controller
-
-  # Enables devise sign_in function
-  config.include Devise::TestHelpers, type: :view
-
-  # Use capybara-webkit as default javascript driver
-  Capybara.javascript_driver = :webkit
-
-  # Includes support/login_macros for feature tests
   config.include LoginMacros, type: :feature
-
-  # Includes omniauth macro
-  config.include(OmniauthMacros)
-
-  # Includes support/flash for feature tests
   config.include Flash, type: :feature
-
   config.include Sidebar, type: :view
+  config.include Devise::TestHelpers, type: :view
 
   # As we start from scratch in April 2014, let's forbid the old :should syntax
   config.expect_with :rspec do |c|
     c.syntax = :expect
   end
+
+  config.use_transactional_fixtures = true
+
+  # Reuse rspec as mocking framework
+  config.mock_framework = :rspec
+
+  # Types of tests (controller, feature, model) will
+  # be inferred from subfolder name
+  config.infer_spec_type_from_file_location!
+
 end
 
 OmniAuth.config.test_mode = true
diff --git a/spec/support/kneet_connections.rb b/spec/support/kneet_connections.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7de8cc59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/support/kneet_connections.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+class ActiveRecord::Base
+  mattr_accessor :shared_connection
+  @@shared_connection = nil
+
+  def self.connection
+    @@shared_connection || retrieve_connection
+  end
+end
+
+ActiveRecord::Base.shared_connection = ActiveRecord::Base.connection
diff --git a/spec/support/login_macros.rb b/spec/support/login_macros.rb
index 1bff7302..e8f22147 100644
--- a/spec/support/login_macros.rb
+++ b/spec/support/login_macros.rb
@@ -1,17 +1,14 @@
 module LoginMacros
+
+  include Warden::Test::Helpers
+  Warden.test_mode!
+
   def sign_in(user)
-    visit new_user_session_path
-
-    fill_in 'user_email', with: user.email
-    fill_in 'user_password', with: user.password
-    find(:xpath, "//div[@id='content']//button[@type='submit']").click
-
-    expect(page.has_content?('Signed in successfully')).to be true
+    login_as(user, :scope => :user)
   end
 
   def sign_out
-    Capybara.current_session.driver.browser.clear_cookies
-    visit root_path
-    expect(page.has_content?('Sign In')).to be true
+    logout(:user)
   end
+
 end