diff --git a/test/regression/api/canary/admin/authentication.test.js b/test/regression/api/canary/admin/authentication.test.js
index 64eb00dd08..5c9d8306a9 100644
--- a/test/regression/api/canary/admin/authentication.test.js
+++ b/test/regression/api/canary/admin/authentication.test.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 const should = require('should');
 const sinon = require('sinon');
-const supertest = require('supertest');
 const localUtils = require('./utils');
 const testUtils = require('../../../../utils/index');
 const models = require('../../../../../core/server/models/index');
@@ -132,7 +131,10 @@ describe('Authentication API canary', function () {
 
     describe('Invitation', function () {
         before(async function () {
-            request = await localUtils.getAuthenticatedAgent(undefined, 'invites');
+            request = await localUtils.getAgent();
+            // NOTE: this order of fixture initialization boggles me. Ideally should not depend on agent/login sequence
+            await localUtils.initFixtures('invites');
+            await localUtils.login(request);
         });
 
         it('check invite with invalid email', function () {
@@ -221,7 +223,10 @@ describe('Authentication API canary', function () {
         const user = testUtils.DataGenerator.forModel.users[0];
 
         before(async function () {
-            request = await localUtils.getAuthenticatedAgent({forceStart: true});
+            request = await localUtils.getAgent({forceStart: true});
+            // NOTE: this order of fixture initialization boggles me. Ideally should not depend on agent/login sequence
+            await localUtils.initFixtures();
+            await localUtils.login(request);
         });
 
         beforeEach(function () {
@@ -381,7 +386,10 @@ describe('Authentication API canary', function () {
     describe('Reset all passwords', function () {
         let sendEmail;
         before(async function () {
-            request = await localUtils.getAuthenticatedAgent({forceStart: true});
+            request = await localUtils.getAgent({forceStart: true});
+            // NOTE: this order of fixture initialization boggles me. Ideally should not depend on agent/login sequence
+            await localUtils.initFixtures();
+            await localUtils.login(request);
         });
 
         beforeEach(function () {
diff --git a/test/regression/api/canary/admin/utils.js b/test/regression/api/canary/admin/utils.js
index 76573d2924..8845d1c491 100644
--- a/test/regression/api/canary/admin/utils.js
+++ b/test/regression/api/canary/admin/utils.js
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ const url = require('url');
 const _ = require('lodash');
 const supertest = require('supertest');
 const testUtils = require('../../../../utils');
+const fixtures = require('../../../../utils/fixture-utils');
+const {sequence} = require('@tryghost/promise');
 
 const API_URL = '/ghost/api/canary/admin/';
 
@@ -214,19 +216,35 @@ module.exports = {
         return await testUtils.startGhost(Object.assign(defaults, overrides));
     },
 
-    async getAgent({forceStart}) {
+    async getAgent({forceStart} = {}) {
         const app = await this.startGhost({forceStart});
 
         return supertest.agent(app);
     },
 
-    async getAuthenticatedAgent({forceStart} = {}, fixtureOptions) {
-        const request = await this.getAgent({forceStart});
-        await this.doAuth(request, fixtureOptions);
+    async login(request) {
+        return testUtils.API.login(request, `${API_URL}session/`);
+    },
 
+    async getAuthenticatedAgent({forceStart} = {}) {
+        const request = await this.getAgent({forceStart});
+        await this.login(request);
         return request;
     },
 
+    async initFixtures(...options) {
+        // No DB setup, but override the owner
+        options = _.merge({'owner:post': true}, _.transform(options, function (result, val) {
+            if (val) {
+                result[val] = true;
+            }
+        }));
+
+        const fixtureOps = fixtures.getFixtureOps(options);
+
+        return sequence(fixtureOps);
+    },
+
     getValidAdminToken(endpoint, key) {
         const jwt = require('jsonwebtoken');
         key = key || testUtils.DataGenerator.Content.api_keys[0];