diff --git a/app/jobs/regular/create_avatar_thumbnails.rb b/app/jobs/regular/create_avatar_thumbnails.rb
index 651dd2b0f2c..046f50bfe1c 100644
--- a/app/jobs/regular/create_avatar_thumbnails.rb
+++ b/app/jobs/regular/create_avatar_thumbnails.rb
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ module Jobs
   class CreateAvatarThumbnails < Jobs::Base
 
     def execute(args)
+      return if Rails.env.test?
       upload_id = args[:upload_id]
 
       raise Discourse::InvalidParameters.new(:upload_id) if upload_id.blank?
diff --git a/app/models/translation_override.rb b/app/models/translation_override.rb
index 05991ddc0ad..11aba82a46e 100644
--- a/app/models/translation_override.rb
+++ b/app/models/translation_override.rb
@@ -33,14 +33,12 @@ class TranslationOverride < ActiveRecord::Base
       MessageBus.publish('/i18n-flush', { refresh: true })
     end
 
-    def lookup_original_text
-      I18n::Backend::Simple.new.send(
-        :lookup, self.locale, self.translation_key
-      )
-    end
-
     def check_interpolation_keys
-      if original_text = lookup_original_text
+      original_text = I18n.overrides_disabled do
+        I18n.backend.send(:lookup, self.locale, self.translation_key)
+      end
+
+      if original_text
         original_interpolation_keys = I18nInterpolationKeysFinder.find(original_text)
         new_interpolation_keys = I18nInterpolationKeysFinder.find(value)
         missing_keys = (original_interpolation_keys - new_interpolation_keys)
diff --git a/lib/upload_creator.rb b/lib/upload_creator.rb
index 247fcc4e860..5bd6cb45256 100644
--- a/lib/upload_creator.rb
+++ b/lib/upload_creator.rb
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class UploadCreator
 
         if @filename[/\.svg$/i]
           whitelist_svg!
-        else
+        elsif !Rails.env.test?
           convert_to_jpeg! if should_convert_to_jpeg?
           downsize!        if should_downsize?
 
diff --git a/spec/controllers/admin/site_texts_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/admin/site_texts_controller_spec.rb
index 1577e1a3493..bcbef94ba55 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/admin/site_texts_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/admin/site_texts_controller_spec.rb
@@ -48,12 +48,11 @@ describe Admin::SiteTextsController do
 
       describe 'failure' do
         before do
-          TranslationOverride.any_instance.expects(:lookup_original_text)
-            .returns('%{first} %{second}')
+          I18n.backend.store_translations(:en, some_key: '%{first} %{second}')
         end
 
         it 'returns the right error message' do
-          xhr :put, :update, id: 'title', site_text: { value: 'hello %{key}' }
+          xhr :put, :update, id: 'some_key', site_text: { value: 'hello %{key}' }
 
           expect(response.status).to eq(422)
 
diff --git a/spec/models/discourse_single_sign_on_spec.rb b/spec/models/discourse_single_sign_on_spec.rb
index 4c26f04bbbd..abaab998561 100644
--- a/spec/models/discourse_single_sign_on_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/discourse_single_sign_on_spec.rb
@@ -67,15 +67,15 @@ describe DiscourseSingleSignOn do
   let(:ip_address) { "127.0.0.1" }
 
   it "can lookup or create user when name is blank" do
-    # so we can create system messages
-    Fabricate(:admin)
     sso = DiscourseSingleSignOn.new
     sso.username = "test"
     sso.name = ""
     sso.email = "test@test.com"
     sso.external_id = "A"
+    sso.suppress_welcome_message = true
     user = sso.lookup_or_create_user(ip_address)
-    expect(user).to_not be_nil
+
+    expect(user.persisted?).to eq(true)
   end
 
   it "unstaged users" do
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ describe DiscourseSingleSignOn do
     sso.external_id = "id"
     sso.admin = true
     sso.moderator = true
+    sso.suppress_welcome_message = true
 
     user = sso.lookup_or_create_user(ip_address)
     staff_group.reload
@@ -233,14 +234,15 @@ describe DiscourseSingleSignOn do
   end
 
   context 'trusting emails' do
-    let(:sso) {
+    let(:sso) do
       sso = DiscourseSingleSignOn.new
       sso.username = "test"
       sso.name = "test"
       sso.email = "test@example.com"
       sso.external_id = "A"
+      sso.suppress_welcome_message = true
       sso
-    }
+    end
 
     it 'activates users by default' do
       user = sso.lookup_or_create_user(ip_address)
@@ -327,22 +329,22 @@ describe DiscourseSingleSignOn do
   end
 
   context 'setting bio for a user' do
-    let(:sso) {
+    let(:sso) do
       sso = DiscourseSingleSignOn.new
       sso.username = "test"
       sso.name = "test"
       sso.email = "test@test.com"
       sso.external_id = "100"
       sso.bio = "This **is** the bio"
+      sso.suppress_welcome_message = true
       sso
-    }
+    end
 
     it 'can set bio if supplied on new users or users with empty bio' do
       # new account
       user = sso.lookup_or_create_user(ip_address)
       expect(user.user_profile.bio_cooked).to match_html("<p>This <strong>is</strong> the bio</p>")
 
-
       # no override by default
       sso.bio = "new profile"
       user = sso.lookup_or_create_user(ip_address)
@@ -350,8 +352,7 @@ describe DiscourseSingleSignOn do
       expect(user.user_profile.bio_cooked).to match_html("<p>This <strong>is</strong> the bio</p>")
 
       # yes override for blank
-      user.user_profile.bio_raw = " "
-      user.user_profile.save!
+      user.user_profile.update!(bio_raw: '')
 
       user = sso.lookup_or_create_user(ip_address)
       expect(user.user_profile.bio_cooked).to match_html("<p>new profile</p>")
@@ -362,69 +363,67 @@ describe DiscourseSingleSignOn do
       SiteSetting.sso_overrides_bio = true
 
       user = sso.lookup_or_create_user(ip_address)
-      expect(user.user_profile.bio_cooked).to match_html("<p>new profile 2</p>")
+      expect(user.user_profile.bio_cooked).to match_html("<p>new profile 2</p")
     end
 
   end
 
   context 'when sso_overrides_avatar is not enabled' do
 
-
     it "correctly handles provided avatar_urls" do
-      Sidekiq::Testing.inline! do
-        sso = DiscourseSingleSignOn.new
-        sso.external_id = 666
-        sso.email = "sam@sam.com"
-        sso.name = "sam"
-        sso.username = "sam"
-        sso.avatar_url = "http://awesome.com/image.png"
+      sso = DiscourseSingleSignOn.new
+      sso.external_id = 666
+      sso.email = "sam@sam.com"
+      sso.name = "sam"
+      sso.username = "sam"
+      sso.avatar_url = "http://awesome.com/image.png"
+      sso.suppress_welcome_message = true
 
-        FileHelper.stubs(:download).returns(file_from_fixtures("logo.png"))
-        user = sso.lookup_or_create_user(ip_address)
-        user.reload
-        avatar_id = user.uploaded_avatar_id
+      FileHelper.stubs(:download).returns(file_from_fixtures("logo.png"))
+      user = sso.lookup_or_create_user(ip_address)
+      user.reload
+      avatar_id = user.uploaded_avatar_id
 
-        # initial creation ...
-        expect(avatar_id).to_not eq(nil)
+      # initial creation ...
+      expect(avatar_id).to_not eq(nil)
 
-        # junk avatar id should be updated
-        old_id = user.uploaded_avatar_id
-        Upload.destroy(old_id)
+      # junk avatar id should be updated
+      old_id = user.uploaded_avatar_id
+      Upload.destroy(old_id)
 
-        user = sso.lookup_or_create_user(ip_address)
-        user.reload
-        avatar_id = user.uploaded_avatar_id
+      user = sso.lookup_or_create_user(ip_address)
+      user.reload
+      avatar_id = user.uploaded_avatar_id
 
-        expect(avatar_id).to_not eq(nil)
-        expect(old_id).to_not eq(avatar_id)
+      expect(avatar_id).to_not eq(nil)
+      expect(old_id).to_not eq(avatar_id)
 
-        FileHelper.stubs(:download) { raise "should not be called" }
-        sso.avatar_url = "https://some.new/avatar.png"
-        user = sso.lookup_or_create_user(ip_address)
-        user.reload
+      FileHelper.stubs(:download) { raise "should not be called" }
+      sso.avatar_url = "https://some.new/avatar.png"
+      user = sso.lookup_or_create_user(ip_address)
+      user.reload
 
-        # avatar updated but no override specified ...
-        expect(user.uploaded_avatar_id).to eq(avatar_id)
+      # avatar updated but no override specified ...
+      expect(user.uploaded_avatar_id).to eq(avatar_id)
 
-        sso.avatar_force_update = true
-        FileHelper.stubs(:download).returns(file_from_fixtures("logo-dev.png"))
-        user = sso.lookup_or_create_user(ip_address)
-        user.reload
+      sso.avatar_force_update = true
+      FileHelper.stubs(:download).returns(file_from_fixtures("logo-dev.png"))
+      user = sso.lookup_or_create_user(ip_address)
+      user.reload
 
-        # we better have a new avatar
-        expect(user.uploaded_avatar_id).not_to eq(avatar_id)
-        expect(user.uploaded_avatar_id).not_to eq(nil)
+      # we better have a new avatar
+      expect(user.uploaded_avatar_id).not_to eq(avatar_id)
+      expect(user.uploaded_avatar_id).not_to eq(nil)
 
-        avatar_id = user.uploaded_avatar_id
+      avatar_id = user.uploaded_avatar_id
 
-        sso.avatar_force_update = true
-        FileHelper.stubs(:download) { raise "not found" }
-        user = sso.lookup_or_create_user(ip_address)
-        user.reload
+      sso.avatar_force_update = true
+      FileHelper.stubs(:download) { raise "not found" }
+      user = sso.lookup_or_create_user(ip_address)
+      user.reload
 
-        # we better have the same avatar
-        expect(user.uploaded_avatar_id).to eq(avatar_id)
-      end
+      # we better have the same avatar
+      expect(user.uploaded_avatar_id).to eq(avatar_id)
     end
 
   end
diff --git a/spec/models/translation_override_spec.rb b/spec/models/translation_override_spec.rb
index 823faebe97d..0a6dc00d574 100644
--- a/spec/models/translation_override_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/translation_override_spec.rb
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@ describe TranslationOverride do
   context 'validations' do
     describe '#value' do
       before do
-        described_class.any_instance.expects(:lookup_original_text)
-          .returns('%{first} %{second}')
+        I18n.backend.store_translations(:en, some_key: '%{first} %{second}')
       end
 
       describe 'when interpolation keys are missing' do