diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 37b88a62f..ad3ceebec 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import os
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 
 import pytest
-import sqlalchemy
 from alembic.command import upgrade
 from alembic.config import Config
 from flask import Flask
@@ -12,35 +11,14 @@ from app.dao.provider_details_dao import get_provider_details_by_identifier
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope='session')
-def notify_app(worker_id):
+def notify_app():
     app = Flask('test')
-
-    # Override the SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI config before the app is
-    # initialized to account for Flask-SQLAlchemy 3.0.x changes.
-    # What is ultimately happening is the create_engine call made with
-    # SQLAlchemy itself is now only happening at the time of calling
-    # init_app with Flask instead of at the time it is first accessed,
-    # which the _notify_db fixture method was relying on.
-
-    # See the following for more information:
-    # https://github.com/pallets-eco/flask-sqlalchemy/pull/1087
-    # https://flask-sqlalchemy.palletsprojects.com/en/3.0.x/api/#module-flask_sqlalchemy
-    app.config['SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI'] = '{}_{}'.format(
-        os.getenv('SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_TEST_URI', '').replace('postgres://', 'postgresql://'),
-        worker_id
-    )
-
     create_app(app)
     return app
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope='session')
 def notify_api(notify_app):
-    # deattach server-error error handlers - error_handler_spec looks like:
-    #   {'blueprint_name': {
-    #       status_code: [error_handlers],
-    #       None: { ExceptionClass: error_handler }
-    # }}
     for error_handlers in notify_app.error_handler_spec.values():
         error_handlers.pop(500, None)
         if None in error_handlers:
@@ -66,63 +44,33 @@ def client(notify_api):
         yield client
 
 
-def create_test_db(database_uri):
-    # get the
-    db_uri_parts = database_uri.split('/')
-    postgres_db_uri = '/'.join(db_uri_parts[:-1] + ['postgres'])
-
-    postgres_db = sqlalchemy.create_engine(
-        postgres_db_uri,
-        echo=False,
-        isolation_level='AUTOCOMMIT',
-        client_encoding='utf8'
-    )
-    try:
-        result = postgres_db.execute(sqlalchemy.sql.text('CREATE DATABASE {}'.format(db_uri_parts[-1])))
-        result.close()
-    except sqlalchemy.exc.ProgrammingError:
-        # database "test_notification_api_master" already exists
-        pass
-    finally:
-        postgres_db.dispose()
-
-
 @pytest.fixture(scope='session')
-def _notify_db(notify_api, worker_id):
+def _notify_db(notify_api):
     """
     Manages the connection to the database. Generally this shouldn't be used, instead you should use the
     `notify_db_session` fixture which also cleans up any data you've got left over after your test run.
     """
-
-    # Create a database for this worker thread; note that we still have
-    # to reset it here to point to the correct database.
-    from flask import current_app
-    current_app.config['SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI'] += '_{}'.format(
-        worker_id
-    )
-    create_test_db(current_app.config['SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI'])
-
-    BASE_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(__file__))
-    ALEMBIC_CONFIG = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'migrations')
-    config = Config(ALEMBIC_CONFIG + '/alembic.ini')
-    config.set_main_option("script_location", ALEMBIC_CONFIG)
-    config.set_main_option(
-        "sqlalchemy.url",
-        current_app.config['SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI']
-    )
-
     with notify_api.app_context() as app_context:
-        # Run DB migrations.
+        db = app_context.app.extensions['sqlalchemy']
+        assert 'test_notification_api' in db.engine.url.database, 'dont run tests against main db'
+
+        BASE_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(__file__))
+        ALEMBIC_CONFIG = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'migrations')
+        config = Config(ALEMBIC_CONFIG + '/alembic.ini')
+        config.set_main_option('script_location', ALEMBIC_CONFIG)
+        config.set_main_option(
+            'sqlalchemy.url',
+            app_context.app.config['SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI']
+        )
+
+        # Run migrations on the test database.
         upgrade(config, 'head')
 
-        # Modify the database connection URL to point to the correct
-        # test database.
-        db = app_context.app.extensions['sqlalchemy']
-        db.engine.url = current_app.config['SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI']
-
-        # Return the DB object to the test calling for it.
         yield db
 
+        db.session.remove()
+        db.engine.dispose()
+
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope='function')
 def sms_providers(_notify_db):