diff --git a/test/elixir/lib/couch/dbtest.ex b/test/elixir/lib/couch/dbtest.ex
index a833582..8a1a324 100644
--- a/test/elixir/lib/couch/dbtest.ex
+++ b/test/elixir/lib/couch/dbtest.ex
@@ -179,6 +179,27 @@
     {:ok, resp}
   end
 
+  def reset_db(db_name, opts \\ []) do
+    delete_db(db_name)
+    create_db(db_name, opts)
+  end
+
+  # Use this function when testing authentication after resetting (re-creating)
+  # _users db. The auth cache can take up to 5 seconds or so to notice the old
+  # db is gone and spawn another changes feed for the new users db.
+  #
+  def wait_for_design_auth(users_db) do
+    retry_until(fn ->
+      resp =
+        Couch.get(
+          "/#{users_db}/_changes",
+          query: [feed: "longpoll", timeout: 5000, filter: "_design"]
+        )
+      results = resp.body["results"]
+      is_list(results) && length(results) > 0
+    end, 500, 60_000)
+  end
+
   def create_doc(db_name, body) do
     resp = Couch.post("/#{db_name}", body: body)
     assert resp.status_code in [201, 202]
diff --git a/test/elixir/test/cookie_auth_test.exs b/test/elixir/test/cookie_auth_test.exs
index 000b1d6..cf9b36c 100644
--- a/test/elixir/test/cookie_auth_test.exs
+++ b/test/elixir/test/cookie_auth_test.exs
@@ -31,32 +31,13 @@
   @password "3.141592653589"
 
   setup do
-    # Create db if not exists
-    Couch.put("/#{@users_db}")
-
-    retry_until(fn ->
-      resp =
-        Couch.get(
-          "/#{@users_db}/_changes",
-          query: [feed: "longpoll", timeout: 5000, filter: "_design"]
-        )
-        length(resp.body["results"]) > 0
-    end)
-
+    reset_db(@users_db)
+    wait_for_design_auth(@users_db)
     on_exit(&tear_down/0)
-
-    :ok
   end
 
   defp tear_down do
-    # delete users
-    user = URI.encode("org.couchdb.user:jchris")
-    user_doc = Couch.get("/#{@users_db}/#{URI.encode(user)}").body
-    Couch.delete("/#{@users_db}/#{user}", query: [rev: user_doc["_rev"]])
-
-    user = URI.encode("org.couchdb.user:Jason Davies")
-    user_doc = Couch.get("/#{@users_db}/#{user}").body
-    Couch.delete("/#{@users_db}/#{user}", query: [rev: user_doc["_rev"]])
+    reset_db(@users_db)
   end
 
   defp login(user, password) do
diff --git a/test/elixir/test/reader_acl_test.exs b/test/elixir/test/reader_acl_test.exs
index f65e7cb..6ed17e5 100644
--- a/test/elixir/test/reader_acl_test.exs
+++ b/test/elixir/test/reader_acl_test.exs
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@
                }
              ]
   setup do
-    # Create db if not exists
-    Couch.put("/#{@users_db_name}")
+    reset_db(@users_db_name)
 
     # create a user with top-secret-clearance
     user_doc =
diff --git a/test/elixir/test/security_validation_test.exs b/test/elixir/test/security_validation_test.exs
index 5c8db1b..8834e17 100644
--- a/test/elixir/test/security_validation_test.exs
+++ b/test/elixir/test/security_validation_test.exs
@@ -54,12 +54,14 @@
   setup_all do
     auth_db_name = random_db_name()
     {:ok, _} = create_db(auth_db_name)
-    on_exit(fn -> delete_db(auth_db_name) end)
+    on_exit(fn ->
+        delete_db(auth_db_name)
+        reset_db("_users")
+    end)
 
     configs = [
-      {"httpd", "authentication_handlers",
+      {"chttpd", "authentication_handlers",
        "{couch_httpd_auth, cookie_authentication_handler}, {couch_httpd_auth, default_authentication_handler}"},
-      {"couch_httpd_auth", "authentication_db", auth_db_name},
       {"chttpd_auth", "authentication_db", auth_db_name}
     ]
 
@@ -84,6 +86,12 @@
       assert Couch.post("/#{auth_db_name}", body: doc).body["ok"]
     end)
 
+    # Reset users db to force the auth cache to restart and use
+    # the new auth db
+    reset_db("_users")
+
+    wait_for_design_auth(auth_db_name)
+
     {:ok, [auth_db_name: auth_db_name]}
   end
 
diff --git a/test/elixir/test/users_db_security_test.exs b/test/elixir/test/users_db_security_test.exs
index 4285413..7eddde7 100644
--- a/test/elixir/test/users_db_security_test.exs
+++ b/test/elixir/test/users_db_security_test.exs
@@ -15,33 +15,13 @@
   }
 
   setup_all do
-    # Create db if not exists
-    Couch.put("/#{@users_db}")
-
-    retry_until(fn ->
-      resp =
-        Couch.get(
-          "/#{@users_db}/_changes",
-          query: [feed: "longpoll", timeout: 5000, filter: "_design"]
-        )
-
-      length(resp.body["results"]) > 0
-    end)
-
+    reset_db(@users_db)
+    wait_for_design_auth(@users_db)
     on_exit(&tear_down/0)
-
-    :ok
   end
 
   defp tear_down do
-    users = Map.keys(@login_user)
-    Enum.each(users, fn name ->
-      resp = Couch.get("/#{@users_db}/org.couchdb.user:#{name}")
-      if resp.status_code == 200 do
-        rev = resp.body["_rev"]
-        Couch.delete("/#{@users_db}/org.couchdb.user:#{name}?rev=#{rev}")
-      end
-    end)
+    reset_db(@users_db)
   end
 
   defp login_as(user, password \\ nil) do
@@ -51,7 +31,14 @@
         _ -> password
       end
 
-    sess = Couch.login(user, pwd)
+    sess = retry_until(fn ->
+        try do
+            Couch.login(user, pwd)
+        catch
+            _, _ ->
+                false
+        end
+    end, 500, 60_000)
     assert sess.cookie, "Login correct is expected"
     sess
   end
diff --git a/test/elixir/test/users_db_test.exs b/test/elixir/test/users_db_test.exs
index a13c1a4..bc09df9 100644
--- a/test/elixir/test/users_db_test.exs
+++ b/test/elixir/test/users_db_test.exs
@@ -29,25 +29,13 @@
              ]
 
   setup do
-    # Create db if not exists
-    Couch.put("/#{@users_db_name}")
-
-    resp =
-      Couch.get(
-        "/#{@users_db_name}/_changes",
-        query: [feed: "longpoll", timeout: 5000, filter: "_design"]
-      )
-
-    assert resp.body
-
+    reset_db(@users_db_name)
+    wait_for_design_auth(@users_db_name)
     on_exit(&tear_down/0)
-
-    :ok
   end
 
   defp tear_down do
-    delete_db(@users_db_name)
-    create_db(@users_db_name)
+    reset_db(@users_db_name)
   end
 
   defp save_as(db_name, doc, options) do