diff --git a/kepi/trilby_api/tests/__init__.py b/kepi/trilby_api/tests/__init__.py
index fe14089..5d99687 100644
--- a/kepi/trilby_api/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/kepi/trilby_api/tests/__init__.py
@@ -3,6 +3,57 @@ from rest_framework.test import force_authenticate, APIClient
 from kepi.trilby_api.models import *
 from django.conf import settings
 
+ACCOUNT_EXPECTED = [
+        ('id', '@alice'),
+        ('username', 'alice'),
+        ('acct', 'alice@testserver'),
+        ('display_name', 'alice'),
+        ('locked', False),
+
+        ('followers_count', 0),
+        ('following_count', 0),
+        ('statuses_count', 0),
+        ('note', ''),
+        ('url', 'https://testserver/users/alice'),
+        ('fields', []),
+        ('emojis', []),
+
+        ('avatar', 'https://testserver/static/defaults/avatar_1.jpg'),
+        ('header', 'https://testserver/static/defaults/header.jpg'),
+        ('avatar_static', 'https://testserver/static/defaults/avatar_1.jpg'),
+        ('header_static', 'https://testserver/static/defaults/header.jpg'),
+
+        ('bot', False),
+        ]
+
+ACCOUNT_SOURCE_EXPECTED = [
+        ('privacy', 'A'),
+        ('sensitive', False),
+        ('language', settings.KEPI['LANGUAGES'][0]), # FIXME
+        ]
+
+STATUS_EXPECTED = [
+        ('in_reply_to_account_id', None),
+        ('content', 'Hello world.'),
+        ('emojis', []),
+        ('reblogs_count', 0),
+        ('favourites_count', 0),
+        ('reblogged', False),
+        ('favourited', False),
+        ('muted', False),
+        ('sensitive', False),
+        ('spoiler_text', ''),
+        ('visibility', 'A'),
+        ('media_attachments', []),
+        ('mentions', []),
+        ('tags', []),
+        ('card', None),
+        ('poll', None),
+        ('application', None),
+        ('language', 'en'),
+        ('pinned', False),
+        ]
+
 class TrilbyTestCase(TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
@@ -11,6 +62,49 @@ class TrilbyTestCase(TestCase):
 
         super().setUp()
 
+    def _create_alice(self):
+
+        # TODO: this should be replaced with a general-case "_create_user()"
+        # that then gets used everywhere
+
+        result = create_local_person('alice')
+        self._alice = result
+        return result
+
+    def request(self, verb, path,
+            data={},
+            as_user=None,
+            *args, **kwargs,
+            ):
+
+        c = APIClient()
+
+        if as_user:
+            c.force_authenticate(as_user.local_user)
+
+        command = getattr(c, verb)
+
+        result = command(
+                path,
+                *args,
+                format = 'json',
+                **kwargs,
+                )
+
+        return result
+
+    def get(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        return self.request('get', *args, **kwargs)
+
+    def post(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        return self.request('post', *args, **kwargs)
+
+    def patch(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        return self.request('patch', *args, **kwargs)
+
+    def delete(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        return self.request('delete', *args, **kwargs)
+
 def create_local_person(name='jemima'):
 
     from kepi.trilby_api.models import TrilbyUser
@@ -48,7 +142,7 @@ def create_local_status(content,
     return result
 
 def _client_request(
-        url, data,
+        path, data,
         as_user,
         is_post,
         ):
@@ -64,30 +158,28 @@ def _client_request(
 
     if is_post:
         result = c.post(
-                url,
+                path,
                 data,
                 format = 'json',
                 )
     else:
         result = c.get(
-                url,
+                path,
                 format = 'json',
                 )
 
     return result
 
-def post(
-        url,
+def post(path,
         data,
         as_user = None):
 
-    return _client_request(url, data, as_user,
+    return _client_request(path, data, as_user,
             is_post = True)
 
-def get(
-        url,
+def get(path,
         as_user = None):
 
-    return _client_request(url, {}, as_user,
+    return _client_request(path, {}, as_user,
             is_post = False)
 
diff --git a/kepi/trilby_api/tests/test_account.py b/kepi/trilby_api/tests/test_account.py
index 2e405d8..3cc9504 100644
--- a/kepi/trilby_api/tests/test_account.py
+++ b/kepi/trilby_api/tests/test_account.py
@@ -8,46 +8,14 @@ from django.conf import settings
 # Tests for accounts. API docs are here:
 # https://docs.joinmastodon.org/methods/accounts/
 
-ACCOUNT_EXPECTED = [
-        ('id', '@alice'),
-        ('username', 'alice'),
-        ('acct', 'alice@testserver'),
-        ('display_name', 'alice'),
-        ('locked', False),
-
-        ('followers_count', 0),
-        ('following_count', 0),
-        ('statuses_count', 0),
-        ('note', ''),
-        ('url', 'https://testserver/users/alice'),
-        ('fields', []),
-        ('emojis', []),
-
-        ('avatar', 'https://testserver/static/defaults/avatar_1.jpg'),
-        ('header', 'https://testserver/static/defaults/header.jpg'),
-        ('avatar_static', 'https://testserver/static/defaults/avatar_1.jpg'),
-        ('header_static', 'https://testserver/static/defaults/header.jpg'),
-
-        ('bot', False),
-        ]
-
-ACCOUNT_SOURCE_EXPECTED = [
-        ('privacy', 'A'),
-        ('sensitive', False),
-        ('language', settings.KEPI['LANGUAGES'][0]), # FIXME
-        ]
-
 class TestAccountCredentials(TrilbyTestCase):
 
     # Getting the list of an account's statuses is handled in test_timeline.
 
     def test_verify_credentials_anonymous(self):
-        request = self.factory.get(
+        result = self.get(
                 '/api/v1/accounts/verify_credentials',
                 )
-        view = Verify_Credentials.as_view()
-
-        result = view(request)
 
         self.assertEqual(
                 result.status_code,
@@ -67,14 +35,10 @@ class TestAccountCredentials(TrilbyTestCase):
     def _user_test(self, name):
         alice = create_local_person(name='alice')
 
-        request = self.factory.get(
+        result = self.get(
                 '/api/v1/accounts/'+name,
+                as_user = alice,
                 )
-        force_authenticate(request, user=alice.local_user)
-
-        view = Verify_Credentials.as_view()
-
-        result = view(request)
 
         self.assertEqual(
                 result.status_code,
diff --git a/kepi/trilby_api/tests/test_instance.py b/kepi/trilby_api/tests/test_instance.py
index 304d93f..2d22a71 100644
--- a/kepi/trilby_api/tests/test_instance.py
+++ b/kepi/trilby_api/tests/test_instance.py
@@ -11,12 +11,9 @@ from django.conf import settings
 class TestInstance(TrilbyTestCase):
 
     def test_instance_query(self):
-        request = self.factory.get(
+        result = self.get(
                 '/api/v1/instance',
                 )
-        view = Instance.as_view()
-
-        result = view(request)
 
         self.assertEqual(
                 result.status_code,
@@ -39,3 +36,21 @@ class TestInstance(TrilbyTestCase):
     @skip("Not yet implemented")
     def test_list_weekly_activity(self):
         pass
+
+    def test_get_emojis(self):
+        result = self.get(
+                '/api/v1/custom_emojis',
+                )
+
+        self.assertEqual(
+                result.status_code,
+                200,
+                msg = result.content,
+                )
+
+        content = json.loads(result.content.decode())
+
+        self.assertEqual(
+                content,
+                [],
+                )
diff --git a/kepi/trilby_api/tests/test_status.py b/kepi/trilby_api/tests/test_status.py
index 02d8733..385f5cc 100644
--- a/kepi/trilby_api/tests/test_status.py
+++ b/kepi/trilby_api/tests/test_status.py
@@ -40,15 +40,10 @@ class TestStatus(TrilbyTestCase):
                 posted_by = self._alice,
                 )
 
-        request = self.factory.get(
-                '/api/v1/statuses/'+str(self._status.id),
+        result = self.get(
+                path = '/api/v1/statuses/'+str(self._status.id),
+                as_user = self._alice,
                 )
-        force_authenticate(request, user=self._alice.local_user)
-
-        view = Statuses.as_view()
-
-        result = view(request,
-                id=str(self._status.id))
 
         self.assertEqual(
                 result.status_code,
@@ -94,14 +89,10 @@ class TestStatus(TrilbyTestCase):
                 posted_by = self._alice,
                 )
 
-        request = self.factory.get(
+        result = self.get(
                 '/api/v1/statuses/',
+                as_user = self._alice,
                 )
-        force_authenticate(request, user=self._alice.local_user)
-
-        view = Statuses.as_view()
-
-        result = view(request)
 
         self.assertEqual(
                 result.status_code,
@@ -641,74 +632,17 @@ class TestStatus(TrilbyTestCase):
     def test_unpin(self):
         self.fail("Test not yet implemented")
 
-    def test_get_status_context(self):
-
-        self._create_alice()
-        self._create_status()
-
-        request = self.factory.get(
-                '/api/v1/statuses/'+str(self._status.id)+'/context',
-                )
-        force_authenticate(request, user=self._alice.local_user)
-
-        view = StatusContext.as_view()
-
-        result = view(request,
-                id=str(self._status.id))
-
-        self.assertEqual(
-                result.status_code,
-                200,
-                msg = result.content,
-                )
-
-        content = json.loads(result.content)
-
-        self.assertEqual(
-                content,
-                {
-                    'ancestors': [],
-                    'descendants': [],
-                    })
-
-    def test_get_emojis(self):
-        request = self.factory.get(
-                '/api/v1/emojis/',
-                )
-
-        view = Emojis.as_view()
-
-        result = view(request)
-
-        self.assertEqual(
-                result.status_code,
-                200,
-                msg = result.content,
-                )
-
-        content = json.loads(result.content.decode())
-
-        self.assertEqual(
-                content,
-                [],
-                )
-
     def test_post_status(self):
 
         self._create_alice()
 
-        request = self.factory.post(
+        result = self.post(
                 '/api/v1/statuses/',
                 {
                     'status': 'Hello world',
                     },
-                format='json',
+                as_user = self._alice,
                 )
-        force_authenticate(request, user=self._alice.local_user)
-
-        view = Statuses.as_view()
-
-        result = view(request)
 
         self.assertEqual(
                 result.status_code,
@@ -723,42 +657,6 @@ class TestStatus(TrilbyTestCase):
                 '<p>Hello world</p>',
                 )
 
-    @skip("serial numbers are not yet exposed")
-    def test_post_multiple_statuses(self):
-
-        self._create_alice()
-
-        previous_serial = 0
-
-        for i in range(0, 9):
-            request = self.factory.post(
-                    '/api/v1/statuses/',
-                    {
-                        'status': 'Hello world %d' % (i,),
-                        },
-                    format='json',
-                    )
-            force_authenticate(request, user=self._alice.local_user)
-
-            view = Statuses.as_view()
-
-            result = view(request)
-
-            self.assertEqual(
-                    result.status_code,
-                    200,
-                    'Result code',
-                    )
-
-            content = json.loads(result.content.decode())
-
-            self.assertLess(
-                    previous_serial,
-                    content['serial'])
-
-            previous_serial = content['serial']
-
-
 class TestPublish(TrilbyTestCase):
     def test_publish_simple(self):