diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/poltergeist_disable_transition.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/poltergeist_disable_transition.scss
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..61a5c8efa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/poltergeist_disable_transition.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+// Overrides used for poltergeist tests
+// scss-lint:disable all
+* {
+  -moz-transition: none !important;
+  -o-transition: none !important;
+  -webkit-transition: none !important;
+  transition: none !important;
+}
+// scss-lint:enable all
diff --git a/app/views/layouts/application.html.haml b/app/views/layouts/application.html.haml
index c2994bde8..1f3844d47 100644
--- a/app/views/layouts/application.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/layouts/application.html.haml
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@
     - if rtl?
       = stylesheet_link_tag :rtl, media:  'all'
 
+    - if Rails.env.test?
+      = stylesheet_link_tag :poltergeist_disable_transition, media: "all"
+
     = old_browser_js_support
     <!--[if IE]>
     = javascript_include_tag :ie
diff --git a/app/views/layouts/application.mobile.haml b/app/views/layouts/application.mobile.haml
index 5e398611d..435574bc5 100644
--- a/app/views/layouts/application.mobile.haml
+++ b/app/views/layouts/application.mobile.haml
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@
     - if rtl?
       = stylesheet_link_tag :rtl, :media => 'all'
 
+    - if Rails.env.test?
+      = stylesheet_link_tag :poltergeist_disable_transition, media: "all"
+
     = yield(:head)
 
     = include_gon(:camel_case => true)
diff --git a/features/desktop/signs_up.feature b/features/desktop/signs_up.feature
index 8c8b024f7..7280bbcd0 100644
--- a/features/desktop/signs_up.feature
+++ b/features/desktop/signs_up.feature
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ Feature: new user registration
   Scenario: closing a popover clears getting started
     When I confirm the alert after I follow "awesome_button"
     Then I should be on the stream page
-    And I have turned off jQuery effects
     And I wait for the popovers to appear
     And I click close on all the popovers
     And I close the publisher
diff --git a/features/mobile/drawer.feature b/features/mobile/drawer.feature
index 259f06e17..d861eb683 100644
--- a/features/mobile/drawer.feature
+++ b/features/mobile/drawer.feature
@@ -30,15 +30,15 @@ Feature: Navigate between pages using the header menu and the drawer
     Then I should be on the new status message page
 
   Scenario: search a user
-    When I have turned off jQuery effects
-    And I open the drawer
-    And I search for "Bob"
+    When I open the drawer
+    Then I should see a "#q" within "#drawer"
+    When I search for "Bob"
     Then I should see "Users matching Bob" within "#search_title"
 
   Scenario: search for a tag
-    When I have turned off jQuery effects
-    And I open the drawer
-    And I search for "#bob"
+    When I open the drawer
+    Then I should see a "#q" within "#drawer"
+    When I search for "#bob"
     Then I should be on the tag page for "bob"
 
   Scenario: navigate to my activity page
diff --git a/features/step_definitions/custom_web_steps.rb b/features/step_definitions/custom_web_steps.rb
index 6924e53a2..d8a0f9c79 100644
--- a/features/step_definitions/custom_web_steps.rb
+++ b/features/step_definitions/custom_web_steps.rb
@@ -255,16 +255,16 @@ Then 'I press the attached image' do
 end
 
 And "I wait for the popovers to appear" do
-  page.should have_selector(".popover", count: 3)
+  expect(page).to have_selector(".popover", count: 3)
 end
 
 And /^I click close on all the popovers$/ do
-  page.execute_script("$('.popover .close')[0].click();")
-  expect(page).to have_selector(".popover", count: 2)
-  page.execute_script("$('.popover .close')[0].click();")
-  expect(page).to have_selector(".popover", count: 1)
-  page.execute_script("$('.popover .close').click();")
-  expect(page).to_not have_selector(".popover .close")
+  find(".popover .close", match: :first).click
+  expect(page).to have_selector(".popover", count: 2, visible: false)
+  find(".popover .close", match: :first).click
+  expect(page).to have_selector(".popover", count: 1, visible: false)
+  find(".popover .close", match: :first).click
+  expect(page).to_not have_selector(".popover", visible: false)
 end
 
 Then /^I should see a flash message indicating success$/ do
diff --git a/features/support/env.rb b/features/support/env.rb
index b5977f6bf..297b63f3e 100644
--- a/features/support/env.rb
+++ b/features/support/env.rb
@@ -36,10 +36,10 @@ Capybara.javascript_driver = :poltergeist
 Capybara.default_selector = :css
 
 # We have a ridiculously high wait time to account for build machines of various beefiness.
-# Capybara.default_max_wait_time = 30
+Capybara.default_max_wait_time = 30
 
 # While there are a lot of failures, wait less, avoiding travis timeout
-Capybara.default_max_wait_time = 15
+# Capybara.default_max_wait_time = 15
 
 # If you set this to false, any error raised from within your app will bubble
 # up to your step definition and out to cucumber unless you catch it somewhere