diff --git a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
index 92ec5f6f9..37792ffd5 100644
--- a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ module ApplicationHelper
     end
     buf << [ javascript_include_tag('jquery_ujs') ]
     buf << [ javascript_tag("jQuery.ajaxSetup({'cache': false});") ]
+    buf << [ javascript_tag("$.fx.off = true;") ] if Rails.env.test?
     buf.join("\n").html_safe
   end
 end
diff --git a/features/support/env.rb b/features/support/env.rb
index e61502c7f..0523ff9a0 100644
--- a/features/support/env.rb
+++ b/features/support/env.rb
@@ -100,3 +100,12 @@ Spork.each_run do
     CapybaraSettings.instance.restore
   end
 end
+
+# https://makandracards.com/makandra/950-speed-up-rspec-by-deferring-garbage-collection
+require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), "..", "..", "spec", "support", "deferred_garbage_collection")
+Before do
+  DeferredGarbageCollection.start
+end
+After do
+  DeferredGarbageCollection.reconsider
+end
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index 28529a8a9..a0bfa718c 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -101,3 +101,13 @@ Spork.each_run do
   AppConfig.load!
   AppConfig.setup!
 end
+
+# https://makandracards.com/makandra/950-speed-up-rspec-by-deferring-garbage-collection
+RSpec.configure do |config|
+  config.before(:all) do
+    DeferredGarbageCollection.start
+  end
+  config.after(:all) do
+    DeferredGarbageCollection.reconsider
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/support/deferred_garbage_collection.rb b/spec/support/deferred_garbage_collection.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5be5a45d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/support/deferred_garbage_collection.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+
+# https://makandracards.com/makandra/950-speed-up-rspec-by-deferring-garbage-collection
+class DeferredGarbageCollection
+
+  DEFERRED_GC_THRESHOLD = (ENV['DEFER_GC'] || 10.0).to_f
+
+  @@last_gc_run = Time.now
+
+  def self.start
+    GC.disable if DEFERRED_GC_THRESHOLD > 0
+  end
+
+  def self.reconsider
+    if DEFERRED_GC_THRESHOLD > 0 && Time.now - @@last_gc_run >= DEFERRED_GC_THRESHOLD
+      GC.enable
+      GC.start
+      GC.disable
+      @@last_gc_run = Time.now
+    end
+  end
+
+end