diff --git a/spec/lib/diaspora_parser_spec.rb b/spec/lib/diaspora_parser_spec.rb
index 3504cfc73..33efe2f0a 100644
--- a/spec/lib/diaspora_parser_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/diaspora_parser_spec.rb
@@ -54,9 +54,7 @@ describe Diaspora::Parser do
       retraction = Retraction.for(message)
       xml = retraction.to_diaspora_xml
 
-      StatusMessage.count.should == 1
-      @user.receive xml, person
-      StatusMessage.count.should == 0
+      proc {@user.receive xml, person}.should change(StatusMessage, :count).by(-1)
     end
 
     it "should create a new person upon getting a person request" do
diff --git a/spec/models/photo_spec.rb b/spec/models/photo_spec.rb
index de70ce030..701bf079d 100644
--- a/spec/models/photo_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/photo_spec.rb
@@ -51,8 +51,7 @@ describe Photo do
   it 'should have a caption' do
     @photo.image.store! File.open(@fixture_name)
     @photo.caption = "cool story, bro"
-    @photo.save
-    Photo.first.caption.should == "cool story, bro"
+    @photo.save.should be_true
   end
 
   it 'should remove its reference in user profile if it is referred' do
@@ -63,9 +62,9 @@ describe Photo do
     @user.save
     @user.person.save
 
-    User.first.profile.image_url.should == @photo.image.url(:thumb_medium)
+    @user.profile.image_url.should == @photo.image.url(:thumb_medium)
     @photo.destroy
-    User.first.profile.image_url.should be nil
+    @user.profile.image_url.should be nil
   end
 
   it 'should not use the imported filename as the url' do