diff --git a/tests/unit/plugin.bats b/tests/unit/plugin.bats
index 10761acf8..9323bb417 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugin.bats
+++ b/tests/unit/plugin.bats
@@ -1,24 +1,12 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bats
 
 load test_helper
-TEST_PLUGIN_NAME=smoke-test-plugin
-TEST_PLUGIN_GIT_REPO=https://github.com/dokku/${TEST_PLUGIN_NAME}.git
-TEST_PLUGIN_LOCAL_REPO="$(mktemp -d)/$TEST_PLUGIN_NAME"
-
-clone_test_plugin() {
-  git clone "$TEST_PLUGIN_GIT_REPO" "$TEST_PLUGIN_LOCAL_REPO"
-}
 
 setup() {
   global_setup
   clone_test_plugin
 }
 
-remove_test_plugin() {
-  rm -rf $PLUGIN_ENABLED_PATH/$TEST_PLUGIN_NAME $PLUGIN_AVAILABLE_PATH/$TEST_PLUGIN_NAME
-  rm -rf $TEST_PLUGIN_LOCAL_REPO
-}
-
 teardown() {
   remove_test_plugin || true
   global_teardown
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_helper.bash b/tests/unit/test_helper.bash
index 56dba8a87..8d8512516 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_helper.bash
+++ b/tests/unit/test_helper.bash
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ UUID=$(uuidgen)
 TEST_APP="rdmtestapp-${UUID}"
 TEST_NETWORK="test-network-${UUID}"
 SKIPPED_TEST_ERR_MSG="previous test failed! skipping remaining tests..."
+TEST_PLUGIN_NAME=smoke-test-plugin
+TEST_PLUGIN_GIT_REPO=https://github.com/dokku/${TEST_PLUGIN_NAME}.git
+TEST_PLUGIN_LOCAL_REPO="$(mktemp -d)/$TEST_PLUGIN_NAME"
 
 # global setup() and teardown()
 # skips remaining tests on first failure
@@ -45,6 +48,15 @@ cleanup_containers() {
   fi
 }
 
+clone_test_plugin() {
+  git clone "$TEST_PLUGIN_GIT_REPO" "$TEST_PLUGIN_LOCAL_REPO"
+}
+
+remove_test_plugin() {
+  rm -rf $PLUGIN_ENABLED_PATH/$TEST_PLUGIN_NAME $PLUGIN_AVAILABLE_PATH/$TEST_PLUGIN_NAME
+  rm -rf $TEST_PLUGIN_LOCAL_REPO
+}
+
 # test functions
 flunk() {
   {