diff --git a/core/internal/cltest/cltest.go b/core/internal/cltest/cltest.go
index 2d656582fca..d2f17359d99 100644
--- a/core/internal/cltest/cltest.go
+++ b/core/internal/cltest/cltest.go
@@ -1008,8 +1008,7 @@ func Head(val interface{}) *evmtypes.Head {
 }
 
 func HeadWithHash(n int64, hash common.Hash) *evmtypes.Head {
-	var h evmtypes.Head
-	h = evmtypes.NewHead(big.NewInt(n), hash, evmutils.NewHash(), ubig.New(&FixtureChainID))
+	h := evmtypes.NewHead(big.NewInt(n), hash, evmutils.NewHash(), ubig.New(&FixtureChainID))
 	return &h
 }
 
diff --git a/core/services/relay/evm/mercury/helpers_test.go b/core/services/relay/evm/mercury/helpers_test.go
index 2ed934be6be..7fb00e4421b 100644
--- a/core/services/relay/evm/mercury/helpers_test.go
+++ b/core/services/relay/evm/mercury/helpers_test.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/eth/ethconfig"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/ethclient/simulated"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
 	"github.com/smartcontractkit/libocr/offchainreporting2plus/chains/evmutil"
@@ -183,6 +184,9 @@ func SetupTH(t *testing.T, feedID common.Hash) TestHarness {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	configPoller.Start()
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		assert.NoError(t, configPoller.Close())
+	})
 
 	return TestHarness{
 		configPoller:     configPoller,
diff --git a/core/services/vrf/solidity_cross_tests/vrf_fulfillment_cost_test.go b/core/services/vrf/solidity_cross_tests/vrf_fulfillment_cost_test.go
index a41f8acd6c1..cce8ca2d82f 100644
--- a/core/services/vrf/solidity_cross_tests/vrf_fulfillment_cost_test.go
+++ b/core/services/vrf/solidity_cross_tests/vrf_fulfillment_cost_test.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func TestMeasureFulfillmentGasCost(t *testing.T) {
 	proofBlob, err := vrftesthelpers.GenerateProofResponseFromProof(proof, s)
 	require.NoError(t, err, "could not generate VRF proof!")
 	coordinator.Backend.Commit() // Work around simbackend/EVM block number bug
-	estimate := estimateGas(t, coordinator.Backend, coordinator.Neil.From,
+	estimate := estimateGas(t, coordinator.Backend.Client(), coordinator.Neil.From,
 		coordinator.RootContractAddress, coordinator.CoordinatorABI,
 		"fulfillRandomnessRequest", proofBlob[:])
 
diff --git a/core/services/vrf/solidity_cross_tests/vrf_hash_to_curve_cost_test.go b/core/services/vrf/solidity_cross_tests/vrf_hash_to_curve_cost_test.go
index 31e6b91a837..9037d2543b5 100644
--- a/core/services/vrf/solidity_cross_tests/vrf_hash_to_curve_cost_test.go
+++ b/core/services/vrf/solidity_cross_tests/vrf_hash_to_curve_cost_test.go
@@ -58,14 +58,14 @@ func deployVRFContract(t *testing.T) (contract, common.Address) {
 // estimateGas returns the estimated gas cost of running the given method on the
 // contract at address to, on the given backend, with the given args, and given
 // that the transaction is sent from the from address.
-func estimateGas(t *testing.T, backend *simulated.Backend,
+func estimateGas(t *testing.T, client simulated.Client,
 	from, to common.Address, abi *abi.ABI, method string, args ...interface{},
 ) uint64 {
 	rawData, err := abi.Pack(method, args...)
 	require.NoError(t, err, "failed to construct raw %s transaction with args %s",
 		method, args)
 	callMsg := ethereum.CallMsg{From: from, To: &to, Data: rawData}
-	estimate, err := backend.Client().EstimateGas(testutils.Context(t), callMsg)
+	estimate, err := client.EstimateGas(testutils.Context(t), callMsg)
 	require.NoError(t, err, "failed to estimate gas from %s call with args %s",
 		method, args)
 	return estimate
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func estimateGas(t *testing.T, backend *simulated.Backend,
 
 func measureHashToCurveGasCost(t *testing.T, contract contract,
 	owner common.Address, input int64) (gasCost, numOrdinates uint64) {
-	estimate := estimateGas(t, contract.backend, owner, contract.address,
+	estimate := estimateGas(t, contract.backend.Client(), owner, contract.address,
 		contract.abi, "hashToCurve_", pair(secp256k1.Coordinates(vrfkey.Generator)),
 		big.NewInt(input))
 
diff --git a/core/services/vrf/solidity_cross_tests/vrf_randomness_output_cost_test.go b/core/services/vrf/solidity_cross_tests/vrf_randomness_output_cost_test.go
index e458966e856..d62e28a49d7 100644
--- a/core/services/vrf/solidity_cross_tests/vrf_randomness_output_cost_test.go
+++ b/core/services/vrf/solidity_cross_tests/vrf_randomness_output_cost_test.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ func TestMeasureRandomValueFromVRFProofGasCost(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err, "failed to marshal VRF proof for on-chain verification")
 	contract, _ := deployVRFContract(t)
 
-	estimate := estimateGas(t, contract.backend, common.Address{},
+	estimate := estimateGas(t, contract.backend.Client(), common.Address{},
 		contract.address, contract.abi, "randomValueFromVRFProof_", mproof[:])
 
 	require.NoError(t, err, "failed to estimate gas cost for VRF verification")
diff --git a/core/services/vrf/solidity_cross_tests/vrf_request_cost_test.go b/core/services/vrf/solidity_cross_tests/vrf_request_cost_test.go
index d4cc9710485..dd02fc90abb 100644
--- a/core/services/vrf/solidity_cross_tests/vrf_request_cost_test.go
+++ b/core/services/vrf/solidity_cross_tests/vrf_request_cost_test.go
@@ -11,12 +11,11 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestMeasureRandomnessRequestGasCost(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Skip("TODO FIXME")
 	key := cltest.MustGenerateRandomKey(t)
 	coordinator := vrftesthelpers.NewVRFCoordinatorUniverse(t, key)
 	keyHash_, _, fee := registerProvingKey(t, coordinator)
 
-	estimate := estimateGas(t, coordinator.Backend, common.Address{},
+	estimate := estimateGas(t, coordinator.Backend.Client(), common.Address{},
 		coordinator.ConsumerContractAddress, coordinator.ConsumerABI,
 		"testRequestRandomness", common.BytesToHash(keyHash_[:]), fee)
 
diff --git a/core/services/vrf/v2/listener_v2_log_listener_test.go b/core/services/vrf/v2/listener_v2_log_listener_test.go
index e9710cee26e..3c8654163d7 100644
--- a/core/services/vrf/v2/listener_v2_log_listener_test.go
+++ b/core/services/vrf/v2/listener_v2_log_listener_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
+	"github.com/smartcontractkit/chainlink-common/pkg/services/servicetest"
 	"github.com/smartcontractkit/chainlink-common/pkg/utils/tests"
 	"github.com/smartcontractkit/chainlink/v2/core/chains/evm/client"
 	"github.com/smartcontractkit/chainlink/v2/core/chains/evm/headtracker"
@@ -184,7 +185,6 @@ func setupVRFLogPollerListenerTH(t *testing.T,
  */
 
 func TestInitProcessedBlock_NoVRFReqs(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Skip("TODO FIXME")
 	t.Parallel()
 	ctx := tests.Context(t)
 
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ func TestInitProcessedBlock_NoVRFReqs(t *testing.T) {
 	// Blocks till now: 2 (in SetupTH) + 2 (empty blocks) + 5 (EmitLog blocks) = 9
 
 	// Calling Start() after RegisterFilter() simulates a node restart after job creation, should reload Filter from db.
-	require.NoError(t, th.LogPoller.Start(testutils.Context(t)))
+	servicetest.Run(t, th.LogPoller)
 
 	// The poller starts on a new chain at latest-finality (finalityDepth + 5 in this case),
 	// Replaying from block 4 should guarantee we have block 4 immediately.  (We will also get