diff --git a/spec/components/onebox/engine/discourse_local_onebox_spec.rb b/spec/components/onebox/engine/discourse_local_onebox_spec.rb
index 78c7bcb0966..4ca2d8eaf3c 100644
--- a/spec/components/onebox/engine/discourse_local_onebox_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/onebox/engine/discourse_local_onebox_spec.rb
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ describe Onebox::Engine::DiscourseLocalOnebox do
     end
 
     it "returns some onebox goodness if post exists and can be seen" do
+      SiteSetting.external_system_avatars_enabled = false
       url = "#{topic.url}"
       Guardian.any_instance.stubs(:can_see?).returns(true)
       html = Onebox.preview(url).to_s
diff --git a/spec/controllers/topics_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/topics_controller_spec.rb
index e87a27f4824..35640b6311d 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/topics_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/topics_controller_spec.rb
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ describe TopicsController do
     let!(:p2) { Fabricate(:post, topic: topic, user:user )}
 
     it "returns the JSON in the format our wordpress plugin needs" do
+      SiteSetting.external_system_avatars_enabled = false
+
       xhr :get, :wordpress, topic_id: topic.id, best: 3
       expect(response).to be_success
       json = ::JSON.parse(response.body)
diff --git a/spec/models/user_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
index 5eaa7f64196..be2b49e56e1 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
@@ -896,7 +896,11 @@ describe User do
     let(:user) { build(:user, username: 'Sam') }
 
     it "returns a 45-pixel-wide avatar" do
+      SiteSetting.external_system_avatars_enabled = false
       expect(user.small_avatar_url).to eq("//test.localhost/letter_avatar/sam/45/#{LetterAvatar.version}.png")
+
+      SiteSetting.external_system_avatars_enabled = true
+      expect(user.small_avatar_url).to eq("https://avatars.discourse.org/letter/s/5f9b8f/45.png")
     end
 
   end
@@ -1070,6 +1074,8 @@ describe User do
 
   describe "automatic avatar creation" do
     it "sets a system avatar for new users" do
+      SiteSetting.external_system_avatars_enabled = false
+
       u = User.create!(username: "bob", email: "bob@bob.com")
       u.reload
       expect(u.uploaded_avatar_id).to eq(nil)