--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -42,12 +42,14 @@ describe "A local repository", :shared => true do
   include Piston::SpecHelpers
 
   before do
+    logger.debug {"A local repository..."}
     @repos_dir = self.tmppath(:repos)
     @repos = Piston::Repository.new("file://#{@repos_dir}", :logger => self.logger)
+    @repos.create!
   end
 
   after do
-    self.cleanup
+    @repos.destroy!
   end
 end
 
@@ -55,9 +57,14 @@ describe "A working copy against a local repository", :shared => true do
   it_should_behave_like "A local repository"
 
   before do
-    @repos.create!
+    logger.debug {"A working copy against a local repository..."}
     @wc_dir = self.tmppath(:wc)
     @wc = Piston::WorkingCopy.new(@wc_dir, :logger => self.logger)
+    @wc.checkout(@repos.url)
+  end
+
+  after do
+    @wc.destroy!
   end
 end
 
@@ -65,6 +72,7 @@ describe "An upstream repository", :shared => true do
   include Piston::SpecHelpers
 
   before(:all) do
+    logger.debug {"An upstream repository..."}
     @upstream = Piston::Repository.new("file://" + self.tmppath(:repos)).create!
     @upstream.logger = self.logger
 
@@ -95,6 +103,7 @@ describe "An upstream repository with no copies/renames", :shared => true do
   it_should_behave_like "An upstream repository"
 
   before :all do
+    logger.debug {"An upstream repository with no copies/renames..."}
     @upwc.create! "main.c", <<EOF
 #include <stdio.h>