diff --git a/src/server/server_concurrency_test.go b/src/server/server_concurrency_test.go
index 7ba3ed4..58a40c6 100644
--- a/src/server/server_concurrency_test.go
+++ b/src/server/server_concurrency_test.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestConcurrency(t *testing.T) {
 	addr := "http://127.0.0.1:8686"
-	root := "testData"
+	rootPath := "testData"
 	config := `{
 		"users": {
 			"enableAuth": true,
@@ -37,20 +37,12 @@ func TestConcurrency(t *testing.T) {
 
 	adminName := "qs"
 	adminPwd := "quicksh@re"
-	os.Setenv("DEFAULTADMIN", adminName)
-	os.Setenv("DEFAULTADMINPWD", adminPwd)
-
-	os.RemoveAll(root)
-	err := os.MkdirAll(root, 0700)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	defer os.RemoveAll(root)
+	setUpEnv(t, rootPath, adminName, adminPwd)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(rootPath)
 
 	srv := startTestServer(config)
 	defer srv.Shutdown()
-	// fs := srv.depsFS()
-	if !waitForReady(addr) {
+	if !isServerReady(addr) {
 		t.Fatal("fail to start server")
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/server/server_files_test.go b/src/server/server_files_test.go
index e65b6c7..3ed9e87 100644
--- a/src/server/server_files_test.go
+++ b/src/server/server_files_test.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestFileHandlers(t *testing.T) {
 	addr := "http://127.0.0.1:8686"
-	root := "testData"
+	rootPath := "testData"
 	config := `{
 		"users": {
 			"enableAuth": true,
@@ -41,21 +41,13 @@ func TestFileHandlers(t *testing.T) {
 
 	adminName := "qs"
 	adminPwd := "quicksh@re"
-	os.Setenv("DEFAULTADMIN", adminName)
-	os.Setenv("DEFAULTADMINPWD", adminPwd)
-
-	os.RemoveAll(root)
-	err := os.MkdirAll(root, 0700)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	defer os.RemoveAll(root)
+	setUpEnv(t, rootPath, adminName, adminPwd)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(rootPath)
 
 	srv := startTestServer(config)
 	defer srv.Shutdown()
 	fs := srv.depsFS()
-
-	if !waitForReady(addr) {
+	if !isServerReady(addr) {
 		t.Fatal("fail to start server")
 	}
 
@@ -69,6 +61,7 @@ func TestFileHandlers(t *testing.T) {
 	token := client.GetCookie(resp.Cookies(), q.TokenCookie)
 	cl := client.NewFilesClient(addr, token)
 
+	var err error
 	// TODO: remove all files under home folder before testing
 	// or the count of files is incorrect
 	t.Run("ListHome", func(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/src/server/server_space_limit_test.go b/src/server/server_space_limit_test.go
index ef3ac17..6c1b507 100644
--- a/src/server/server_space_limit_test.go
+++ b/src/server/server_space_limit_test.go
@@ -12,13 +12,12 @@ import (
 
 func TestSpaceLimit(t *testing.T) {
 	addr := "http://127.0.0.1:8686"
-	root := "testData"
+	rootPath := "testData"
 	spaceLimit := 1000000
 	fileSize := 100000
 	if spaceLimit%fileSize != 0 {
 		t.Fatal("spaceLimit % fileSize must be zero")
 	}
-
 	config := fmt.Sprintf(`{
 		"users": {
 			"enableAuth": true,
@@ -42,20 +41,12 @@ func TestSpaceLimit(t *testing.T) {
 
 	adminName := "qs"
 	adminPwd := "quicksh@re"
-	os.Setenv("DEFAULTADMIN", adminName)
-	os.Setenv("DEFAULTADMINPWD", adminPwd)
-
-	os.RemoveAll(root)
-	err := os.MkdirAll(root, 0700)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	defer os.RemoveAll(root)
+	setUpEnv(t, rootPath, adminName, adminPwd)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(rootPath)
 
 	srv := startTestServer(config)
 	defer srv.Shutdown()
-	// fs := srv.depsFS()
-	if !waitForReady(addr) {
+	if !isServerReady(addr) {
 		t.Fatal("fail to start server")
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/server/server_users_test.go b/src/server/server_users_test.go
index ce5f773..5096af7 100644
--- a/src/server/server_users_test.go
+++ b/src/server/server_users_test.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestUsersHandlers(t *testing.T) {
 	addr := "http://127.0.0.1:8686"
-	root := "testData"
+	rootPath := "testData"
 	config := `{
 		"users": {
 			"enableAuth": true,
@@ -45,15 +45,8 @@ func TestUsersHandlers(t *testing.T) {
 	adminName := "qs"
 	adminPwd := "quicksh@re"
 	adminNewPwd := "quicksh@re2"
-	os.Setenv("DEFAULTADMIN", adminName)
-	os.Setenv("DEFAULTADMINPWD", adminPwd)
-
-	os.RemoveAll(root)
-	err := os.MkdirAll(root, 0700)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	defer os.RemoveAll(root)
+	setUpEnv(t, rootPath, adminName, adminPwd)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(rootPath)
 
 	srv := startTestServer(config)
 	defer srv.Shutdown()
@@ -61,10 +54,12 @@ func TestUsersHandlers(t *testing.T) {
 
 	usersCl := client.NewSingleUserClient(addr)
 
-	if !waitForReady(addr) {
+	if !isServerReady(addr) {
 		t.Fatal("fail to start server")
 	}
 
+	var err error
+
 	t.Run("test users APIs: Login-Self-SetPwd-Logout-Login", func(t *testing.T) {
 		users := []*userstore.User{
 			{
diff --git a/src/server/test_helpers.go b/src/server/test_helpers.go
index 2176f7f..93793b3 100644
--- a/src/server/test_helpers.go
+++ b/src/server/test_helpers.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"math/rand"
 	"net/http"
+	"os"
 	"path"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -40,7 +41,17 @@ func startTestServer(config string) *Server {
 	return srv
 }
 
-func waitForReady(addr string) bool {
+func setUpEnv(t *testing.T, rootPath string, adminName, adminPwd string) {
+	os.Setenv("DEFAULTADMIN", adminName)
+	os.Setenv("DEFAULTADMINPWD", adminPwd)
+	os.RemoveAll(rootPath)
+	err := os.MkdirAll(rootPath, 0700)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+}
+
+func isServerReady(addr string) bool {
 	retry := 20
 	setCl := client.NewSettingsClient(addr)