diff --git a/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_ai_classifier.py b/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_ai_classifier.py
index 127c08097..233b88b5b 100644
--- a/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_ai_classifier.py
+++ b/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_ai_classifier.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import json
 from types import SimpleNamespace
+from typing import cast
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock
 from unittest.mock import patch
 
@@ -265,11 +266,15 @@ def test_get_context_for_document_no_similar_docs(mock_document):
         assert result == ""
 
 
-@pytest.mark.django_db
 class TestPromptHints:
     @pytest.fixture
     def config(self) -> AIConfig:
-        return AIConfig()
+        # build_prompt_* only read these two numeric settings off config;
+        # a stand-in avoids constructing a DB-backed AIConfig.
+        return cast(
+            "AIConfig",
+            SimpleNamespace(llm_embedding_chunk_size=1000, llm_context_size=8000),
+        )
 
     def test_without_rag_includes_hints_block(
         self,
diff --git a/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_matching.py b/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_matching.py
index 1bff6939f..de811b589 100644
--- a/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_matching.py
+++ b/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_matching.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import difflib
+from types import SimpleNamespace
 from unittest.mock import patch
 
 import pytest
@@ -89,16 +90,14 @@ class TestAIMatching(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(result[1].name, "Test Tag 2")
 
 
-@pytest.mark.django_db
 class TestHintedMatching:
     def test_hinted_verbatim_skips_fuzzy(
         self,
         mocker: pytest_mock.MockerFixture,
     ) -> None:
-        Tag.objects.create(name="Bloodwork")
         mocker.patch(
             "paperless_ai.matching.get_objects_for_user_owner_aware",
-            return_value=Tag.objects.all(),
+            return_value=[SimpleNamespace(name="Bloodwork")],
         )
         spy = mocker.spy(difflib, "get_close_matches")
 
@@ -115,10 +114,9 @@ class TestHintedMatching:
         self,
         mocker: pytest_mock.MockerFixture,
     ) -> None:
-        Tag.objects.create(name="Bloodwork")
         mocker.patch(
             "paperless_ai.matching.get_objects_for_user_owner_aware",
-            return_value=Tag.objects.all(),
+            return_value=[SimpleNamespace(name="Bloodwork")],
         )
 
         # "Bloodwrok" is a typo not in hints -> fuzzy still maps it to Bloodwork.
@@ -134,10 +132,9 @@ class TestHintedMatching:
         self,
         mocker: pytest_mock.MockerFixture,
     ) -> None:
-        Tag.objects.create(name="Bloodwork")
         mocker.patch(
             "paperless_ai.matching.get_objects_for_user_owner_aware",
-            return_value=Tag.objects.all(),
+            return_value=[SimpleNamespace(name="Bloodwork")],
         )
         spy = mocker.spy(difflib, "get_close_matches")
 
@@ -155,10 +152,9 @@ class TestHintedMatching:
         mocker: pytest_mock.MockerFixture,
     ) -> None:
         # A hint with no exact object must not fall through to fuzzy.
-        Tag.objects.create(name="Bloodwork")
         mocker.patch(
             "paperless_ai.matching.get_objects_for_user_owner_aware",
-            return_value=Tag.objects.all(),
+            return_value=[SimpleNamespace(name="Bloodwork")],
         )
 
         result = match_tags_by_name(
@@ -173,10 +169,9 @@ class TestHintedMatching:
         self,
         mocker: pytest_mock.MockerFixture,
     ) -> None:
-        Tag.objects.create(name="Test Tag 1")
         mocker.patch(
             "paperless_ai.matching.get_objects_for_user_owner_aware",
-            return_value=Tag.objects.all(),
+            return_value=[SimpleNamespace(name="Test Tag 1")],
         )
 
         result = match_tags_by_name(["Test Tag 1", "Nonexistent"], user=None)
diff --git a/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_taxonomy.py b/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_taxonomy.py
index 77e9da052..b21b500d4 100644
--- a/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_taxonomy.py
+++ b/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_taxonomy.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 from types import SimpleNamespace
 
-import pytest
 import pytest_mock
 
 from paperless_ai.taxonomy import TaxonomyHints
@@ -133,7 +132,6 @@ class TestFormatHintsForPrompt:
         assert result.count("Prefer existing names from these lists verbatim") == 1
 
 
-@pytest.mark.django_db
 class TestGetTaxonomyHintsForDocument:
     def test_returns_none_when_embedding_backend_off(
         self,
diff --git a/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_views_suggestions.py b/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_views_suggestions.py
index e13c6cba1..9764d38db 100644
--- a/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_views_suggestions.py
+++ b/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_views_suggestions.py
@@ -11,11 +11,7 @@ from documents.models import Document
 @pytest.mark.django_db
 class TestSuggestionsHintWiring:
     @pytest.fixture
-    def user(self) -> User:
-        return User.objects.create_superuser(username="admin", password="pw")
-
-    @pytest.fixture
-    def document(self, user: User) -> Document:
+    def document(self) -> Document:
         return Document.objects.create(
             title="Doc",
             content="content",
@@ -24,9 +20,9 @@ class TestSuggestionsHintWiring:
         )
 
     @pytest.fixture
-    def api_client(self, user: User) -> APIClient:
+    def api_client(self, admin_user: User) -> APIClient:
         client = APIClient()
-        client.force_authenticate(user=user)
+        client.force_authenticate(user=admin_user)
         return client
 
     def test_hints_passed_to_classifier_and_matchers(