diff --git a/features/steps/project/merge_requests/revert.rb b/features/steps/project/merge_requests/revert.rb
index 3cc4fe9dafb..31f95b524b3 100644
--- a/features/steps/project/merge_requests/revert.rb
+++ b/features/steps/project/merge_requests/revert.rb
@@ -30,14 +30,13 @@ class Spinach::Features::RevertMergeRequests < Spinach::FeatureSteps
   end
 
   step 'I am signed in as a developer of the project' do
+    @user = create(:user) { |u| @project.add_developer(u) }
     login_as(@user)
   end
 
   step 'There is an open Merge Request' do
-    @user = create(:user)
-    @project = create(:project, :public, :repository)
-    @project_member = create(:project_member, :developer, user: @user, project: @project)
-    @merge_request = create(:merge_request, :with_diffs, :simple, source_project: @project)
+    @merge_request = create(:merge_request, :with_diffs, :simple)
+    @project = @merge_request.source_project
   end
 
   step 'I should see a revert error' do
diff --git a/spec/factories/deploy_keys_projects.rb b/spec/factories/deploy_keys_projects.rb
index 27cece487bd..75f8982ecd9 100644
--- a/spec/factories/deploy_keys_projects.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/deploy_keys_projects.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 FactoryGirl.define do
   factory :deploy_keys_project do
     deploy_key
-    project
+    project factory: :empty_project
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/factories/events.rb b/spec/factories/events.rb
index 8820d527c61..bfe41f71b57 100644
--- a/spec/factories/events.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/events.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 FactoryGirl.define do
   factory :event do
-    project
+    project factory: :empty_project
     author factory: :user
 
     factory :closed_issue_event do
diff --git a/spec/factories/file_uploader.rb b/spec/factories/file_uploader.rb
index 1b36e21f2b0..bc74aeecc3b 100644
--- a/spec/factories/file_uploader.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/file_uploader.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 FactoryGirl.define do
   factory :file_uploader do
-    project
+    project factory: :empty_project
     secret nil
 
     transient do
diff --git a/spec/factories/issues.rb b/spec/factories/issues.rb
index 2b4670be468..7e09f1ba8ea 100644
--- a/spec/factories/issues.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/issues.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
   factory :issue do
     title
     author
-    project
+    project factory: :empty_project
 
     trait :confidential do
       confidential true
diff --git a/spec/factories/labels.rb b/spec/factories/labels.rb
index 3e8822faf97..5ba8443c62c 100644
--- a/spec/factories/labels.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/labels.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
   factory :label, class: ProjectLabel do
     sequence(:title) { |n| "label#{n}" }
     color "#990000"
-    project
+    project factory: :empty_project
 
     transient do
       priority nil
diff --git a/spec/factories/merge_requests.rb b/spec/factories/merge_requests.rb
index 37eb49c94df..22f84150bb3 100644
--- a/spec/factories/merge_requests.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/merge_requests.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
   factory :merge_request do
     title
     author
-    source_project factory: :project
+    association :source_project, :repository, factory: :project
     target_project { source_project }
 
     # $ git log --pretty=oneline feature..master
diff --git a/spec/factories/milestones.rb b/spec/factories/milestones.rb
index 84da71ed6dc..841ab3c73b8 100644
--- a/spec/factories/milestones.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/milestones.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 FactoryGirl.define do
   factory :milestone do
     title
-    project
+    project factory: :empty_project
 
     trait :active do
       state "active"
diff --git a/spec/factories/notes.rb b/spec/factories/notes.rb
index 476f2a37793..a21da7074f9 100644
--- a/spec/factories/notes.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/notes.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ include ActionDispatch::TestProcess
 
 FactoryGirl.define do
   factory :note do
-    project
+    project factory: :empty_project
     note "Note"
     author
     on_issue
@@ -16,10 +16,16 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
     factory :note_on_personal_snippet,   traits: [:on_personal_snippet]
     factory :system_note,                traits: [:system]
 
-    factory :legacy_diff_note_on_commit, traits: [:on_commit, :legacy_diff_note], class: LegacyDiffNote
-    factory :legacy_diff_note_on_merge_request, traits: [:on_merge_request, :legacy_diff_note], class: LegacyDiffNote
+    factory :legacy_diff_note_on_commit, traits: [:on_commit, :legacy_diff_note], class: LegacyDiffNote do
+      association :project, :repository
+    end
+
+    factory :legacy_diff_note_on_merge_request, traits: [:on_merge_request, :legacy_diff_note], class: LegacyDiffNote do
+      association :project, :repository
+    end
 
     factory :diff_note_on_merge_request, traits: [:on_merge_request], class: DiffNote do
+      association :project, :repository
       position do
         Gitlab::Diff::Position.new(
           old_path: "files/ruby/popen.rb",
@@ -37,6 +43,7 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
     end
 
     factory :diff_note_on_commit, traits: [:on_commit], class: DiffNote do
+      association :project, :repository
       position do
         Gitlab::Diff::Position.new(
           old_path: "files/ruby/popen.rb",
@@ -49,6 +56,7 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
     end
 
     trait :on_commit do
+      association :project, :repository
       noteable nil
       noteable_type 'Commit'
       noteable_id nil
diff --git a/spec/factories/project_group_links.rb b/spec/factories/project_group_links.rb
index e73cc05f9d7..50341d943f5 100644
--- a/spec/factories/project_group_links.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/project_group_links.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 FactoryGirl.define do
   factory :project_group_link do
-    project
+    project factory: :empty_project
     group
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/factories/project_members.rb b/spec/factories/project_members.rb
index c21927640d1..d62799a5a47 100644
--- a/spec/factories/project_members.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/project_members.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 FactoryGirl.define do
   factory :project_member do
     user
-    project
+    project factory: :empty_project
     master
 
     trait(:guest)     { access_level ProjectMember::GUEST }
diff --git a/spec/factories/project_snippets.rb b/spec/factories/project_snippets.rb
index d681a2c8483..e0fe1b36fd3 100644
--- a/spec/factories/project_snippets.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/project_snippets.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 FactoryGirl.define do
   factory :project_snippet, parent: :snippet, class: :ProjectSnippet do
-    project
+    project factory: :empty_project
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/factories/releases.rb b/spec/factories/releases.rb
index 74497dc82c0..6a6d6fa171f 100644
--- a/spec/factories/releases.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/releases.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
   factory :release do
     tag "v1.1.0"
     description "Awesome release"
-    project
+    project factory: :empty_project
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/factories/sent_notifications.rb b/spec/factories/sent_notifications.rb
index 78eb929c6e7..6287c40afe9 100644
--- a/spec/factories/sent_notifications.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/sent_notifications.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 FactoryGirl.define do
   factory :sent_notification do
-    project
+    project factory: :empty_project
     recipient factory: :user
     noteable factory: :issue
     reply_key "0123456789abcdef" * 2
diff --git a/spec/factories/services.rb b/spec/factories/services.rb
index 9de78d68280..a14a46c803e 100644
--- a/spec/factories/services.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/services.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 FactoryGirl.define do
   factory :service do
-    project
+    project factory: :empty_project
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/factories/todos.rb b/spec/factories/todos.rb
index 85a8c263643..91d6f39a5bf 100644
--- a/spec/factories/todos.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/todos.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 FactoryGirl.define do
   factory :todo do
-    project
+    project factory: :empty_project
     author
     user
     target factory: :issue
diff --git a/spec/models/issue_spec.rb b/spec/models/issue_spec.rb
index bfa36d92ac3..61d72925736 100644
--- a/spec/models/issue_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/issue_spec.rb
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ describe Issue, models: true do
   end
 
   it_behaves_like 'an editable mentionable' do
-    subject { create(:issue) }
+    subject { create(:issue, project: create(:project, :repository)) }
 
     let(:backref_text) { "issue #{subject.to_reference}" }
     let(:set_mentionable_text) { ->(txt){ subject.description = txt } }
diff --git a/spec/models/note_spec.rb b/spec/models/note_spec.rb
index 1b8ae356f1f..6f9ae655fed 100644
--- a/spec/models/note_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/note_spec.rb
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ describe Note, models: true do
   it_behaves_like 'an editable mentionable' do
     subject { create :note, noteable: issue, project: issue.project }
 
-    let(:issue) { create :issue }
+    let(:issue) { create(:issue, project: create(:project, :repository)) }
     let(:backref_text) { issue.gfm_reference }
     let(:set_mentionable_text) { ->(txt) { subject.note = txt } }
   end