diff --git a/spec/factories/ci/runners.rb b/spec/factories/ci/runners.rb
index 3a7da2e47d0..e563a14ce08 100644
--- a/spec/factories/ci/runners.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/ci/runners.rb
@@ -23,11 +23,11 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
     end
 
     trait :protected do
-      access_level Ci::Runner.access_levels['protected_']
+      access_level 'protected_'
     end
 
     trait :unprotected do
-      access_level Ci::Runner.access_levels['unprotected']
+      access_level 'unprotected'
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/stage/seed_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/stage/seed_spec.rb
index 1e9cbbdfb77..515e06e38e5 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/stage/seed_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/ci/stage/seed_spec.rb
@@ -26,7 +26,16 @@ describe Gitlab::Ci::Stage::Seed do
       expect(subject.builds).to all(include(project: pipeline.project))
       expect(subject.builds)
         .to all(include(trigger_request: pipeline.trigger_requests.first))
-      expect(subject.builds).to all(include(protected: true))
+    end
+
+    context 'when a ref is protected' do
+      before do
+        allow_any_instance_of(Project).to receive(:protected_for?).and_return(true)
+      end
+
+      it 'returns unprotected builds' do
+        expect(subject.builds).to all(include(protected: true))
+      end
     end
 
     context 'when a ref is unprotected' do
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/runners_spec.rb b/spec/requests/api/runners_spec.rb
index b8d98818a8c..5a6edad8118 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/runners_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/api/runners_spec.rb
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ describe API::Runners do
                                                  tag_list: ['ruby2.1', 'pgsql', 'mysql'],
                                                  run_untagged: 'false',
                                                  locked: 'true',
-                                                 access_level: 1)
+                                                 access_level: Ci::Runner.access_levels['protected_'])
           shared_runner.reload
 
           expect(response).to have_http_status(200)