diff --git a/spec/features/admin/admin_hook_logs_spec.rb b/spec/features/admin/admin_hook_logs_spec.rb
index 710822ac042..7910d5fb72b 100644
--- a/spec/features/admin/admin_hook_logs_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/admin/admin_hook_logs_spec.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 require 'spec_helper'
 
 feature 'Admin::HookLogs' do
-  let(:project) { create(:project) }
+  let(:project) { create(:empty_project) }
   let(:system_hook) { create(:system_hook) }
   let(:hook_log) { create(:web_hook_log, web_hook: system_hook, internal_error_message: 'some error') }
 
diff --git a/spec/features/admin/admin_hooks_spec.rb b/spec/features/admin/admin_hooks_spec.rb
index 30fcb334b60..141109fd464 100644
--- a/spec/features/admin/admin_hooks_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/admin/admin_hooks_spec.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ require 'spec_helper'
 
 describe 'Admin::Hooks' do
   before do
-    @project = create(:project)
+    @project = create(:empty_project)
     sign_in(create(:admin))
 
     @system_hook = create(:system_hook)
diff --git a/spec/features/admin/admin_projects_spec.rb b/spec/features/admin/admin_projects_spec.rb
index 9856d90bffe..4f69eafcb9d 100644
--- a/spec/features/admin/admin_projects_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/admin/admin_projects_spec.rb
@@ -4,17 +4,18 @@ describe "Admin::Projects"  do
   include Select2Helper
 
   let(:user) { create :user }
-  let!(:project) { create(:project) }
-  let!(:current_user) { create(:admin) }
+  let(:project) { create(:empty_project) }
+  let(:current_user) { create(:admin) }
 
   before do
     sign_in(current_user)
   end
 
   describe "GET /admin/projects" do
-    let!(:archived_project) { create :project, :public, :archived }
+    let!(:archived_project) { create :empty_project, :public, :archived }
 
     before do
+      expect(project).to be_persisted
       visit admin_projects_path
     end
 
@@ -39,15 +40,14 @@ describe "Admin::Projects"  do
 
   describe "GET /admin/projects/:namespace_id/:id" do
     before do
-      visit admin_projects_path
-      click_link "#{project.name}"
-    end
+      expect(project).to be_persisted
 
-    it do
-      expect(current_path).to eq admin_project_path(project)
+      visit admin_projects_path
+      click_link project.name
     end
 
     it "has project info" do
+      expect(current_path).to eq admin_project_path(project)
       expect(page).to have_content(project.path)
       expect(page).to have_content(project.name)
       expect(page).to have_content(project.name_with_namespace)
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ describe "Admin::Projects"  do
   end
 
   describe 'transfer project' do
+    # The gitlab-shell transfer will fail for a project without a repository
+    let(:project) { create(:project, :repository) }
+
     before do
       create(:group, name: 'Web')
 
diff --git a/spec/features/admin/admin_users_spec.rb b/spec/features/admin/admin_users_spec.rb
index e2e2b13cf8a..0dde8bb696c 100644
--- a/spec/features/admin/admin_users_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/admin/admin_users_spec.rb
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ describe "Admin::Users" do
 
   describe "GET /admin/users/:id/projects" do
     let(:group) { create(:group) }
-    let!(:project) { create(:project, group: group) }
+    let!(:project) { create(:empty_project, group: group) }
 
     before do
       group.add_developer(user)