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/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 a10ba629760..07474f7e4ba 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
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ 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",
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