diff --git a/cmd/swarm/access_test.go b/cmd/swarm/access_test.go
index 106e6dd91..b4d2e1dbc 100644
--- a/cmd/swarm/access_test.go
+++ b/cmd/swarm/access_test.go
@@ -54,9 +54,8 @@ var DefaultCurve = crypto.S256()
 // is then fetched through 2nd node. since the tested code is not key-aware - we can just
 // fetch from the 2nd node using HTTP BasicAuth
 func TestAccessPassword(t *testing.T) {
-	cluster := newTestCluster(t, 1)
-	defer cluster.Shutdown()
-	proxyNode := cluster.Nodes[0]
+	srv := testutil.NewTestSwarmServer(t, serverFunc, nil)
+	defer srv.Close()
 
 	dataFilename := testutil.TempFileWithContent(t, data)
 	defer os.RemoveAll(dataFilename)
@@ -64,7 +63,7 @@ func TestAccessPassword(t *testing.T) {
 	// upload the file with 'swarm up' and expect a hash
 	up := runSwarm(t,
 		"--bzzapi",
-		proxyNode.URL, //it doesn't matter through which node we upload content
+		srv.URL, //it doesn't matter through which node we upload content
 		"up",
 		"--encrypt",
 		dataFilename)
@@ -138,7 +137,7 @@ func TestAccessPassword(t *testing.T) {
 	if a.Publisher != "" {
 		t.Fatal("should be empty")
 	}
-	client := swarm.NewClient(cluster.Nodes[0].URL)
+	client := swarm.NewClient(srv.URL)
 
 	hash, err := client.UploadManifest(&m, false)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -147,7 +146,7 @@ func TestAccessPassword(t *testing.T) {
 
 	httpClient := &http.Client{}
 
-	url := cluster.Nodes[0].URL + "/" + "bzz:/" + hash
+	url := srv.URL + "/" + "bzz:/" + hash
 	response, err := httpClient.Get(url)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -189,7 +188,7 @@ func TestAccessPassword(t *testing.T) {
 	//download file with 'swarm down' with wrong password
 	up = runSwarm(t,
 		"--bzzapi",
-		proxyNode.URL,
+		srv.URL,
 		"down",
 		"bzz:/"+hash,
 		tmp,
diff --git a/cmd/swarm/manifest_test.go b/cmd/swarm/manifest_test.go
index 9c7808dfa..7ea4e0c45 100644
--- a/cmd/swarm/manifest_test.go
+++ b/cmd/swarm/manifest_test.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/api"
 	swarm "github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/api/client"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/testutil"
 )
 
 // TestManifestChange tests manifest add, update and remove
@@ -57,8 +58,8 @@ func TestManifestChangeEncrypted(t *testing.T) {
 // Argument encrypt controls whether to use encryption or not.
 func testManifestChange(t *testing.T, encrypt bool) {
 	t.Parallel()
-	cluster := newTestCluster(t, 1)
-	defer cluster.Shutdown()
+	srv := testutil.NewTestSwarmServer(t, serverFunc, nil)
+	defer srv.Close()
 
 	tmp, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "swarm-manifest-test")
 	if err != nil {
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ func testManifestChange(t *testing.T, encrypt bool) {
 
 	args := []string{
 		"--bzzapi",
-		cluster.Nodes[0].URL,
+		srv.URL,
 		"--recursive",
 		"--defaultpath",
 		indexDataFilename,
@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@ func testManifestChange(t *testing.T, encrypt bool) {
 
 	checkHashLength(t, origManifestHash, encrypt)
 
-	client := swarm.NewClient(cluster.Nodes[0].URL)
+	client := swarm.NewClient(srv.URL)
 
 	// upload a new file and use its manifest to add it the original manifest.
 	t.Run("add", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -122,14 +123,14 @@ func testManifestChange(t *testing.T, encrypt bool) {
 
 		humansManifestHash := runSwarmExpectHash(t,
 			"--bzzapi",
-			cluster.Nodes[0].URL,
+			srv.URL,
 			"up",
 			humansDataFilename,
 		)
 
 		newManifestHash := runSwarmExpectHash(t,
 			"--bzzapi",
-			cluster.Nodes[0].URL,
+			srv.URL,
 			"manifest",
 			"add",
 			origManifestHash,
@@ -177,14 +178,14 @@ func testManifestChange(t *testing.T, encrypt bool) {
 
 		robotsManifestHash := runSwarmExpectHash(t,
 			"--bzzapi",
-			cluster.Nodes[0].URL,
+			srv.URL,
 			"up",
 			robotsDataFilename,
 		)
 
 		newManifestHash := runSwarmExpectHash(t,
 			"--bzzapi",
-			cluster.Nodes[0].URL,
+			srv.URL,
 			"manifest",
 			"add",
 			origManifestHash,
@@ -237,14 +238,14 @@ func testManifestChange(t *testing.T, encrypt bool) {
 
 		indexManifestHash := runSwarmExpectHash(t,
 			"--bzzapi",
-			cluster.Nodes[0].URL,
+			srv.URL,
 			"up",
 			indexDataFilename,
 		)
 
 		newManifestHash := runSwarmExpectHash(t,
 			"--bzzapi",
-			cluster.Nodes[0].URL,
+			srv.URL,
 			"manifest",
 			"update",
 			origManifestHash,
@@ -295,14 +296,14 @@ func testManifestChange(t *testing.T, encrypt bool) {
 
 		humansManifestHash := runSwarmExpectHash(t,
 			"--bzzapi",
-			cluster.Nodes[0].URL,
+			srv.URL,
 			"up",
 			robotsDataFilename,
 		)
 
 		newManifestHash := runSwarmExpectHash(t,
 			"--bzzapi",
-			cluster.Nodes[0].URL,
+			srv.URL,
 			"manifest",
 			"update",
 			origManifestHash,
@@ -348,7 +349,7 @@ func testManifestChange(t *testing.T, encrypt bool) {
 	t.Run("remove", func(t *testing.T) {
 		newManifestHash := runSwarmExpectHash(t,
 			"--bzzapi",
-			cluster.Nodes[0].URL,
+			srv.URL,
 			"manifest",
 			"remove",
 			origManifestHash,
@@ -376,7 +377,7 @@ func testManifestChange(t *testing.T, encrypt bool) {
 	t.Run("remove nested", func(t *testing.T) {
 		newManifestHash := runSwarmExpectHash(t,
 			"--bzzapi",
-			cluster.Nodes[0].URL,
+			srv.URL,
 			"manifest",
 			"remove",
 			origManifestHash,
@@ -429,8 +430,8 @@ func TestNestedDefaultEntryUpdateEncrypted(t *testing.T) {
 
 func testNestedDefaultEntryUpdate(t *testing.T, encrypt bool) {
 	t.Parallel()
-	cluster := newTestCluster(t, 1)
-	defer cluster.Shutdown()
+	srv := testutil.NewTestSwarmServer(t, serverFunc, nil)
+	defer srv.Close()
 
 	tmp, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "swarm-manifest-test")
 	if err != nil {
@@ -458,7 +459,7 @@ func testNestedDefaultEntryUpdate(t *testing.T, encrypt bool) {
 
 	args := []string{
 		"--bzzapi",
-		cluster.Nodes[0].URL,
+		srv.URL,
 		"--recursive",
 		"--defaultpath",
 		indexDataFilename,
@@ -473,7 +474,7 @@ func testNestedDefaultEntryUpdate(t *testing.T, encrypt bool) {
 
 	checkHashLength(t, origManifestHash, encrypt)
 
-	client := swarm.NewClient(cluster.Nodes[0].URL)
+	client := swarm.NewClient(srv.URL)
 
 	newIndexData := []byte("<h1>Ethereum Swarm</h1>")
 	newIndexDataFilename := filepath.Join(tmp, "index.html")
@@ -484,14 +485,14 @@ func testNestedDefaultEntryUpdate(t *testing.T, encrypt bool) {
 
 	newIndexManifestHash := runSwarmExpectHash(t,
 		"--bzzapi",
-		cluster.Nodes[0].URL,
+		srv.URL,
 		"up",
 		newIndexDataFilename,
 	)
 
 	newManifestHash := runSwarmExpectHash(t,
 		"--bzzapi",
-		cluster.Nodes[0].URL,
+		srv.URL,
 		"manifest",
 		"update",
 		origManifestHash,
diff --git a/cmd/swarm/run_test.go b/cmd/swarm/run_test.go
index 6d2a86f4b..55199e955 100644
--- a/cmd/swarm/run_test.go
+++ b/cmd/swarm/run_test.go
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rpc"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/api"
+	swarmhttp "github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/api/http"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/testutil"
 )
 
 var loglevel = flag.Int("loglevel", 3, "verbosity of logs")
@@ -55,6 +58,9 @@ func init() {
 	})
 }
 
+func serverFunc(api *api.API) testutil.TestServer {
+	return swarmhttp.NewServer(api, "")
+}
 func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	// check if we have been reexec'd
 	if reexec.Init() {
diff --git a/cmd/swarm/upload_test.go b/cmd/swarm/upload_test.go
index e8161680f..0ac2456a5 100644
--- a/cmd/swarm/upload_test.go
+++ b/cmd/swarm/upload_test.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log"
 	swarm "github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/api/client"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/testutil"
 	"github.com/mattn/go-colorable"
 )
 
@@ -298,8 +299,8 @@ func TestCLISwarmUpDefaultPath(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func testCLISwarmUpDefaultPath(toEncrypt bool, absDefaultPath bool, t *testing.T) {
-	cluster := newTestCluster(t, 1)
-	defer cluster.Shutdown()
+	srv := testutil.NewTestSwarmServer(t, serverFunc, nil)
+	defer srv.Close()
 
 	tmp, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "swarm-defaultpath-test")
 	if err != nil {
@@ -323,7 +324,7 @@ func testCLISwarmUpDefaultPath(toEncrypt bool, absDefaultPath bool, t *testing.T
 
 	args := []string{
 		"--bzzapi",
-		cluster.Nodes[0].URL,
+		srv.URL,
 		"--recursive",
 		"--defaultpath",
 		defaultPath,
@@ -340,7 +341,7 @@ func testCLISwarmUpDefaultPath(toEncrypt bool, absDefaultPath bool, t *testing.T
 	up.ExpectExit()
 	hash := matches[0]
 
-	client := swarm.NewClient(cluster.Nodes[0].URL)
+	client := swarm.NewClient(srv.URL)
 
 	m, isEncrypted, err := client.DownloadManifest(hash)
 	if err != nil {