diff --git a/core/blockchain_test.go b/core/blockchain_test.go
index 34f68a644..3c2bba569 100644
--- a/core/blockchain_test.go
+++ b/core/blockchain_test.go
@@ -1289,14 +1289,17 @@ func TestCanonicalBlockRetrieval(t *testing.T) {
 					continue // busy wait for canonical hash to be written
 				}
 				if ch != block.Hash() {
-					t.Fatalf("unknown canonical hash, want %s, got %s", block.Hash().Hex(), ch.Hex())
+					t.Errorf("unknown canonical hash, want %s, got %s", block.Hash().Hex(), ch.Hex())
+					return
 				}
 				fb := rawdb.ReadBlock(blockchain.db, ch, block.NumberU64())
 				if fb == nil {
-					t.Fatalf("unable to retrieve block %d for canonical hash: %s", block.NumberU64(), ch.Hex())
+					t.Errorf("unable to retrieve block %d for canonical hash: %s", block.NumberU64(), ch.Hex())
+					return
 				}
 				if fb.Hash() != block.Hash() {
-					t.Fatalf("invalid block hash for block %d, want %s, got %s", block.NumberU64(), block.Hash().Hex(), fb.Hash().Hex())
+					t.Errorf("invalid block hash for block %d, want %s, got %s", block.NumberU64(), block.Hash().Hex(), fb.Hash().Hex())
+					return
 				}
 				return
 			}
@@ -1916,13 +1919,6 @@ func testInsertKnownChainData(t *testing.T, typ string) {
 		inserter func(blocks []*types.Block, receipts []types.Receipts) error
 		asserter func(t *testing.T, block *types.Block)
 	)
-	headers, headers2 := make([]*types.Header, 0, len(blocks)), make([]*types.Header, 0, len(blocks2))
-	for _, block := range blocks {
-		headers = append(headers, block.Header())
-	}
-	for _, block := range blocks2 {
-		headers2 = append(headers2, block.Header())
-	}
 	if typ == "headers" {
 		inserter = func(blocks []*types.Block, receipts []types.Receipts) error {
 			headers := make([]*types.Header, 0, len(blocks))
diff --git a/core/chain_makers.go b/core/chain_makers.go
index 0b0fcdb4a..fc4f7d182 100644
--- a/core/chain_makers.go
+++ b/core/chain_makers.go
@@ -283,8 +283,7 @@ func makeBlockChain(parent *types.Block, n int, engine consensus.Engine, db ethd
 }
 
 type fakeChainReader struct {
-	config  *params.ChainConfig
-	genesis *types.Block
+	config *params.ChainConfig
 }
 
 // Config returns the chain configuration.
diff --git a/core/helper_test.go b/core/helper_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index e61c92dcd..000000000
--- a/core/helper_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,87 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2014 The go-ethereum Authors
-// This file is part of the go-ethereum library.
-//
-// The go-ethereum library is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
-// it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
-// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
-// (at your option) any later version.
-//
-// The go-ethereum library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
-// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
-// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
-// GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
-//
-// You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
-// along with the go-ethereum library. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
-
-package core
-
-import (
-	"container/list"
-
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/rawdb"
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/types"
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/ethdb"
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/event"
-)
-
-// Implement our EthTest Manager
-type TestManager struct {
-	// stateManager *StateManager
-	eventMux *event.TypeMux
-
-	db         ethdb.Database
-	txPool     *TxPool
-	blockChain *BlockChain
-	Blocks     []*types.Block
-}
-
-func (tm *TestManager) IsListening() bool {
-	return false
-}
-
-func (tm *TestManager) IsMining() bool {
-	return false
-}
-
-func (tm *TestManager) PeerCount() int {
-	return 0
-}
-
-func (tm *TestManager) Peers() *list.List {
-	return list.New()
-}
-
-func (tm *TestManager) BlockChain() *BlockChain {
-	return tm.blockChain
-}
-
-func (tm *TestManager) TxPool() *TxPool {
-	return tm.txPool
-}
-
-// func (tm *TestManager) StateManager() *StateManager {
-// 	return tm.stateManager
-// }
-
-func (tm *TestManager) EventMux() *event.TypeMux {
-	return tm.eventMux
-}
-
-// func (tm *TestManager) KeyManager() *crypto.KeyManager {
-// 	return nil
-// }
-
-func (tm *TestManager) Db() ethdb.Database {
-	return tm.db
-}
-
-func NewTestManager() *TestManager {
-	testManager := &TestManager{}
-	testManager.eventMux = new(event.TypeMux)
-	testManager.db = rawdb.NewMemoryDatabase()
-	// testManager.txPool = NewTxPool(testManager)
-	// testManager.blockChain = NewBlockChain(testManager)
-	// testManager.stateManager = NewStateManager(testManager)
-	return testManager
-}