diff --git a/bigchaindb/backend/rethinkdb/query.py b/bigchaindb/backend/rethinkdb/query.py
index 6328765c..a9035646 100644
--- a/bigchaindb/backend/rethinkdb/query.py
+++ b/bigchaindb/backend/rethinkdb/query.py
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ def get_last_voted_block(connection, node_pubkey):
 
     except r.ReqlNonExistenceError:
         # return last vote if last vote exists else return Genesis block
-        return get_genesis_block()
+        return get_genesis_block(connection)
 
     # Now the fun starts. Since the resolution of timestamp is a second,
     # we might have more than one vote per timestamp. If this is the case
diff --git a/tests/db/rethinkdb/test_schema.py b/tests/db/rethinkdb/test_schema.py
index 9c219ac9..c99612f7 100644
--- a/tests/db/rethinkdb/test_schema.py
+++ b/tests/db/rethinkdb/test_schema.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ def test_init_creates_db_tables_and_indexes():
     # The db is set up by fixtures so we need to remove it
     conn.run(r.db_drop(dbname))
 
-    schema.create_database()
+    schema.create_database(conn, dbname)
 
     assert conn.run(r.db_list().contains(dbname)) is True
 
diff --git a/tests/db/test_bigchain_api.py b/tests/db/test_bigchain_api.py
index 9ad3732f..ca63eb4b 100644
--- a/tests/db/test_bigchain_api.py
+++ b/tests/db/test_bigchain_api.py
@@ -270,7 +270,8 @@ class TestBigchainApi(object):
 
     @pytest.mark.usefixtures('inputs')
     def test_genesis_block(self, b):
-        block = b.backend.get_genesis_block()
+        from bigchaindb.backend import query
+        block = query.get_genesis_block(b.connection)
 
         assert len(block['block']['transactions']) == 1
         assert block['block']['transactions'][0]['operation'] == 'GENESIS'
@@ -286,8 +287,9 @@ class TestBigchainApi(object):
 
     @pytest.mark.skipif(reason='This test may not make sense after changing the chainification mode')
     def test_get_last_block(self, b):
+        from bigchaindb.backend import query
         # get the number of blocks
-        num_blocks = b.backend.count_blocks()
+        num_blocks = query.count_blocks(b.connection)
 
         # get the last block
         last_block = b.get_last_block()
@@ -340,9 +342,10 @@ class TestBigchainApi(object):
 
     def test_get_last_voted_block_returns_genesis_if_no_votes_has_been_casted(self, b):
         from bigchaindb.models import Block
+        from bigchaindb.backend import query
 
         b.create_genesis_block()
-        genesis = b.backend.get_genesis_block()
+        genesis = query.get_genesis_block(b.connection)
         genesis = Block.from_dict(genesis)
         gb = b.get_last_voted_block()
         assert gb == genesis
@@ -477,6 +480,7 @@ class TestBigchainApi(object):
 
     @pytest.mark.usefixtures('inputs')
     def test_assign_transaction_one_node(self, b, user_pk, user_sk):
+        from bigchaindb.backend import query
         from bigchaindb.models import Transaction
 
         input_tx = b.get_owned_ids(user_pk).pop()
@@ -487,13 +491,14 @@ class TestBigchainApi(object):
         b.write_transaction(tx)
 
         # retrieve the transaction
-        response = list(b.backend.get_stale_transactions(0))[0]
+        response = list(query.get_stale_transactions(b.connection, 0))[0]
 
         # check if the assignee is the current node
         assert response['assignee'] == b.me
 
     @pytest.mark.usefixtures('inputs')
     def test_assign_transaction_multiple_nodes(self, b, user_pk, user_sk):
+        from bigchaindb.backend import query
         from bigchaindb.common.crypto import generate_key_pair
         from bigchaindb.models import Transaction
 
@@ -511,13 +516,12 @@ class TestBigchainApi(object):
             b.write_transaction(tx)
 
         # retrieve the transaction
-        response = b.backend.get_stale_transactions(0)
+        response = query.get_stale_transactions(b.connection, 0)
 
         # check if the assignee is one of the _other_ federation nodes
         for tx in response:
             assert tx['assignee'] in b.nodes_except_me
 
-
     @pytest.mark.usefixtures('inputs')
     def test_non_create_input_not_found(self, b, user_pk):
         from cryptoconditions import Ed25519Fulfillment
@@ -537,6 +541,7 @@ class TestBigchainApi(object):
             tx.validate(Bigchain())
 
     def test_count_backlog(self, b, user_pk):
+        from bigchaindb.backend import query
         from bigchaindb.models import Transaction
 
         for _ in range(4):
@@ -544,7 +549,7 @@ class TestBigchainApi(object):
                                     [([user_pk], 1)]).sign([b.me_private])
             b.write_transaction(tx)
 
-        assert b.backend.count_backlog() == 4
+        assert query.count_backlog(b.connection) == 4
 
 
 class TestTransactionValidation(object):