diff --git a/js/models/conversations.js b/js/models/conversations.js
index b5766a723..9dc3ea3ba 100644
--- a/js/models/conversations.js
+++ b/js/models/conversations.js
@@ -135,6 +135,8 @@
       this.on('read', this.updateLastMessage);
       this.on('sent', this.updateLastMessage);
       this.on('expired', this.onExpired);
+
+      this.updateLastMessage();
     },
 
     isMe() {
@@ -198,8 +200,8 @@
         isSelected: this.isSelected,
 
         lastMessage: {
-          status: this.get('lastMessageStatus'),
-          text: this.get('lastMessage'),
+          status: this.lastMessageStatus,
+          text: this.lastMessage,
         },
 
         onClick: () => this.trigger('select', this),
@@ -899,6 +901,10 @@
     },
 
     async updateLastMessage() {
+      if (!this.id) {
+        return;
+      }
+
       const messages = await window.Signal.Data.getMessagesByConversation(
         this.id,
         { limit: 1, MessageCollection: Whisper.MessageCollection }
@@ -907,26 +913,41 @@
         return;
       }
 
-      const lastMessage = messages.at(0);
+      const lastMessageModel = messages.at(0);
 
-      const lastMessageJSON = lastMessage ? lastMessage.toJSON() : null;
-      const lastMessageStatus = lastMessage
-        ? lastMessage.getMessagePropStatus()
+      const lastMessageJSON = lastMessageModel
+        ? lastMessageModel.toJSON()
+        : null;
+      const lastMessageStatusModel = lastMessageModel
+        ? lastMessageModel.getMessagePropStatus()
         : null;
       const lastMessageUpdate = Conversation.createLastMessageUpdate({
         currentLastMessageText: this.get('lastMessage') || null,
         currentTimestamp: this.get('timestamp') || null,
         lastMessage: lastMessageJSON,
-        lastMessageStatus,
-        lastMessageNotificationText: lastMessage
-          ? lastMessage.getNotificationText()
+        lastMessageStatus: lastMessageStatusModel,
+        lastMessageNotificationText: lastMessageModel
+          ? lastMessageModel.getNotificationText()
           : null,
       });
 
+      let hasChanged = false;
+      const { lastMessage, lastMessageStatus } = lastMessageUpdate;
+      lastMessageUpdate.lastMessage = null;
+      lastMessageUpdate.lastMessageStatus = null;
+
+      hasChanged = hasChanged || lastMessage !== this.lastMessage;
+      this.lastMessage = lastMessage;
+
+      hasChanged = hasChanged || lastMessageStatus !== this.lastMessageStatus;
+      this.lastMessageStatus = lastMessageStatus;
+
       this.set(lastMessageUpdate);
 
-      if (this.hasChanged('lastMessage') || this.hasChanged('timestamp')) {
+      if (this.hasChanged()) {
         this.save();
+      } else if (hasChanged) {
+        this.trigger('change');
       }
     },
 
diff --git a/js/views/conversation_list_item_view.js b/js/views/conversation_list_item_view.js
index 530b955c5..7b7618b3d 100644
--- a/js/views/conversation_list_item_view.js
+++ b/js/views/conversation_list_item_view.js
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
     templateName: 'conversation-preview',
     initialize() {
       this.listenTo(this.model, 'destroy', this.remove);
-      this.model.updateLastMessage();
     },
 
     remove() {
diff --git a/test/_test.js b/test/_test.js
index e03fadb2a..b3315a797 100644
--- a/test/_test.js
+++ b/test/_test.js
@@ -60,25 +60,26 @@ function hexToArrayBuffer(str) {
   return ret;
 }
 
-/* Delete the database before running any tests */
-before(function(done) {
-  var idbReq = indexedDB.deleteDatabase('test');
-  idbReq.onsuccess = function() {
-    done();
-  };
-});
+function deleteDatabase() {
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    var idbReq = indexedDB.deleteDatabase('test');
+    idbReq.onsuccess = resolve;
+    idbReq.error = reject;
+  });
+}
+
+/* Delete the database before running any tests */
+before(async () => {
+  await deleteDatabase();
 
-async function clearDatabase() {
   await Signal.Migrations.Migrations0DatabaseWithAttachmentData.run({
     Backbone,
     databaseName: Whisper.Database.id,
     logger: window.log,
   });
+});
 
-  const convos = new Whisper.ConversationCollection();
-  await wrapDeferred(convos.fetch());
-  await wrapDeferred(convos.destroyAll());
-  const messages = new Whisper.MessageCollection();
-  await wrapDeferred(messages.fetch());
-  await wrapDeferred(messages.destroyAll());
+async function clearDatabase() {
+  const db = await Whisper.Database.open();
+  await Whisper.Database.clear();
 }
diff --git a/test/fixtures_test.js b/test/fixtures_test.js
index ecf815ffe..20d4986b5 100644
--- a/test/fixtures_test.js
+++ b/test/fixtures_test.js
@@ -1,32 +1,26 @@
 'use strict';
 
 describe('Fixtures', function() {
-  before(function(done) {
+  before(function() {
     // NetworkStatusView checks this method every five seconds while showing
     window.getSocketStatus = function() {
       return WebSocket.OPEN;
     };
-
-    Whisper.Fixtures()
-      .saveAll()
-      .then(function() {
-        done();
-      });
   });
 
-  it('renders', function(done) {
-    ConversationController.reset();
-    ConversationController.load()
-      .then(function() {
-        var view = new Whisper.InboxView({ window: window });
-        view.onEmpty();
-        view.$el.prependTo($('#render-light-theme'));
+  it('renders', async () => {
+    await Whisper.Fixtures().saveAll();
 
-        var view = new Whisper.InboxView({ window: window });
-        view.$el.removeClass('light-theme').addClass('dark-theme');
-        view.onEmpty();
-        view.$el.prependTo($('#render-dark-theme'));
-      })
-      .then(done, done);
+    ConversationController.reset();
+    await ConversationController.load();
+
+    var view = new Whisper.InboxView({ window: window });
+    view.onEmpty();
+    view.$el.prependTo($('#render-light-theme'));
+
+    var view = new Whisper.InboxView({ window: window });
+    view.$el.removeClass('light-theme').addClass('dark-theme');
+    view.onEmpty();
+    view.$el.prependTo($('#render-dark-theme'));
   });
 });
diff --git a/test/models/conversations_test.js b/test/models/conversations_test.js
index 98066877c..4e52743c2 100644
--- a/test/models/conversations_test.js
+++ b/test/models/conversations_test.js
@@ -36,15 +36,15 @@
         .then(done);
     });
 
-    it('fetches persistent convos', function(done) {
+    it('fetches persistent convos', async () => {
       var convos = new Whisper.ConversationCollection();
       assert.strictEqual(convos.length, 0);
-      convos.fetch().then(function() {
-        var m = convos.at(0).attributes;
-        _.each(conversation_attributes, function(val, key) {
-          assert.deepEqual(m[key], val);
-        });
-        done();
+
+      await wrapDeferred(convos.fetch());
+
+      var m = convos.at(0).attributes;
+      _.each(conversation_attributes, function(val, key) {
+        assert.deepEqual(m[key], val);
       });
     });
 
@@ -226,14 +226,18 @@
   });
 
   describe('Conversation search', function() {
-    var convo = new Whisper.ConversationCollection().add({
-      id: '+14155555555',
-      type: 'private',
-      name: 'John Doe',
-    });
-    before(function(done) {
+    let convo;
+
+    beforeEach(function(done) {
+      convo = new Whisper.ConversationCollection().add({
+        id: '+14155555555',
+        type: 'private',
+        name: 'John Doe',
+      });
       convo.save().then(done);
     });
+    afterEach(clearDatabase);
+
     function testSearch(queries, done) {
       return Promise.all(
         queries.map(function(query) {
diff --git a/test/views/attachment_view_test.js b/test/views/attachment_view_test.js
index 4d8279ab0..fbc1f1f8e 100644
--- a/test/views/attachment_view_test.js
+++ b/test/views/attachment_view_test.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ describe('AttachmentView', () => {
 
   before(async () => {
     await clearDatabase();
+
     convo = new Whisper.Conversation({ id: 'foo' });
     message = convo.messageCollection.add({
       conversationId: convo.id,
diff --git a/test/views/conversation_search_view_test.js b/test/views/conversation_search_view_test.js
index 63c26c5e7..98770ee06 100644
--- a/test/views/conversation_search_view_test.js
+++ b/test/views/conversation_search_view_test.js
@@ -24,20 +24,26 @@ describe('ConversationSearchView', function() {
     });
   });
   describe('Searching for left groups', function() {
-    var convo = new Whisper.ConversationCollection().add({
-      id: 'a-left-group',
-      name: 'i left this group',
-      members: [],
-      type: 'group',
-      left: true,
-    });
+    let convo;
+
     before(() => {
+      convo = new Whisper.ConversationCollection().add({
+        id: 'a-left-group',
+        name: 'i left this group',
+        members: [],
+        type: 'group',
+        left: true,
+      });
+
       return wrapDeferred(convo.save());
     });
     describe('with no messages', function() {
-      var input = $('<input>');
-      var view = new Whisper.ConversationSearchView({ input: input }).render();
+      var input;
+      var view;
+
       before(function(done) {
+        input = $('<input>');
+        view = new Whisper.ConversationSearchView({ input: input }).render();
         view.$input.val('left');
         view.filterContacts();
         view.typeahead_view.collection.on('reset', function() {
@@ -52,9 +58,11 @@ describe('ConversationSearchView', function() {
       });
     });
     describe('with messages', function() {
-      var input = $('<input>');
-      var view = new Whisper.ConversationSearchView({ input: input }).render();
+      var input;
+      var view;
       before(function(done) {
+        input = $('<input>');
+        view = new Whisper.ConversationSearchView({ input: input }).render();
         convo.save({ lastMessage: 'asdf' }).then(function() {
           view.$input.val('left');
           view.filterContacts();
@@ -72,17 +80,22 @@ describe('ConversationSearchView', function() {
     });
   });
   describe('Showing all contacts', function() {
-    var input = $('<input>');
-    var view = new Whisper.ConversationSearchView({ input: input }).render();
-    view.showAllContacts = true;
-    var convo = new Whisper.ConversationCollection().add({
-      id: 'a-left-group',
-      name: 'i left this group',
-      members: [],
-      type: 'group',
-      left: true,
-    });
+    let input;
+    let view;
+    let convo;
+
     before(() => {
+      input = $('<input>');
+      view = new Whisper.ConversationSearchView({ input: input }).render();
+      view.showAllContacts = true;
+      convo = new Whisper.ConversationCollection().add({
+        id: 'a-left-group',
+        name: 'i left this group',
+        members: [],
+        type: 'group',
+        left: true,
+      });
+
       return wrapDeferred(convo.save());
     });
     describe('with no messages', function() {
diff --git a/test/views/inbox_view_test.js b/test/views/inbox_view_test.js
index 1eb05a7ec..1e834c04b 100644
--- a/test/views/inbox_view_test.js
+++ b/test/views/inbox_view_test.js
@@ -1,11 +1,19 @@
 describe('InboxView', function() {
-  var inboxView = new Whisper.InboxView({
-    model: {},
-    window: window,
-    initialLoadComplete: function() {},
-  }).render();
+  let inboxView;
+  let conversation;
 
-  var conversation = new Whisper.Conversation({ id: '1234', type: 'private' });
+  before(() => {
+    inboxView = new Whisper.InboxView({
+      model: {},
+      window: window,
+      initialLoadComplete: function() {},
+    }).render();
+
+    conversation = new Whisper.Conversation({
+      id: '1234',
+      type: 'private',
+    });
+  });
 
   describe('the conversation stack', function() {
     it('should be rendered', function() {