diff --git a/src/tests/frontend/helper.js b/src/tests/frontend/helper.js
index dbb5d4b2d..953145773 100644
--- a/src/tests/frontend/helper.js
+++ b/src/tests/frontend/helper.js
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ const helper = {};
   helper.withFastCommit = async (fn) => {
     const incorp = () => helper.padChrome$.padeditor.ace.callWithAce(
         (ace) => ace.ace_inCallStackIfNecessary('helper.edit', () => ace.ace_fastIncorp()));
-    const cc = helper.padChrome$.window.pad.collabClient;
+    const cc = helper.padChrome$.window.require('ep_etherpad-lite/static/js/pad').pad.collabClient;
     const {commitDelay} = cc;
     cc.commitDelay = 0;
     try {
diff --git a/src/tests/frontend/helper/methods.js b/src/tests/frontend/helper/methods.js
index b828cd601..cd94ba7aa 100644
--- a/src/tests/frontend/helper/methods.js
+++ b/src/tests/frontend/helper/methods.js
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
  * that are visible in tests
  */
 helper.spyOnSocketIO = () => {
-  helper.contentWindow().pad.socket.on('message', (msg) => {
+  const {pad} = helper.contentWindow().require('ep_etherpad-lite/static/js/pad');
+  pad.socket.on('message', (msg) => {
     if (msg.type !== 'COLLABROOM') return;
     if (msg.data.type === 'ACCEPT_COMMIT') {
       helper.commits.push(msg);
diff --git a/src/tests/frontend/specs/collab_client.js b/src/tests/frontend/specs/collab_client.js
index 307e37908..052f411eb 100644
--- a/src/tests/frontend/specs/collab_client.js
+++ b/src/tests/frontend/specs/collab_client.js
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ describe('Messages in the COLLABROOM', function () {
   const user1Text = 'text created by user 1';
   const user2Text = 'text created by user 2';
 
+  const getPadObj = () => helper.padChrome$.window.require('ep_etherpad-lite/static/js/pad').pad;
+
   const triggerEvent = (eventName) => {
     const event = new helper.padInner$.Event(eventName);
     helper.padInner$('#innerdocbody').trigger(event);
@@ -36,7 +38,7 @@ describe('Messages in the COLLABROOM', function () {
     // User 1 starts sending a change to the server.
     let sendStarted;
     const finishSend = (() => {
-      const socketJsonObj = helper.padChrome$.window.pad.socket.json;
+      const socketJsonObj = getPadObj().socket.json;
       const sendBackup = socketJsonObj.send;
       let startSend;
       sendStarted = new Promise((resolve) => { startSend = resolve; });
@@ -60,7 +62,7 @@ describe('Messages in the COLLABROOM', function () {
     // User 1 receives a change from user 2. (User 1 will not incorporate the change until the
     // composition is completed.)
     const user2ChangeArrivedAtUser1 = new Promise((resolve) => {
-      const cc = helper.padChrome$.window.pad.collabClient;
+      const cc = getPadObj().collabClient;
       const origHM = cc.handleMessageFromServer;
       cc.handleMessageFromServer = (evt) => {
         if (evt.type === 'COLLABROOM' && evt.data.type === 'NEW_CHANGES') {
diff --git a/src/tests/frontend/specs/pad_modal.js b/src/tests/frontend/specs/pad_modal.js
index 735abe8c0..98fe4544c 100644
--- a/src/tests/frontend/specs/pad_modal.js
+++ b/src/tests/frontend/specs/pad_modal.js
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ describe('Pad modal', function () {
       await helper.aNewPad();
 
       // force a "slowcommit" error
-      helper.padChrome$.window.pad.handleChannelStateChange('DISCONNECTED', 'slowcommit');
+      const {pad} = helper.padChrome$.window.require('ep_etherpad-lite/static/js/pad');
+      pad.handleChannelStateChange('DISCONNECTED', 'slowcommit');
 
       // wait for modal to be displayed
       const $modal = helper.padChrome$(MODAL_SELECTOR);