diff --git a/test/app-tests/joining-test.tsx b/test/app-tests/joining-test.tsx
index 23f956f2d4..1ea411fec1 100644
--- a/test/app-tests/joining-test.tsx
+++ b/test/app-tests/joining-test.tsx
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ describe('joining a room', function() {
             const ROOM_ALIAS = '#alias:localhost';
             const ROOM_ID = '!id:localhost';
 
-            httpBackend.when('GET', '/capabilities').respond(200, { capabilities : {} });
             httpBackend.when('GET', '/pushrules').respond(200, {});
             httpBackend.when('POST', '/filter').respond(200, { filter_id: 'fid' });
 
diff --git a/test/app-tests/loading-test.tsx b/test/app-tests/loading-test.tsx
index e86c83759f..068164dcee 100644
--- a/test/app-tests/loading-test.tsx
+++ b/test/app-tests/loading-test.tsx
@@ -168,15 +168,15 @@ describe('loading:', function() {
     // returns a promise resolving to the received request
     async function expectAndAwaitSync(opts?) {
         let syncRequest = null;
+        httpBackend.when('GET', '/_matrix/client/versions')
+            .respond(200, {
+                "versions": ["r0.3.0"],
+                "unstable_features": {
+                    "m.lazy_load_members": true
+                }
+            });
         const isGuest = opts && opts.isGuest;
         if (!isGuest) {
-            httpBackend.when('GET', '/_matrix/client/versions')
-                .respond(200, {
-                    "versions": ["r0.3.0"],
-                    "unstable_features": {
-                        "m.lazy_load_members": true
-                    }
-                });
             // the call to create the LL filter
             httpBackend.when('POST', '/filter').respond(200, { filter_id: 'llfid' });
         }
@@ -313,7 +313,6 @@ describe('loading:', function() {
         });
 
         it('shows the last known room by default', function() {
-            httpBackend.when('GET', '/capabilities').respond(200, { capabilities: {} });
             httpBackend.when('GET', '/pushrules').respond(200, {});
 
             loadApp();
@@ -333,7 +332,6 @@ describe('loading:', function() {
         it('shows a home page by default if we have no joined rooms', function() {
             localStorage.removeItem("mx_last_room_id");
 
-            httpBackend.when('GET', '/capabilities').respond(200, { capabilities : {} });
             httpBackend.when('GET', '/pushrules').respond(200, {});
 
             loadApp();
@@ -351,7 +349,6 @@ describe('loading:', function() {
         });
 
         it('shows a room view if we followed a room link', function() {
-            httpBackend.when('GET', '/capabilities').respond(200, { capabilities : {} });
             httpBackend.when('GET', '/pushrules').respond(200, {});
 
             loadApp({
@@ -425,7 +422,6 @@ describe('loading:', function() {
 
     describe('Guest auto-registration:', function() {
         it('shows a welcome page by default', function() {
-            httpBackend.when('GET', '/capabilities').respond(200, { capabilities: {} });
 
             loadApp();
 
@@ -457,7 +453,6 @@ describe('loading:', function() {
         });
 
         it('uses the default homeserver to register with', function() {
-            httpBackend.when('GET', '/capabilities').respond(200, { capabilities: {} });
 
             loadApp();
 
@@ -493,7 +488,6 @@ describe('loading:', function() {
         });
 
         it('shows a room view if we followed a room link', function() {
-            httpBackend.when('GET', '/capabilities').respond(200, { capabilities: {} });
 
             loadApp({
                 uriFragment: "#/room/!room:id",
@@ -526,7 +520,6 @@ describe('loading:', function() {
 
         describe('Login as user', function() {
             beforeEach(function() {
-                httpBackend.when('GET', '/capabilities').respond(200, { capabilities: {} });
 
                 // first we have to load the homepage
                 loadApp();
@@ -674,7 +667,6 @@ describe('loading:', function() {
             // Wait for another trip around the event loop for the UI to update
             return sleep(1);
         }).then(() => {
-            httpBackend.when('GET', '/capabilities').respond(200, { capabilities : {} });
             httpBackend.when('GET', '/pushrules').respond(200, {});
             return expectAndAwaitSync().catch((e) => {
                 throw new Error("Never got /sync after login: did the client start?");