diff --git a/test/functional/api/autocmd_spec.lua b/test/functional/api/autocmd_spec.lua
index 64b28e7bf7..10e4a45254 100644
--- a/test/functional/api/autocmd_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/api/autocmd_spec.lua
@@ -1171,8 +1171,6 @@ describe('autocmd api', function()
 
   describe('nvim_create_augroup', function()
     before_each(function()
-      clear()
-
       api.nvim_set_var('executed', 0)
     end)
 
diff --git a/test/functional/api/buffer_updates_spec.lua b/test/functional/api/buffer_updates_spec.lua
index 1821be66c4..5062fbaee3 100644
--- a/test/functional/api/buffer_updates_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/api/buffer_updates_spec.lua
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ local function editoriginal(activate, lines)
     lines = origlines
   end
   -- load up the file with the correct contents
-  clear()
   return open(activate, lines)
 end
 
@@ -507,8 +506,6 @@ describe('API: buffer events:', function()
   end)
 
   it('can notify several channels at once', function()
-    clear()
-
     -- create several new sessions, in addition to our main API
     local sessions = {}
     local pipe = n.new_pipename()
@@ -781,8 +778,6 @@ describe('API: buffer events:', function()
   end)
 
   it('detaches if the buffer is unloaded/deleted/wiped', function()
-    -- start with a blank nvim
-    clear()
     -- need to make a new window with a buffer because :bunload doesn't let you
     -- unload the last buffer
     for _, cmd in ipairs({ 'bunload', 'bdelete', 'bwipeout' }) do
@@ -798,20 +793,17 @@ describe('API: buffer events:', function()
   end)
 
   it('does not send the buffer content if not requested', function()
-    clear()
     local b, tick = editoriginal(false)
     ok(api.nvim_buf_attach(b, false, {}))
     expectn('nvim_buf_changedtick_event', { b, tick })
   end)
 
   it('returns a proper error on nonempty options dict', function()
-    clear()
     local b = editoriginal(false)
     eq("Invalid key: 'builtin'", pcall_err(api.nvim_buf_attach, b, false, { builtin = 'asfd' }))
   end)
 
   it('nvim_buf_attach returns response after delay #8634', function()
-    clear()
     sleep(250)
     -- response
     eq(true, n.request('nvim_buf_attach', 0, false, {}))
diff --git a/test/functional/api/version_spec.lua b/test/functional/api/version_spec.lua
index c997819cab..e9770575ce 100644
--- a/test/functional/api/version_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/api/version_spec.lua
@@ -48,8 +48,6 @@ describe("api_info()['version']", function()
 end)
 
 describe('api metadata', function()
-  before_each(clear)
-
   local function name_table(entries)
     local by_name = {}
     for _, e in ipairs(entries) do
@@ -149,6 +147,8 @@ describe('api metadata', function()
         clean_level_0(old_api[level])
       end
     end
+    -- No Nvim session will be used in the following tests.
+    n.check_close()
   end)
 
   it('functions are compatible with old metadata or have new level', function()
diff --git a/test/functional/autocmd/completedone_spec.lua b/test/functional/autocmd/completedone_spec.lua
index 46c52cca8a..cfc1963f8a 100644
--- a/test/functional/autocmd/completedone_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/autocmd/completedone_spec.lua
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ describe('CompleteDone', function()
 
   describe('sets v:event.reason', function()
     before_each(function()
-      clear()
       command('autocmd CompleteDone * let g:donereason = v:event.reason')
       feed('i')
       call('complete', call('col', '.'), { 'foo', 'bar' })
diff --git a/test/functional/core/exit_spec.lua b/test/functional/core/exit_spec.lua
index aafad4c8a5..1314916168 100644
--- a/test/functional/core/exit_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/core/exit_spec.lua
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ end)
 describe(':cquit', function()
   local function test_cq(cmdline, exit_code, redir_msg)
     if redir_msg then
+      n.clear()
       eq(
         redir_msg,
         pcall_err(function()
@@ -66,16 +67,13 @@ describe(':cquit', function()
       )
       poke_eventloop()
       assert_alive()
+      n.check_close()
     else
       local p = n.spawn_wait('--cmd', cmdline)
       eq(exit_code, p.status)
     end
   end
 
-  before_each(function()
-    n.clear()
-  end)
-
   it('exits with non-zero after :cquit', function()
     test_cq('cquit', 1, nil)
   end)
diff --git a/test/functional/lua/fs_spec.lua b/test/functional/lua/fs_spec.lua
index b7baed526b..e735f60a69 100644
--- a/test/functional/lua/fs_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/lua/fs_spec.lua
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ local tests_windows_paths = {
   'c:\\users\\foo\\bar\\..\\',
 }
 
-before_each(clear)
+setup(clear)
 
 describe('vim.fs', function()
   describe('parents()', function()
@@ -354,6 +354,10 @@ describe('vim.fs', function()
       command('edit test/functional/fixtures/tty-test.c')
     end)
 
+    after_each(function()
+      command('bwipe!')
+    end)
+
     it('works with a single marker', function()
       eq(test_source_path, exec_lua([[return vim.fs.root(0, 'CMakePresets.json')]]))
     end)
@@ -466,8 +470,9 @@ describe('vim.fs', function()
       eq(
         xdg_config_home .. '/nvim',
         exec_lua(function()
-          vim.env.XDG_CONFIG_HOME = xdg_config_home
-          return vim.fs.normalize('$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/nvim')
+          return vim._with({ env = { XDG_CONFIG_HOME = xdg_config_home } }, function()
+            return vim.fs.normalize('$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/nvim')
+          end)
         end)
       )
     end)
diff --git a/test/functional/lua/glob_spec.lua b/test/functional/lua/glob_spec.lua
index c3d285c310..5ca38be62a 100644
--- a/test/functional/lua/glob_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/lua/glob_spec.lua
@@ -1,15 +1,10 @@
 local t = require('test.testutil')
-local n = require('test.functional.testnvim')()
 
 local eq = t.eq
 
 describe('glob', function()
-  before_each(n.clear)
-
   local match = function(pattern, str)
-    return n.exec_lua(function()
-      return require('vim.glob').to_lpeg(pattern):match(str) ~= nil
-    end)
+    return require('vim.glob').to_lpeg(pattern):match(str) ~= nil
   end
 
   describe('glob matching', function()
diff --git a/test/functional/lua/text_spec.lua b/test/functional/lua/text_spec.lua
index 7cdec39338..05eb5cab0c 100644
--- a/test/functional/lua/text_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/lua/text_spec.lua
@@ -1,12 +1,8 @@
 local t = require('test.testutil')
-local n = require('test.functional.testnvim')()
 
-local clear = n.clear
 local eq = t.eq
 
 describe('vim.text', function()
-  before_each(clear)
-
   describe('indent()', function()
     it('validation', function()
       t.matches('size%: expected number, got string', t.pcall_err(vim.text.indent, 'x', 'x'))
diff --git a/test/functional/options/keymap_spec.lua b/test/functional/options/keymap_spec.lua
index f76525699f..21e6ab97ff 100644
--- a/test/functional/options/keymap_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/options/keymap_spec.lua
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ local exec_capture, dedent = n.exec_capture, t.dedent
 -- First test it's implemented using the :lmap and :lnoremap commands, then
 -- check those mappings behave as expected.
 describe("'keymap' / :lmap", function()
-  clear()
   before_each(function()
     clear()
     insert('lllaaa')
diff --git a/test/functional/plugin/lsp/utils_spec.lua b/test/functional/plugin/lsp/utils_spec.lua
index f0fa659372..6161529f5e 100644
--- a/test/functional/plugin/lsp/utils_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/plugin/lsp/utils_spec.lua
@@ -184,7 +184,6 @@ describe('vim.lsp.util', function()
     end
 
     before_each(function()
-      n.clear()
       local _ = Screen.new(80, 80)
       feed('79i<CR><Esc>') -- fill screen with empty lines
     end)
@@ -280,7 +279,6 @@ describe('vim.lsp.util', function()
 
   describe('open_floating_preview', function()
     before_each(function()
-      n.clear()
       Screen.new(10, 10)
       feed('9i<CR><Esc>G4k')
     end)
diff --git a/test/functional/treesitter/fold_spec.lua b/test/functional/treesitter/fold_spec.lua
index d4a96bc28e..5c3aa19903 100644
--- a/test/functional/treesitter/fold_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/treesitter/fold_spec.lua
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@ local poke_eventloop = n.poke_eventloop
 before_each(clear)
 
 describe('treesitter foldexpr', function()
-  clear()
-
   before_each(function()
     -- open folds to avoid deleting entire folded region
     exec_lua([[vim.opt.foldlevel = 9]])
diff --git a/test/functional/treesitter/node_spec.lua b/test/functional/treesitter/node_spec.lua
index 1354481036..ac930b434d 100644
--- a/test/functional/treesitter/node_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/treesitter/node_spec.lua
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@ local function lua_eval(lua_expr)
 end
 
 describe('treesitter node API', function()
-  clear()
-
   it('double free tree', function()
     insert('F')
     exec_lua(function()
diff --git a/test/functional/treesitter/utils_spec.lua b/test/functional/treesitter/utils_spec.lua
index 34bea349f6..6b25bbbf33 100644
--- a/test/functional/treesitter/utils_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/treesitter/utils_spec.lua
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ local exec_lua = n.exec_lua
 before_each(clear)
 
 describe('treesitter utils', function()
-  before_each(clear)
-
   it('can find an ancestor', function()
     insert([[
       int main() {
diff --git a/test/functional/vimscript/functions_spec.lua b/test/functional/vimscript/functions_spec.lua
index c9e412ae93..82a1497341 100644
--- a/test/functional/vimscript/functions_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/vimscript/functions_spec.lua
@@ -16,6 +16,5 @@ local is_os = t.is_os
 before_each(clear)
 
 it('windowsversion()', function()
-  clear()
   matches(is_os('win') and '^%d+%.%d+$' or '^$', eval('windowsversion()'))
 end)