diff --git a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/AbstractBaseApiTest.java b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/AbstractBaseApiTest.java
index 42407a61b2..bb7a869ab5 100644
--- a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/AbstractBaseApiTest.java
+++ b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/AbstractBaseApiTest.java
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractBaseApiTest extends EnterpriseTestApi
     protected String user1;
     protected String user2;
     
-    private List<String> users = new ArrayList<>();
+    protected List<String> users = new ArrayList<>();
 
     protected MutableAuthenticationService authenticationService;
     protected PersonService personService;
@@ -133,8 +133,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractBaseApiTest extends EnterpriseTestApi
         personService = applicationContext.getBean("personService", PersonService.class);
 
         // note: createUser currently relies on repoService
-        user1 = createUser("user1-" + RUNID);
-        user2 = createUser("user2-" + RUNID);
+        user1 = createUser("user1-" + RUNID, "user1Password");
+        user2 = createUser("user2-" + RUNID, "user2Password");
 
         // to enable admin access via test calls - eg. after clean/purge
         getOrCreateUser("admin", "admin");
@@ -154,7 +154,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractBaseApiTest extends EnterpriseTestApi
     @After
     public void tearDown() throws Exception
     {
-        deleteSite(networkOne.getId(), userOneN1.getId(), userOneN1Site.getSiteId(), 204);
+        if ((networkOne != null) && (userOneN1 != null) && (userOneN1Site != null))
+        {
+            deleteSite(networkOne.getId(), userOneN1.getId(), userOneN1Site.getSiteId(), 204);
+        }
 
         AuthenticationUtil.setAdminUserAsFullyAuthenticatedUser();
         for (final String user : users)
diff --git a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/ModulePackagesApiTest.java b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/ModulePackagesApiTest.java
index 124f8c8fc8..0a5b7abdbd 100644
--- a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/ModulePackagesApiTest.java
+++ b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/ModulePackagesApiTest.java
@@ -38,8 +38,11 @@ import org.alfresco.rest.api.tests.client.HttpResponse;
 import org.alfresco.rest.api.tests.client.PublicApiClient;
 import org.alfresco.rest.api.tests.client.RequestContext;
 import org.alfresco.rest.api.tests.util.RestApiUtil;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.security.MutableAuthenticationService;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.security.PersonService;
 import org.apache.commons.httpclient.HttpStatus;
 import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.After;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import java.util.List;
@@ -53,11 +56,23 @@ public class ModulePackagesApiTest extends AbstractBaseApiTest
 {
     public static final String MODULEPACKAGES = "modulepackages";
     protected String nonAdminUserName;
-
+    
     @Before
     public void setup() throws Exception
     {
-        this.nonAdminUserName = createUser("nonAdminUser" + System.currentTimeMillis());
+        nonAdminUserName = createUser("nonAdminUser" + System.currentTimeMillis());
+        
+        // used-by teardown to cleanup
+        authenticationService = applicationContext.getBean("authenticationService", MutableAuthenticationService.class);
+        personService = applicationContext.getBean("personService", PersonService.class);
+        users.add(nonAdminUserName);
+    }
+    
+    @After
+    public void tearDown() throws Exception
+    {
+        // TODO rationalise createUser & deleteUser
+        super.tearDown();
     }
 
     @Test
diff --git a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/SharedLinkApiTest.java b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/SharedLinkApiTest.java
index 3639aa391e..04214baf94 100644
--- a/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/SharedLinkApiTest.java
+++ b/source/test-java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/SharedLinkApiTest.java
@@ -26,17 +26,12 @@
 package org.alfresco.rest.api.tests;
 
 import org.alfresco.repo.content.MimetypeMap;
-import org.alfresco.repo.security.authentication.AuthenticationUtil;
-import org.alfresco.repo.transaction.RetryingTransactionHelper.RetryingTransactionCallback;
 import org.alfresco.rest.api.People;
 import org.alfresco.rest.api.QuickShareLinks;
 import org.alfresco.rest.api.impl.QuickShareLinksImpl;
 import org.alfresco.rest.api.model.QuickShareLink;
 import org.alfresco.rest.api.nodes.NodesEntityResource;
 import org.alfresco.rest.api.quicksharelinks.QuickShareLinkEntityResource;
-import org.alfresco.rest.api.tests.RepoService.TestNetwork;
-import org.alfresco.rest.api.tests.RepoService.TestPerson;
-import org.alfresco.rest.api.tests.RepoService.TestSite;
 import org.alfresco.rest.api.tests.client.HttpResponse;
 import org.alfresco.rest.api.tests.client.PublicApiClient.Paging;
 import org.alfresco.rest.api.tests.client.data.Document;
@@ -45,11 +40,6 @@ import org.alfresco.rest.api.tests.client.data.QuickShareLinkEmailRequest;
 import org.alfresco.rest.api.tests.client.data.Rendition;
 import org.alfresco.rest.api.tests.util.MultiPartBuilder;
 import org.alfresco.rest.api.tests.util.RestApiUtil;
-import org.alfresco.service.cmr.security.MutableAuthenticationService;
-import org.alfresco.service.cmr.security.PersonService;
-import org.alfresco.service.cmr.site.SiteVisibility;
-import org.junit.After;
-import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import java.io.File;
@@ -296,10 +286,15 @@ public class SharedLinkApiTest extends AbstractBaseApiTest
         assertEquals(0, renditions.size());
 
         // create rendition of pdf doc - note: for some reason create rendition of txt doc fail on build m/c (TBC) ?
+        setRequestContext(user2);
+        
         Rendition rendition = createAndGetRendition(d1Id, "doclib");
         assertNotNull(rendition);
         assertEquals(Rendition.RenditionStatus.CREATED, rendition.getStatus());
 
+        setRequestContext(null);
+
+
         // unauth access to get shared link renditions info (available => CREATED renditions only)
         response = getAll(URL_SHARED_LINKS + "/" + shared1Id + "/renditions", null, null, 200);
         renditions = RestApiUtil.parseRestApiEntries(response.getJsonResponse(), Rendition.class);
@@ -429,8 +424,11 @@ public class SharedLinkApiTest extends AbstractBaseApiTest
             body.put("nodeId", "dummy");
             post(URL_SHARED_LINKS, user1, toJsonAsStringNonNull(body), 501);
 
+            setRequestContext(null);
             getSingle(QuickShareLinkEntityResource.class, null, "dummy", null, 501);
             getSingle(QuickShareLinkEntityResource.class, null, "dummy/content", null, 501);
+
+            setRequestContext(user1);
             deleteSharedLink("dummy", 501);
         }
         finally
@@ -763,10 +761,14 @@ public class SharedLinkApiTest extends AbstractBaseApiTest
         assertEquals(0, renditions.size());
 
         // create rendition of pdf doc - note: for some reason create rendition of txt doc fail on build m/c (TBC) ?
+        setRequestContext(userOneN1.getId());
+
         Rendition rendition = createAndGetRendition(d1Id, "doclib");
         assertNotNull(rendition);
         assertEquals(Rendition.RenditionStatus.CREATED, rendition.getStatus());
 
+        setRequestContext(null);
+
         // unauth access to get shared link renditions info (available => CREATED renditions only)
         response = getAll(URL_SHARED_LINKS + "/" + shared1Id + "/renditions", null, null, 200);
         renditions = RestApiUtil.parseRestApiEntries(response.getJsonResponse(), Rendition.class);