diff --git a/spec/factories/stash_engine/resources.rb b/spec/factories/stash_engine/resources.rb
index 0ac7d723f6..381843125f 100644
--- a/spec/factories/stash_engine/resources.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/stash_engine/resources.rb
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@
       create(:description, resource_id: resource.id)
       create(:right, resource: resource)
       create(:contributor, resource: resource)
-      resource.subjects << create(:subject, subject_scheme: 'fos')
-      3.times { resource.subjects << create(:subject) }
+      resource.subjects << create(:subject, subject: Faker::Lorem.unique.word, subject_scheme: 'fos')
+      3.times { resource.subjects << create(:subject, subject: Faker::Lorem.unique.word) }
     end
 
     trait :submitted do
diff --git a/spec/models/stash_engine/resources_spec.rb b/spec/models/stash_engine/resources_spec.rb
index 9156febfcc..52a7ab1ce1 100644
--- a/spec/models/stash_engine/resources_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/stash_engine/resources_spec.rb
@@ -792,7 +792,6 @@ module StashEngine
       end
 
       it 'purges duplicate subjects' do
-        @resource.purge_duplicate_subjects!
         @resource.subjects << create(:subject, subject: 'AARDVARKS')
         @resource.subjects << create(:subject, subject: 'Aardvarks')
         @resource.subjects << create(:subject, subject: 'aardvarks')
@@ -802,7 +801,6 @@ module StashEngine
       end
 
       it "doesn't purge FOS subjects" do
-        @resource.purge_duplicate_subjects!
         existing_fos = @resource.subjects.fos.first
         @resource.subjects << create(:subject, subject: existing_fos.subject) # this one doesn't have fos subject_scheme set
         @resource.subjects << create(:subject, subject: existing_fos.subject)
@@ -815,7 +813,6 @@ module StashEngine
       end
 
       it 'prefers to purge non-controlled vocab subjects over ones with vocabulary' do
-        @resource.purge_duplicate_subjects!
         existing_subj = @resource.subjects.non_fos.first
         @resource.subjects << create(:subject, subject: existing_subj.subject, subject_scheme: 'gumma')
         starting_size = @resource.subjects.count