diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/utils.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/utils.py
index 65bca53331..b6b8cd5023 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/utils.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/utils.py
@@ -1,9 +1,3 @@
-'''
-Utilities for contentstore tests
-'''
-
-#pylint: disable=W0603
-
 import json
 import copy
 from uuid import uuid4
@@ -16,17 +10,6 @@ from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 import xmodule.modulestore.django
 from xmodule.templates import update_templates
 
-# Share modulestore setup between classes
-# We need to use global variables, because
-# each ModuleStoreTestCase subclass will have its
-# own class variables, and we want to re-use the
-# same modulestore for all test cases.
-
-#pylint: disable=C0103
-test_modulestore = None
-#pylint: disable=C0103
-orig_modulestore = None
-
 
 class ModuleStoreTestCase(TestCase):
     """ Subclass for any test case that uses the mongodb
@@ -34,88 +17,37 @@ class ModuleStoreTestCase(TestCase):
     collection with templates before running the TestCase
     and drops it they are finished. """
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def flush_mongo_except_templates():
-        '''
-        Delete everything in the module store except templates
-        '''
-        modulestore = xmodule.modulestore.django.modulestore()
-
-        # This query means: every item in the collection
-        # that is not a template
-        query = { "_id.course": { "$ne": "templates" }}
-
-        # Remove everything except templates
-        modulestore.collection.remove(query)
-
-    @staticmethod
-    def load_templates_if_necessary():
-        '''
-        Load templates into the modulestore only if they do not already exist.
-        We need the templates, because they are copied to create
-        XModules such as sections and problems
-        '''
-        modulestore = xmodule.modulestore.django.modulestore()
-
-        # Count the number of templates
-        query = { "_id.course": "templates"}
-        num_templates = modulestore.collection.find(query).count()
-
-        if num_templates < 1:
-            update_templates()
-
-    @classmethod
-    def setUpClass(cls):
-        '''
-        Flush the mongo store and set up templates
-        '''
-        global test_modulestore
-        global orig_modulestore
+    def _pre_setup(self):
+        super(ModuleStoreTestCase, self)._pre_setup()
 
         # Use a uuid to differentiate
         # the mongo collections on jenkins.
-        if test_modulestore is None:
-            orig_modulestore = copy.deepcopy(settings.MODULESTORE)
-            test_modulestore = orig_modulestore
-            test_modulestore['default']['OPTIONS']['collection'] = 'modulestore_%s' % uuid4().hex
-            test_modulestore['direct']['OPTIONS']['collection'] = 'modulestore_%s' % uuid4().hex
-            xmodule.modulestore.django._MODULESTORES = {}
+        self.orig_MODULESTORE = copy.deepcopy(settings.MODULESTORE)
+        self.test_MODULESTORE = self.orig_MODULESTORE
+        self.test_MODULESTORE['default']['OPTIONS']['collection'] = 'modulestore_%s' % uuid4().hex
+        self.test_MODULESTORE['direct']['OPTIONS']['collection'] = 'modulestore_%s' % uuid4().hex
+        settings.MODULESTORE = self.test_MODULESTORE
 
-        settings.MODULESTORE = test_modulestore
-
-        TestCase.setUpClass()
-
-    @classmethod
-    def tearDownClass(cls):
-        '''
-        Revert to the old modulestore settings
-        '''
-        settings.MODULESTORE = orig_modulestore
-
-    def _pre_setup(self):
-        '''
-        Remove everything but the templates before each test
-        '''
-
-        # Flush anything that is not a template
-        ModuleStoreTestCase.flush_mongo_except_templates()
-
-        # Check that we have templates loaded; if not, load them
-        ModuleStoreTestCase.load_templates_if_necessary()
-
-        # Call superclass implementation
-        TestCase._pre_setup(self)
+        # Flush and initialize the module store
+        # It needs the templates because it creates new records
+        # by cloning from the template.
+        # Note that if your test module gets in some weird state
+        # (though it shouldn't), do this manually
+        # from the bash shell to drop it:
+        # $ mongo test_xmodule --eval "db.dropDatabase()"
+        xmodule.modulestore.django._MODULESTORES = {}
+        update_templates()
 
     def _post_teardown(self):
-        '''
-        Flush everything we created except the templates
-        '''
-        # Flush anything that is not a template
-        ModuleStoreTestCase.flush_mongo_except_templates()
-
-        # Call superclass implementation
-        TestCase._post_teardown(self)
+        # Make sure you flush out the modulestore.
+        # Drop the collection at the end of the test,
+        # otherwise there will be lingering collections leftover
+        # from executing the tests.
+        xmodule.modulestore.django._MODULESTORES = {}
+        xmodule.modulestore.django.modulestore().collection.drop()
+        settings.MODULESTORE = self.orig_MODULESTORE
 
+        super(ModuleStoreTestCase, self)._post_teardown()
 
 
 def parse_json(response):