diff --git a/SAS/TMSS/test/CMakeLists.txt b/SAS/TMSS/test/CMakeLists.txt
index e89812178a08794777e0d8d89290df8a4b6e2d51..d323c2d52bee09ff9f96cea7eae760aaa24a3980 100644
--- a/SAS/TMSS/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/SAS/TMSS/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ if(BUILD_TESTING)
 
     include(PythonInstall)
     python_install(test_utils.py
+                   tmss_database_unittest_setup.py
                    t_tmssapp_specification_django.py
                    t_tmssapp_scheduling_django.py
                    DESTINATION lofar/sas/tmss/test)
diff --git a/SAS/TMSS/test/t_tmssapp_scheduling_django.py b/SAS/TMSS/test/t_tmssapp_scheduling_django.py
index b33f42acb8487ec0303a3ddf10c2cddbdcc7200b..9d01c50e5c81779e90773dd6a180914cb8b5a809 100755
--- a/SAS/TMSS/test/t_tmssapp_scheduling_django.py
+++ b/SAS/TMSS/test/t_tmssapp_scheduling_django.py
@@ -26,17 +26,8 @@ from datetime import datetime
 # todo: Tags? -> Decide how to deal with them first.
 # todo: Immutability of Blueprints on db level?
 
-
-# before we import any django modules the DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE and TMSS_DBCREDENTIALS need to be known/set.
-# import and start an isolated TMSSTestDatabaseInstance (with fresh database)
-# this automagically sets the required  DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE and TMSS_DBCREDENTIALS envvars.
-from lofar.sas.tmss.test.test_utils import TMSSTestDatabaseInstance
-_tmss_test_db_instance = TMSSTestDatabaseInstance()
-_tmss_test_db_instance.create()
-
-# tell unittest to stop (and automagically cleanup) the test database once all testing is done.
-def tearDownModule():
-    _tmss_test_db_instance.destroy()
+# use setup/teardown magic for tmss test database
+from lofar.sas.tmss.test.tmss_database_unittest_setup import *
 
 # now it's safe to import django modules
 from lofar.sas.tmss.tmss.tmssapp import models
diff --git a/SAS/TMSS/test/t_tmssapp_specification_django.py b/SAS/TMSS/test/t_tmssapp_specification_django.py
index 7221f426d5c3012332631e4c630785c0207f4552..caf1c591afdcf51d9dacf418c9afe2ed4b6dd718 100755
--- a/SAS/TMSS/test/t_tmssapp_specification_django.py
+++ b/SAS/TMSS/test/t_tmssapp_specification_django.py
@@ -26,17 +26,8 @@ import uuid
 # todo: Tags? -> Decide how to deal with them first.
 # todo: Immutability of Blueprints on db level?
 
-
-# before we import any django modules the DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE and TMSS_DBCREDENTIALS need to be known/set.
-# import and start an isolated TMSSTestDjangoServerWithPostgresInstance (with fresh database and django server)
-# this automagically sets the required  DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE and TMSS_DBCREDENTIALS envvars.
-from lofar.sas.tmss.test.test_utils import TMSSTestDjangoServerWithPostgresInstance
-_tmss_test_server = TMSSTestDjangoServerWithPostgresInstance()
-_tmss_test_server.start()
-
-# tell unittest to stop (and automagically cleanup) the test database and django server once all testing is done.
-def tearDownModule():
-    _tmss_test_server.stop()
+# use setup/teardown magic for tmss test database
+from lofar.sas.tmss.test.tmss_database_unittest_setup import *
 
 # now it's safe to import django modules
 from lofar.sas.tmss.tmss.tmssapp import models
diff --git a/SAS/TMSS/test/tmss_database_unittest_setup.py b/SAS/TMSS/test/tmss_database_unittest_setup.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..1eddd590c1ccbac7e7f1c5d6a260dfc6570ac9eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/SAS/TMSS/test/tmss_database_unittest_setup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+# Copyright (C) 2018    ASTRON (Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy)
+# P.O. Box 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
+#
+# This file is part of the LOFAR software suite.
+# The LOFAR software suite is free software: you can redistribute it and/or
+# modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published
+# by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# The LOFAR software suite is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.    See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
+# with the LOFAR software suite. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+'''
+By importing this helper module in your unittest module you get a TMSSTestDatabaseInstance
+which is automatically destroyed at the end of the unittest session.
+'''
+
+# before we import any django modules the DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE and TMSS_DBCREDENTIALS need to be known/set.
+# import and start an isolated TMSSTestDatabaseInstance (with fresh database)
+# this automagically sets the required  DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE and TMSS_DBCREDENTIALS envvars.
+from lofar.sas.tmss.test.test_utils import TMSSTestDatabaseInstance
+_tmss_test_db_instance = TMSSTestDatabaseInstance()
+_tmss_test_db_instance.create()
+
+# tell unittest to stop (and automagically cleanup) the test database once all testing is done.
+def tearDownModule():
+    _tmss_test_db_instance.destroy()