diff --git a/spec/models/conversation_spec.rb b/spec/models/conversation_spec.rb
index 690df1bba290cd9601d93027a3a3acc7c02113e2..35b79f4124f97ec8c0aab0d4b03753beb17f168a 100644
--- a/spec/models/conversation_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/conversation_spec.rb
@@ -5,101 +5,91 @@
 require 'spec_helper'
 
 describe Conversation, :type => :model do
-  before do
-    @user1 = alice
-    @user2 = bob
-    @participant_ids = [@user1.contacts.first.person.id, @user1.person.id]
-
-    @create_hash = {
-      :author => @user1.person,
-      :participant_ids => @participant_ids,
-      :subject => "cool stuff",
-      :messages_attributes => [ {:author => @user1.person, :text => 'hey'} ]
-    }
-  end
+  let(:user1) { alice }
+  let(:user2) { bob }
+  let(:participant_ids) { [user1.contacts.first.person.id, user1.person.id] }
+  let(:create_hash) { {author: user1.person, participant_ids: participant_ids, subject: "cool stuff",
+      messages_attributes: [ {author: user1.person, text: "hey"} ]} }
+  let(:conversation) { Conversation.create(create_hash) }
+  let(:message_last) {   Message.create(author: user2.person, created_at: Time.now + 100, text: "last", conversation_id: conversation.id) }
+  let(:message_first) {   Message.create(author: user2.person, created_at: Time.now + 100, text: "first", conversation_id: conversation.id) }
 
   it 'creates a message on create' do
-    expect{
-      Conversation.create(@create_hash)
-    }.to change(Message, :count).by(1)
+    expect{ conversation }.to change(Message, :count).by(1)
   end
 
   describe '#last_author' do
     it 'returns the last author to a conversation' do
-      cnv = Conversation.create(@create_hash)
-      Message.create(:author => @user2.person, :created_at => Time.now + 100, :text => "last", :conversation_id => cnv.id)
-      expect(cnv.reload.last_author.id).to eq(@user2.person.id)
+      message_last
+      expect(conversation.reload.last_author.id).to eq(user2.person.id)
     end
   end
 
   describe "#ordered_participants" do
     it "returns the ordered participants" do
-      cnv = Conversation.create(@create_hash)
-      Message.create(author: @user2.person, created_at: Time.now + 100, text: "last", conversation_id: cnv.id)
-      expect(cnv.ordered_participants.first).to eq(@user2.person)
-      expect(cnv.ordered_participants.last).to eq(@user1.person)
+      message_last
+      expect(conversation.ordered_participants.first).to eq(user2.person)
+      expect(conversation.ordered_participants.last).to eq(user1.person)
     end
   end
 
   describe '#first_unread_message' do
     before do
-      @cnv = Conversation.create(@create_hash)
-      @message = Message.create(:author => @user2.person, :created_at => Time.now + 100, :text => "last", :conversation_id => @cnv.id)
-      @message.increase_unread(@user1)
+      message_last.increase_unread(user1)
     end
 
     it 'returns the first unread message if there are unread messages in a conversation' do
-      @cnv.first_unread_message(@user1) == @message
+      conversation.first_unread_message(user1) == message_last
     end
 
     it 'returns nil if there are no unread messages in a conversation' do
-      @cnv.conversation_visibilities.where(:person_id => @user1.person.id).first.tap { |cv| cv.unread = 0 }.save
-      expect(@cnv.first_unread_message(@user1)).to be_nil
+      conversation.conversation_visibilities.where(person_id: user1.person.id).first.tap { |cv| cv.unread = 0 }.save
+      expect(conversation.first_unread_message(user1)).to be_nil
     end
   end
 
   describe '#set_read' do
+
     before do
-      @cnv = Conversation.create(@create_hash)
-      Message.create(:author => @user2.person, :created_at => Time.now + 100, :text => "first", :conversation_id => @cnv.id)
-             .increase_unread(@user1)
-      Message.create(:author => @user2.person, :created_at => Time.now + 200, :text => "last", :conversation_id => @cnv.id)
-             .increase_unread(@user1)
+      conversation
+      message_first.increase_unread(user1)
+      message_last.increase_unread(user1)
     end
 
     it 'sets the unread counter to 0' do
-      expect(@cnv.conversation_visibilities.where(:person_id => @user1.person.id).first.unread).to eq(2)
-      @cnv.set_read(@user1)
-      expect(@cnv.conversation_visibilities.where(:person_id => @user1.person.id).first.unread).to eq(0)
+      expect(conversation.conversation_visibilities.where(person_id: user1.person.id).first.unread).to eq(2)
+      conversation.set_read(user1)
+      expect(conversation.conversation_visibilities.where(person_id: user1.person.id).first.unread).to eq(0)
     end
   end
 
   context 'transport' do
+    let(:conversation_message) { conversation.messages.first }
+    let(:xml) { conversation.to_diaspora_xml }
+
     before do
-      @cnv = Conversation.create(@create_hash)
-      @message = @cnv.messages.first
-      @xml = @cnv.to_diaspora_xml
+      conversation
     end
 
     describe 'serialization' do
       it 'serializes the message' do
-        expect(@xml.gsub(/\s/, '')).to include(@message.to_xml.to_s.gsub(/\s/, ''))
+        expect(xml.gsub(/\s/, '')).to include(conversation_message.to_xml.to_s.gsub(/\s/, ''))
       end
 
       it 'serializes the participants' do
-        @create_hash[:participant_ids].each{|id|
-          expect(@xml).to include(Person.find(id).diaspora_handle)
+        create_hash[:participant_ids].each{|id|
+          expect(xml).to include(Person.find(id).diaspora_handle)
         }
       end
 
       it 'serializes the created_at time' do
-        expect(@xml).to include(@message.created_at.to_s)
+        expect(xml).to include(conversation_message.created_at.to_s)
       end
     end
 
     describe '#subscribers' do
       it 'returns the recipients for the post owner' do
-        expect(@cnv.subscribers(@user1)).to eq(@user1.contacts.map{|c| c.person})
+        expect(conversation.subscribers(user1)).to eq(user1.contacts.map{|c| c.person})
       end
     end
 
@@ -111,63 +101,50 @@ describe Conversation, :type => :model do
 
       it 'creates a message' do
         expect{
-          Diaspora::Parser.from_xml(@xml).receive(@user1, @user2.person)
+          Diaspora::Parser.from_xml(xml).receive(user1, user2.person)
         }.to change(Message, :count).by(1)
       end
       it 'creates a conversation' do
         expect{
-          Diaspora::Parser.from_xml(@xml).receive(@user1, @user2.person)
+          Diaspora::Parser.from_xml(xml).receive(user1, user2.person)
         }.to change(Conversation, :count).by(1)
       end
       it 'creates appropriate visibilities' do
         expect{
-          Diaspora::Parser.from_xml(@xml).receive(@user1, @user2.person)
-        }.to change(ConversationVisibility, :count).by(@participant_ids.size)
+          Diaspora::Parser.from_xml(xml).receive(user1, user2.person)
+        }.to change(ConversationVisibility, :count).by(participant_ids.size)
       end
       it 'does not save before receive' do
-        expect(Diaspora::Parser.from_xml(@xml).persisted?).to be false
+        expect(Diaspora::Parser.from_xml(xml).persisted?).to be false
       end
       it 'notifies for the message' do
         expect(Notification).to receive(:notify).once
-        Diaspora::Parser.from_xml(@xml).receive(@user1, @user2.person)
+        Diaspora::Parser.from_xml(xml).receive(user1, user2.person)
       end
     end
   end
 
   describe "#invalid parameters" do
     context "local author" do
-      before do
-        @invalid_hash = {
-          author:              peter.person,
-          participant_ids:     [peter.person.id, @user1.person.id],
-          subject:             "cool stuff",
-          messages_attributes: [{author: peter.person, text: "hey"}]
-        }
-      end
+      let(:invalid_hash) { {author: peter.person, participant_ids: [peter.person.id, user1.person.id],
+          subject: "cool stuff", messages_attributes: [{author: peter.person, text: "hey"}]} }
 
       it "is invalid with invalid recipient" do
-        conversation = Conversation.create(@invalid_hash)
-        expect(conversation).to be_invalid
+        invalid_conversation = Conversation.create(invalid_hash)
+        expect(invalid_conversation).to be_invalid
       end
     end
 
     context "remote author" do
-      before do
-        @remote_person = remote_raphael
-        @local_user = alice
-        @participant_ids = [@remote_person.id, @local_user.person.id]
-
-        @invalid_hash_remote = {
-          author:              @remote_person,
-          participant_ids:     @participant_ids,
-          subject:             "cool stuff",
-          messages_attributes: [{author: @remote_person, text: "hey"}]
-        }
-      end
+      let(:remote_person) { remote_raphael }
+      let(:local_user) { alice }
+      let(:participant_ids) { [remote_person.id, local_user.person.id] }
+      let(:invalid_hash_remote) { {author: remote_person, participant_ids: participant_ids,
+        subject: "cool stuff", messages_attributes: [{author: remote_person, text: "hey"}]} }
 
       it "is invalid with invalid recipient" do
-        conversation = Conversation.create(@invalid_hash_remote)
-        expect(conversation).to be_invalid
+        invalid_conversation_remote = Conversation.create(invalid_hash_remote)
+        expect(invalid_conversation_remote).to be_invalid
       end
     end
   end