diff --git a/acceptance/tests/allow_arbitrary_node_name_fact_for_agent.rb b/acceptance/tests/allow_arbitrary_node_name_fact_for_agent.rb
index c08c2e9a5..a8bf06a13 100644
--- a/acceptance/tests/allow_arbitrary_node_name_fact_for_agent.rb
+++ b/acceptance/tests/allow_arbitrary_node_name_fact_for_agent.rb
@@ -1,48 +1,46 @@
 test_name "node_name_fact should be used to determine the node name for puppet agent"
 
 success_message = "node_name_fact setting was correctly used to determine the node name"
 
 node_names = []
 
 on agents, facter('kernel') do
   node_names << stdout.chomp
 end
 
 node_names.uniq!
 
 authfile = "/tmp/auth.conf-2128-#{$$}"
 authconf = node_names.map do |node_name|
   %Q[
 path /catalog/#{node_name}
 auth yes
 allow *
 ]
 end.join("\n")
 
 manifest_file = "/tmp/node_name_value-test-#{$$}.pp"
 manifest = %Q[
   Exec { path => "/usr/bin:/bin" }
   node default {
     exec { "false": }
   }
 ]
 manifest << node_names.map do |node_name|
   %Q[
     node "#{node_name}" {
       exec { "echo #{success_message}": }
     }
   ]
 end.join("\n")
 
 create_remote_file master, authfile, authconf
 create_remote_file master, manifest_file, manifest
 
 on master, "chmod 644 #{authfile} #{manifest_file}"
 
-on hosts, "rm -rf /etc/puppet/ssl"
-
 with_master_running_on(master, "--rest_authconfig #{authfile} --manifest #{manifest_file} --daemonize --dns_alt_names=\"puppet, $(hostname -s), $(hostname -f)\" --autosign true") do
   run_agent_on(agents, "--no-daemonize --verbose --onetime --node_name_fact kernel --server #{master}") do
     assert_match(success_message, stdout)
   end
 end
diff --git a/acceptance/tests/allow_arbitrary_node_name_for_agent.rb b/acceptance/tests/allow_arbitrary_node_name_for_agent.rb
index f35c32bc3..46c22a878 100644
--- a/acceptance/tests/allow_arbitrary_node_name_for_agent.rb
+++ b/acceptance/tests/allow_arbitrary_node_name_for_agent.rb
@@ -1,31 +1,29 @@
 test_name "node_name_value should be used as the node name for puppet agent"
 
 success_message = "node_name_value setting was correctly used as the node name"
 
 authfile = "/tmp/auth.conf-2128-#{$$}"
 create_remote_file master, authfile, <<AUTHCONF
 path /catalog/specified_node_name
 auth yes
 allow *
 AUTHCONF
 
 manifest_file = "/tmp/node_name_value-test-#{$$}.pp"
 create_remote_file master, manifest_file, <<MANIFEST
   Exec { path => "/usr/bin:/bin" }
   node default {
     exec { "false": }
   }
   node specified_node_name {
     exec { "echo #{success_message}": }
   }
 MANIFEST
 
 on master, "chmod 644 #{authfile} #{manifest_file}"
 
-on hosts, "rm -rf /etc/puppet/ssl"
-
 with_master_running_on(master, "--rest_authconfig #{authfile} --manifest #{manifest_file} --daemonize --dns_alt_names=\"puppet, $(hostname -s), $(hostname -f)\" --autosign true") do
   run_agent_on(agents, "--no-daemonize --verbose --onetime --node_name_value specified_node_name --server #{master}") do
     assert_match(success_message, stdout)
   end
 end
diff --git a/acceptance/tests/helpful_error_message_when_hostname_not_match_server_certificate.rb b/acceptance/tests/helpful_error_message_when_hostname_not_match_server_certificate.rb
index 6b0566e01..8b64436b6 100644
--- a/acceptance/tests/helpful_error_message_when_hostname_not_match_server_certificate.rb
+++ b/acceptance/tests/helpful_error_message_when_hostname_not_match_server_certificate.rb
@@ -1,12 +1,9 @@
 test_name "generate a helpful error message when hostname doesn't match server certificate"
 
-step "Clear any existing SSL directories"
-on(hosts, "rm -rf #{config['puppetpath']}/ssl")
-
 # Start the master with a certname not matching its hostname
 with_master_running_on(master, "--certname foobar_not_my_hostname --dns_alt_names one_cert,two_cert,red_cert,blue_cert --autosign true") do
   run_agent_on(agents, "--no-daemonize --verbose --onetime --server #{master}", :acceptable_exit_codes => (1..255)) do
     msg = "Server hostname '#{master}' did not match server certificate; expected one of foobar_not_my_hostname, DNS:blue_cert, DNS:foobar_not_my_hostname, DNS:one_cert, DNS:red_cert, DNS:two_cert"
     assert_match(msg, stdout)
   end
 end
diff --git a/acceptance/tests/ticket_3360_allow_duplicate_csr_with_option_set.rb b/acceptance/tests/ticket_3360_allow_duplicate_csr_with_option_set.rb
index edd52b46c..005141e0a 100644
--- a/acceptance/tests/ticket_3360_allow_duplicate_csr_with_option_set.rb
+++ b/acceptance/tests/ticket_3360_allow_duplicate_csr_with_option_set.rb
@@ -1,48 +1,45 @@
 test_name "#3360: Allow duplicate CSR when allow_duplicate_certs is on"
 
 agent_hostnames = agents.map {|a| a.to_s}
 
-step "Remove existing SSL directory for hosts"
-on hosts, "rm -r #{config['puppetpath']}/ssl"
-
 with_master_running_on master, "--allow_duplicate_certs --dns_alt_names=\"puppet,$(hostname -s),$(hostname -f)\" --verbose --noop" do
   step "Generate a certificate request for the agent"
   on agents, "puppet certificate generate `hostname -f` --ca-location remote --server #{master}"
 
   step "Collect the original certs"
   on master, puppet_cert("--sign --all")
   original_certs = on master, puppet_cert("--list --all")
 
   old_certs = {}
   original_certs.stdout.each_line do |line|
     if line =~ /^\+ (\S+) \((.+)\)$/
       old_certs[$1] = $2
       puts "old cert: #{$1} #{$2}"
     end
   end
 
   step "Make another request with the same certname"
   on agents, "puppet certificate generate `hostname -f` --ca-location remote --server #{master}"
 
   step "Collect the new certs"
 
   on master, puppet_cert("--sign --all")
   new_cert_list = on master, puppet_cert("--list --all")
 
   new_certs = {}
   new_cert_list.stdout.each_line do |line|
     if line =~ /^\+ (\S+) \((.+)\)$/
       new_certs[$1] = $2
       puts "new cert: #{$1} #{$2}"
     end
   end
 
   step "Verify the certs have changed"
   # using the agent name as the key may cause errors;
   # agent name from cfg file is likely to have short name
   # where certs might be signed with long names.
   old_certs.each_key { |key|
     next if key.include? master # skip the masters cert, only care about agents
     assert_not_equal(old_certs[key], new_certs[key], "Expected #{key} to have a changed key")
   }
 end
diff --git a/acceptance/tests/ticket_5477_master_not_dectect_sitepp.rb b/acceptance/tests/ticket_5477_master_not_dectect_sitepp.rb
index 347b5991f..30ac77d13 100644
--- a/acceptance/tests/ticket_5477_master_not_dectect_sitepp.rb
+++ b/acceptance/tests/ticket_5477_master_not_dectect_sitepp.rb
@@ -1,34 +1,33 @@
 # In 2.6, compile does not fail when site.pp does not exist.
 #
 # However, if a catalog is compiled when site.pp does not exist, 
 # puppetmaster does not detect when site.pp is created. This requires a restart
 # 
  
 test_name "Ticket 5477, Puppet Master does not detect newly created site.pp file"
 
 manifest_file = "/tmp/missing_site-5477-#{$$}.pp"
 
 on master, "rm -f #{manifest_file}"
-on hosts, "rm -rf /etc/puppet/ssl"
 
 with_master_running_on(master, "--manifest #{manifest_file} --dns_alt_names=\"puppet, $(hostname -s), $(hostname -f)\" --verbose --filetimeout 1 --autosign true") do
   # Run test on Agents
   step "Agent: agent --test"
   on agents, puppet_agent("--test --server #{master}")
 
   # Create a new site.pp
   step "Master: create basic site.pp file"
   create_remote_file master, manifest_file, "notify{ticket_5477_notify:}"
 
   on master, "chmod 644 #{manifest_file}"
 
   sleep 3
 
   step "Agent: puppet agent --test"
 
   agents.each do |host|
     on(host, puppet_agent("--test --server #{master}"), :acceptable_exit_codes => [2]) do
       assert_match(/ticket_5477_notify/, stdout, "#{host}: Site.pp not detected on Puppet Master")
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/acceptance/tests/ticket_7117_broke_env_criteria_authconf.rb b/acceptance/tests/ticket_7117_broke_env_criteria_authconf.rb
index eda6ae3de..bb0b0ab8c 100644
--- a/acceptance/tests/ticket_7117_broke_env_criteria_authconf.rb
+++ b/acceptance/tests/ticket_7117_broke_env_criteria_authconf.rb
@@ -1,29 +1,27 @@
 test_name "#7117 Broke the environment criteria in auth.conf"
 
 # add to auth.conf
 add_2_authconf = %q{
 path /
 environment override
 auth any
 allow *
 }
 
 step "Create a temp auth.conf"
 create_remote_file master, "/tmp/auth.conf-7117", add_2_authconf
 
 on master, "chmod 644 /tmp/auth.conf-7117"
 
-on hosts, "rm -rf /etc/puppet/ssl"
-
 with_master_running_on(master, "--dns_alt_names=\"puppet, $(hostname -s), $(hostname -f)\" --rest_authconfig /tmp/auth.conf-7117 --verbose --autosign true") do
   # Run test on Agents
   step "Run agent to upload facts"
   on agents, puppet_agent("--test --server #{master}")
 
   step "Fetch agent facts from Puppet Master"
   agents.each do |host|
     on(host, "curl -k -H \"Accept: yaml\" https://#{master}:8140/override/facts/\`hostname -f\`") do
       assert_match(/--- !ruby\/object:Puppet::Node::Facts/, stdout, "Agent Facts not returned for #{host}")
     end
   end
 end