diff --git a/handlers_test.go b/handlers_test.go
index 48518ca..4ebd195 100644
--- a/handlers_test.go
+++ b/handlers_test.go
@@ -165,8 +165,7 @@ func createOverwriteDeleteSeq(t testing.TB, path string, data string) []TestRequ
 	return req
 }
 
-// TestResticAppendOnlyHandler runs tests on the restic handler code, especially in append-only mode.
-func TestResticAppendOnlyHandler(t *testing.T) {
+func createTestHandler(t *testing.T, conf Server) (http.Handler, string, string, string, func()) {
 	buf := make([]byte, 32)
 	_, err := io.ReadFull(rand.Reader, buf)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -176,6 +175,38 @@ func TestResticAppendOnlyHandler(t *testing.T) {
 	dataHash := sha256.Sum256([]byte(data))
 	fileID := hex.EncodeToString(dataHash[:])
 
+	// setup the server with a local backend in a temporary directory
+	tempdir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "rest-server-test-")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// make sure the tempdir is properly removed
+	cleanup := func() {
+		err := os.RemoveAll(tempdir)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	conf.Path = tempdir
+	mux, err := NewHandler(&conf)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error from NewHandler: %v", err)
+	}
+	return mux, data, fileID, tempdir, cleanup
+}
+
+// TestResticAppendOnlyHandler runs tests on the restic handler code, especially in append-only mode.
+func TestResticAppendOnlyHandler(t *testing.T) {
+	mux, data, fileID, _, cleanup := createTestHandler(t, Server{
+		AppendOnly:   true,
+		NoAuth:       true,
+		Debug:        true,
+		PanicOnError: true,
+	})
+	defer cleanup()
+
 	var tests = []struct {
 		seq []TestRequest
 	}{
@@ -227,32 +258,6 @@ func TestResticAppendOnlyHandler(t *testing.T) {
 		{createOverwriteDeleteSeq(t, "/parent2/data/"+fileID, data)},
 	}
 
-	// setup the server with a local backend in a temporary directory
-	tempdir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "rest-server-test-")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-
-	// make sure the tempdir is properly removed
-	defer func() {
-		err := os.RemoveAll(tempdir)
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatal(err)
-		}
-	}()
-
-	// set append-only mode and configure path
-	mux, err := NewHandler(&Server{
-		AppendOnly:   true,
-		Path:         tempdir,
-		NoAuth:       true,
-		Debug:        true,
-		PanicOnError: true,
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("error from NewHandler: %v", err)
-	}
-
 	// create the repos
 	for _, path := range []string{"/", "/parent1/sub1/", "/parent1/", "/parent2/"} {
 		checkRequest(t, mux.ServeHTTP,
@@ -295,14 +300,12 @@ func createIdempotentDeleteSeq(t testing.TB, path string, data string) []TestReq
 
 // TestResticHandler runs tests on the restic handler code, especially in append-only mode.
 func TestResticHandler(t *testing.T) {
-	buf := make([]byte, 32)
-	_, err := io.ReadFull(rand.Reader, buf)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	data := "random data file " + hex.EncodeToString(buf)
-	dataHash := sha256.Sum256([]byte(data))
-	fileID := hex.EncodeToString(dataHash[:])
+	mux, data, fileID, _, cleanup := createTestHandler(t, Server{
+		NoAuth:       true,
+		Debug:        true,
+		PanicOnError: true,
+	})
+	defer cleanup()
 
 	var tests = []struct {
 		seq []TestRequest
@@ -311,31 +314,6 @@ func TestResticHandler(t *testing.T) {
 		{createIdempotentDeleteSeq(t, "/data/"+fileID, data)},
 	}
 
-	// setup the server with a local backend in a temporary directory
-	tempdir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "rest-server-test-")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-
-	// make sure the tempdir is properly removed
-	defer func() {
-		err := os.RemoveAll(tempdir)
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatal(err)
-		}
-	}()
-
-	// set append-only mode and configure path
-	mux, err := NewHandler(&Server{
-		Path:         tempdir,
-		NoAuth:       true,
-		Debug:        true,
-		PanicOnError: true,
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("error from NewHandler: %v", err)
-	}
-
 	// create the repo
 	checkRequest(t, mux.ServeHTTP,
 		newRequest(t, "POST", "/?create=true", nil),
@@ -353,6 +331,13 @@ func TestResticHandler(t *testing.T) {
 
 // TestResticErrorHandler runs tests on the restic handler error handling.
 func TestResticErrorHandler(t *testing.T) {
+	mux, _, _, tempdir, cleanup := createTestHandler(t, Server{
+		AppendOnly: true,
+		NoAuth:     true,
+		Debug:      true,
+	})
+	defer cleanup()
+
 	var tests = []struct {
 		seq []TestRequest
 	}{
@@ -371,31 +356,6 @@ func TestResticErrorHandler(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
-	// setup the server with a local backend in a temporary directory
-	tempdir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "rest-server-test-")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-
-	// make sure the tempdir is properly removed
-	defer func() {
-		err := os.RemoveAll(tempdir)
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatal(err)
-		}
-	}()
-
-	// set append-only mode and configure path
-	mux, err := NewHandler(&Server{
-		AppendOnly: true,
-		Path:       tempdir,
-		NoAuth:     true,
-		Debug:      true,
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("error from NewHandler: %v", err)
-	}
-
 	// create the repo
 	checkRequest(t, mux.ServeHTTP,
 		newRequest(t, "POST", "/?create=true", nil),
@@ -404,7 +364,7 @@ func TestResticErrorHandler(t *testing.T) {
 	checkRequest(t, mux.ServeHTTP,
 		newRequest(t, "POST", "/config", strings.NewReader("example")),
 		[]wantFunc{wantCode(http.StatusOK)})
-	err = os.Chmod(path.Join(tempdir, "config"), 0o000)
+	err := os.Chmod(path.Join(tempdir, "config"), 0o000)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -509,31 +469,13 @@ func (d *delayErrorReader) Read(p []byte) (int, error) {
 
 // TestAbortedRequest runs tests with concurrent upload requests for the same file.
 func TestAbortedRequest(t *testing.T) {
-	// setup the server with a local backend in a temporary directory
-	tempdir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "rest-server-test-")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-
-	// make sure the tempdir is properly removed
-	defer func() {
-		err := os.RemoveAll(tempdir)
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatal(err)
-		}
-	}()
-
-	// configure path, the race condition doesn't happen for append-only repositories
-	mux, err := NewHandler(&Server{
-		AppendOnly:   false,
-		Path:         tempdir,
+	// the race condition doesn't happen for append-only repositories
+	mux, _, _, _, cleanup := createTestHandler(t, Server{
 		NoAuth:       true,
 		Debug:        true,
 		PanicOnError: true,
 	})
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("error from NewHandler: %v", err)
-	}
+	defer cleanup()
 
 	// create the repo
 	checkRequest(t, mux.ServeHTTP,