diff --git a/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/datasources/simpleDataSources/SAMByReadsTest.java b/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/datasources/simpleDataSources/SAMByReadsTest.java
index 3a69612d4..c2a356f5e 100755
--- a/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/datasources/simpleDataSources/SAMByReadsTest.java
+++ b/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/datasources/simpleDataSources/SAMByReadsTest.java
@@ -103,11 +103,6 @@ public class SAMByReadsTest extends BaseTest {
      */
     @Test
     public void testShardingOfReadsEvenSplit() {
-        try {
-            Thread.sleep(5000);
-        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
-            e.printStackTrace();  //To change body of catch statement use File | Settings | File Templates.
-        }
         ArtificialResourcePool gen = new ArtificialResourcePool(createArtificialSamHeader(1, 1, 10, 50),
                 ArtificialSAMUtils.mappedAndUnmappedReadIterator(1, 1, 10, 10));
         GenomeLocParser.setupRefContigOrdering(gen.getHeader().getSequenceDictionary());
diff --git a/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/UtilsTest.java b/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/UtilsTest.java
index e0cd2bdca..bd7d208c3 100644
--- a/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/UtilsTest.java
+++ b/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/UtilsTest.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 package org.broadinstitute.sting.utils;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
+import org.broadinstitute.sting.BaseTest;
 import junit.framework.Assert;
 
 /**
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ import junit.framework.Assert;
  * @version 0.1
  */
 
-public class UtilsTest {
+public class UtilsTest extends BaseTest {
 
     @Test
     public void testDupStringNoChars() {
diff --git a/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/fasta/ArtificialFastaUtilsTest.java b/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/fasta/ArtificialFastaUtilsTest.java
deleted file mode 100644
index e59140628..000000000
--- a/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/fasta/ArtificialFastaUtilsTest.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,43 +0,0 @@
-package org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.fasta;
-
-import org.broadinstitute.sting.BaseTest;
-import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.sam.ArtificialSAMUtils;
-import org.junit.Assert;
-import org.junit.Test;
-
-import java.io.File;
-import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.List;
-
-
-/**
- * @author aaron
- *         <p/>
- *         Class ArtificialFastaUtilsTest
- *         <p/>
- *         test out the ArtificialFastaUtils functionality
- */
-public class ArtificialFastaUtilsTest extends BaseTest {
-
-    /** generate a fake fasta */
-    @Test
-    public void testFastaGeneration() {
-        List<String> names = new ArrayList<String>();
-        List<Integer> sizes = new ArrayList<Integer>();
-
-        for (int x = 0; x < 5; x++) {
-            sizes.add(1000);
-            names.add("chr" + (x+1));
-        }
-        File temp = new File("tempFileFasta.fasta");
-        ArtificialFastaUtils.createArtificialFasta(temp.getName(),names,sizes,ArtificialFastaUtils.BASE_PATTERN.ALL_A);
-
-        // using the fasta sequence file to test, in reality we should use the indexed version
-        FastaSequenceFile2 fasta = new FastaSequenceFile2(temp);
-
-        Assert.assertEquals(5,fasta.getSequenceDictionary().getSequences().size());
-
-        ArtificialSAMUtils.createArtificialBamFile("tempFileBAM.bam",5,1,1000,600);
-        //temp.delete();
-    }
-}