diff --git a/test/unittests/UserTest.php b/test/unittests/UserTest.php
index 31b7d6afaf1..e2b0eb20083 100644
--- a/test/unittests/UserTest.php
+++ b/test/unittests/UserTest.php
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ class UserTest extends TestCase
     protected function setUp(): void
     {
         parent::setUp();
-        $this->_factory = \NDB_Factory::singleton();
+        $this->_factory = &\NDB_Factory::singleton();
         $this->_factory->reset();
         $this->_configMock = $this->_factory->Config(CONFIG_XML);
         $database          = $this->_configMock->getSetting('database');
@@ -291,8 +291,6 @@ protected function setUp(): void
         $this->_mockDB      = $mockdb;
         $this->_mockConfig  = $mockconfig;
 
-        $this->_factory->setConfig($this->_mockConfig);
-
         $this->_userInfoComplete       = $this->_userInfo;
         $this->_userInfoComplete['ID'] = '1';
         $this->_userInfoComplete['Privilege']           = '1';
@@ -661,6 +659,9 @@ public function testUpdatePasswordWithExpiration()
         // Cause usePwnedPasswordsAPI config option to return false.
         $mockConfig = &$this->_mockConfig;
         '@phan-var \PHPUnit\Framework\MockObject\MockObject $mockConfig';
+
+        $this->_factory->setConfig($mockConfig);
+
         $mockConfig->expects($this->any())
             ->method('settingEnabled')
             ->willReturn(false);
@@ -696,6 +697,8 @@ public function testUpdatePasswordWithoutExpiry()
             ->method('settingEnabled')
             ->willReturn(false);
 
+        $this->_factory->setConfig($mockConfig);
+
         $this->_user->updatePassword(
             new \Password(\Utility::randomString(16))
         );