diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index d6a76012c2f93a9f69a2b711c2614a67376393d1..2878d78cecdab3695e73f38428c8ab2449cec942 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -63,8 +63,6 @@ tests:
   image: 0xacab.org:4567/leap/soledad:latest
   services:
     - couchdb
-  variables:
-     SOLEDAD_COUCH_URL: http://couchdb:5984
   script:
     - tox -- --couch-url http://couchdb:5984
 
diff --git a/tests/server/test_tac.py b/tests/server/test_tac.py
index 7f52481cc9f0aa55d5c9b7ea6be0edf65cbbffff..45bbb1420d8fc0f316a3e54e04dfa3fcd364efda 100644
--- a/tests/server/test_tac.py
+++ b/tests/server/test_tac.py
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ from twisted.web.client import Agent
 TAC_FILE_PATH = resource_filename('leap.soledad.server', 'server.tac')
 
 
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures("couch_url")
 class TacServerTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_tac_file_exists(self):
@@ -68,14 +69,12 @@ class TacServerTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         twistd = os.path.join(path, 'bin', 'twistd')
         args = [twistd, '--pidfile=', '-noy', TAC_FILE_PATH]
 
-        # run Users API on port 2424 without TLS
-        env = {'DEBUG_SERVER': 'yes'}
-
-        # allow passing of couch url using environment variable, used by gitlab
-        # ci with docker
-        couch_url = os.environ.get('SOLEDAD_COUCH_URL')
-        if couch_url:
-            env.update({'SOLEDAD_COUCH_URL': couch_url})
+        # Use a special environment when running twistd that allow passing of
+        # couch url using environment variable, used by gitlab ci with docker
+        env = {
+            'DEBUG_SERVER': 'yes',  # run Users API on port 2424 without TLS
+            'SOLEDAD_COUCH_URL': self.couch_url,  # used by gitlab ci
+        }
 
         protocol = ProcessProtocol()
         proc = reactor.spawnProcess(protocol, twistd, args, env=env)
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 00aba168c3950a1fa63c76b06bd99cc3c173e8a4..ca7c11f233484103cde54c6e85228ff4fdcdc1b4 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ setenv =
     TERM=xterm
     XDG_CACHE_HOME=./.cache/
     CHECK_SQLCIPHER={toxinidir}/scripts/testing/ensure-pysqlcipher-has-usleep.sh
-passenv = SOLEDAD_COUCH_URL
 install_command = pip install {opts} {packages}
 
 [testenv:py34]