diff --git a/java/core/src/test/java/sleeper/core/deploy/DeployInstanceConfigurationIT.java b/java/core/src/test/java/sleeper/core/deploy/DeployInstanceConfigurationIT.java
index c7596f68a6..da9bcd5c37 100644
--- a/java/core/src/test/java/sleeper/core/deploy/DeployInstanceConfigurationIT.java
+++ b/java/core/src/test/java/sleeper/core/deploy/DeployInstanceConfigurationIT.java
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@
 
 public class DeployInstanceConfigurationIT {
     @TempDir
-    private Path tempDir;
+    private Path templatesDir;
+    @TempDir
+    private Path propertiesDir;
 
     @Nested
     @DisplayName("Load from template directory")
@@ -46,11 +48,10 @@ class LoadFromTemplateDirectory {
         @Test
         void shouldLoadInstancePropertiesWithNoTables() throws Exception {
             // Given
-            createTemplatesInDirectory(tempDir);
+            writeTemplates();
 
             // When
-            DeployInstanceConfiguration instanceConfiguration = DeployInstanceConfigurationFromTemplates.builder()
-                    .templatesDir(tempDir).build().load();
+            DeployInstanceConfiguration instanceConfiguration = fromTemplatesDir();
 
             // Then
             InstanceProperties expectedInstanceProperties = new InstanceProperties();
@@ -70,15 +71,14 @@ class LoadFromInstanceProperties {
         @Test
         void shouldLoadTablePropertiesAndSchemaIfFoundNearInstanceProperties() throws Exception {
             // Given
-            Path templateDir = createTemplatesInDirectory(tempDir.resolve("templates"));
-            Files.writeString(tempDir.resolve("instance.properties"), "sleeper.id=test-instance");
-            Files.writeString(tempDir.resolve("tags.properties"), "Project=TestProject");
-            Files.writeString(tempDir.resolve("table.properties"), "sleeper.table.name=test-table");
-            Files.writeString(tempDir.resolve("schema.json"), new SchemaSerDe().toJson(schemaWithKey("key")));
+            Files.writeString(propertiesDir.resolve("instance.properties"), "sleeper.id=test-instance");
+            Files.writeString(propertiesDir.resolve("tags.properties"), "Project=TestProject");
+            Files.writeString(propertiesDir.resolve("table.properties"), "sleeper.table.name=test-table");
+            Files.writeString(propertiesDir.resolve("schema.json"), new SchemaSerDe().toJson(schemaWithKey("key")));
 
             // When
             DeployInstanceConfiguration instanceConfiguration = fromInstancePropertiesOrTemplatesDir(
-                    tempDir.resolve("instance.properties"), templateDir);
+                    propertiesDir.resolve("instance.properties"));
 
             // Then
             InstanceProperties expectedInstanceProperties = new InstanceProperties();
@@ -97,19 +97,15 @@ void shouldLoadTablePropertiesAndSchemaIfFoundNearInstanceProperties() throws Ex
         @Test
         void shouldLoadNoTablesIfNotFoundNearInstanceProperties() throws Exception {
             // Given
-            Path templateDir = createTemplatesInDirectory(tempDir.resolve("templates"));
-            Files.writeString(tempDir.resolve("instance.properties"), "sleeper.id=test-instance");
+            Files.writeString(propertiesDir.resolve("instance.properties"), "sleeper.id=test-instance");
 
             // When
-            DeployInstanceConfiguration instanceConfiguration = DeployInstanceConfigurationFromTemplates.builder()
-                    .instancePropertiesPath(tempDir.resolve("instance.properties"))
-                    .templatesDir(templateDir)
-                    .build().load();
+            DeployInstanceConfiguration instanceConfiguration = fromInstancePropertiesOrTemplatesDir(
+                    propertiesDir.resolve("instance.properties"));
 
             // Then
             InstanceProperties expectedInstanceProperties = new InstanceProperties();
             expectedInstanceProperties.set(ID, "test-instance");
-            expectedInstanceProperties.setTags(Map.of("Project", "TemplateProject"));
             assertThat(instanceConfiguration)
                     .isEqualTo(DeployInstanceConfiguration.builder()
                             .instanceProperties(expectedInstanceProperties)
@@ -118,17 +114,22 @@ void shouldLoadNoTablesIfNotFoundNearInstanceProperties() throws Exception {
         }
     }
 
-    private static Path createTemplatesInDirectory(Path templatesDir) throws IOException {
+    private void writeTemplates() throws IOException {
         Files.createDirectories(templatesDir);
         Files.writeString(templatesDir.resolve("instanceproperties.template"), "sleeper.id=template-instance");
         Files.writeString(templatesDir.resolve("tags.template"), "Project=TemplateProject");
-        return templatesDir;
     }
 
-    private DeployInstanceConfiguration fromInstancePropertiesOrTemplatesDir(Path instancePropertiesFile, Path templateDir) {
+    private DeployInstanceConfiguration fromInstancePropertiesOrTemplatesDir(Path instancePropertiesFile) {
         return DeployInstanceConfigurationFromTemplates.builder()
                 .instancePropertiesPath(instancePropertiesFile)
-                .templatesDir(templateDir)
+                .templatesDir(templatesDir)
+                .build().load();
+    }
+
+    private DeployInstanceConfiguration fromTemplatesDir() {
+        return DeployInstanceConfigurationFromTemplates.builder()
+                .templatesDir(templatesDir)
                 .build().load();
     }
 }