diff --git a/test/Spec.hs b/test/Spec.hs
index cf7bcce1bb5f79cf77f18ff4990dc853823e1463..0119261c7fbd0412ae0ff1b631a07d9f7e020584 100644
--- a/test/Spec.hs
+++ b/test/Spec.hs
@@ -72,6 +72,16 @@ data BespokeFailure = BespokeFailure deriving (Show)
 
 instance Exception BespokeFailure
 
+-- | Make an announcement that's real enough to convince a test.
+simpleAnnouncement :: T.Text -> T.Text -> (T.Text, StorageServerAnnouncement)
+simpleAnnouncement nick furl =
+    ( T.concat ["v0-", nick]
+    , def
+        { storageServerAnnouncementFURL = Just furl
+        , storageServerAnnouncementNick = Just nick
+        }
+    )
+
 tests :: TestTree
 tests =
     testGroup
@@ -113,10 +123,7 @@ tests =
             let ann = def{storageServerAnnouncementNick = Just "unreachable"}
                 anns =
                     Map.fromList
-                        [
-                            ( "v0-abc123"
-                            , ann
-                            )
+                        [ ("v0-abc123", ann)
                         ]
 
             result <- liftIO $ download anns (trivialCap 1 1) noServers
@@ -128,16 +135,7 @@ tests =
             -- If we can't recover enough shares from the configured servers
             -- then we can't possibly get enough shares to recover the
             -- application data.
-            let anns =
-                    Map.fromList
-                        [
-                            ( "v0-abc123"
-                            , def
-                                { storageServerAnnouncementFURL = Just "somewhere"
-                                , storageServerAnnouncementNick = Just "abc123"
-                                }
-                            )
-                        ]
+            let anns = Map.fromList [simpleAnnouncement "abc123" "somewhere"]
                 cap = trivialCap 3 3
 
             -- Two shares exist.
@@ -163,20 +161,8 @@ tests =
             -- recover the application data.  Duplicate shares do us no good.
             let anns =
                     Map.fromList
-                        [
-                            ( "v0-abc123"
-                            , def
-                                { storageServerAnnouncementFURL = Just "somewhere"
-                                , storageServerAnnouncementNick = Just "abc123"
-                                }
-                            )
-                        ,
-                            ( "v0-abc456"
-                            , def
-                                { storageServerAnnouncementFURL = Just "elsewhere"
-                                , storageServerAnnouncementNick = Just "abc123"
-                                }
-                            )
+                        [ simpleAnnouncement "abc123" "somewhere"
+                        , simpleAnnouncement "abc456" "elsewhere"
                         ]
                 cap = trivialCap 3 3
 
@@ -206,16 +192,7 @@ tests =
                 result
         , testCase "IO exceptions from storageServerGetBuckets are handled" $ do
             -- An announcement for our server
-            let anns =
-                    Map.fromList
-                        [
-                            ( "v0-abc123"
-                            , def
-                                { storageServerAnnouncementFURL = Just "somewhere"
-                                , storageServerAnnouncementNick = Just "abc123"
-                                }
-                            )
-                        ]
+            let anns = Map.fromList [simpleAnnouncement "abc123" "somewhere"]
             -- A broken interface to the server
             server <- breakGetBuckets BespokeFailure <$> memoryStorageServer
 
@@ -236,16 +213,8 @@ tests =
                 result
         , testCase "IO exceptions from storageServerRead are handled" $ do
             -- An announcement for our server
-            let anns =
-                    Map.fromList
-                        [
-                            ( "v0-abc123"
-                            , def
-                                { storageServerAnnouncementFURL = Just "somewhere"
-                                , storageServerAnnouncementNick = Just "abc123"
-                                }
-                            )
-                        ]
+            let anns = Map.fromList [simpleAnnouncement "abc123" "somewhere"]
+
             -- A broken interface to the server
             server <- breakRead BespokeFailure <$> memoryStorageServer