diff --git a/tests/test_conda.py b/tests/test_conda.py
index 7b372e5..4f3f608 100644
--- a/tests/test_conda.py
+++ b/tests/test_conda.py
@@ -8,42 +8,23 @@ import subprocess
 import tempfile
 
 
-@pytest.fixture
+@pytest.fixture(scope='module')
 def prefix():
     """
-    Provide a temporary directory to make environments in.
+    Provide a temporary directory with a conda environment
     """
+    miniconda_version = '4.5.4'
+    miniconda_installer_md5 = "a946ea1d0c4a642ddf0c3a26a18bb16d"
     with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
+        with conda.download_miniconda_installer(miniconda_version, miniconda_installer_md5) as installer_path:
+            conda.install_miniconda(installer_path, tmpdir)
         yield tmpdir
 
 
-def test_create_environment(prefix):
-    """
-    Test conda environment creation
-
-    An empty conda environment doesn't seem to have anything in it,
-    so we just check for directory existence.
-    """
-    conda.ensure_conda_env(prefix)
-    assert os.path.exists(prefix)
-
-
-def test_ensure_environment(prefix):
-    """
-    Test second call to ensure_conda_env works as expected
-
-    A conda environment already exists, so we it should just do nothing
-    """
-    conda.ensure_conda_env(prefix)
-    assert os.path.exists(prefix)
-    conda.ensure_conda_env(prefix)
-
-
 def test_ensure_packages(prefix):
     """
     Test installing packages in conda environment
     """
-    conda.ensure_conda_env(prefix)
     conda.ensure_conda_packages(prefix, ['numpy'])
     # Throws an error if this fails
     subprocess.check_call([
@@ -57,7 +38,6 @@ def test_ensure_pip_packages(prefix):
     """
     Test installing pip packages in conda environment
     """
-    conda.ensure_conda_env(prefix)
     conda.ensure_conda_packages(prefix, ['pip'])
     conda.ensure_pip_packages(prefix, ['numpy'])
     # Throws an error if this fails
@@ -72,7 +52,6 @@ def test_ensure_pip_requirements(prefix):
     """
     Test installing pip packages with requirements.txt in conda environment
     """
-    conda.ensure_conda_env(prefix)
     conda.ensure_conda_packages(prefix, ['pip'])
     with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile() as f:
         # Sample small package to test
diff --git a/tljh/conda.py b/tljh/conda.py
index 96ef324..d79de1e 100644
--- a/tljh/conda.py
+++ b/tljh/conda.py
@@ -77,25 +77,6 @@ def install_miniconda(installer_path, prefix):
     subprocess.check_call(["chmod", "-R", "o-w", prefix])
 
 
-def ensure_conda_env(prefix):
-    """
-    Ensure a conda environment in the prefix
-    """
-    conda_executable = [os.path.join(prefix, 'bin', 'python'), '-m', 'conda']
-    abspath = os.path.abspath(prefix)
-    try:
-        output = json.loads(
-            subprocess.check_output(conda_executable + ['create', '--json', '--prefix', abspath]).decode()
-        )
-    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
-        output = json.loads(e.output.decode())
-        if 'error' in output and output['error'] == f'CondaValueError: prefix already exists: {abspath}':
-            return
-        raise
-    if 'success' in output and output['success'] == True:
-        return
-
-
 def ensure_conda_packages(prefix, packages):
     """
     Ensure packages (from conda-forge) are installed in the conda prefix.