diff --git a/app/models/post.rb b/app/models/post.rb
index 71cf24ff1..d5ce0912b 100644
--- a/app/models/post.rb
+++ b/app/models/post.rb
@@ -1034,17 +1034,19 @@ class Post < ActiveRecord::Base
 
       # optimize some cases. these are just estimates but at these
       # quantities being off by a few hundred doesn't matter much
-      if tags == ""
-        return (Post.maximum(:id) * (2200402.0 / 2232212)).floor
+      if Danbooru.config.estimate_post_counts
+        if tags == ""
+          return (Post.maximum(:id) * (2200402.0 / 2232212)).floor
 
-      elsif tags =~ /^rating:s(?:afe)?$/
-        return (Post.maximum(:id) * (1648652.0 / 2200402)).floor
+        elsif tags =~ /^rating:s(?:afe)?$/
+          return (Post.maximum(:id) * (1648652.0 / 2200402)).floor
 
-      elsif tags =~ /^rating:q(?:uestionable)?$/
-        return (Post.maximum(:id) * (350101.0 / 2200402)).floor
+        elsif tags =~ /^rating:q(?:uestionable)?$/
+          return (Post.maximum(:id) * (350101.0 / 2200402)).floor
 
-      elsif tags =~ /^rating:e(?:xplicit)?$/
-        return (Post.maximum(:id) * (201650.0 / 2200402)).floor
+        elsif tags =~ /^rating:e(?:xplicit)?$/
+          return (Post.maximum(:id) * (201650.0 / 2200402)).floor
+        end
       end
 
       count = get_count_from_cache(tags)
diff --git a/config/danbooru_default_config.rb b/config/danbooru_default_config.rb
index 18b2e2a71..5e991ff54 100644
--- a/config/danbooru_default_config.rb
+++ b/config/danbooru_default_config.rb
@@ -387,6 +387,11 @@ module Danbooru
     def addthis_key
     end
 
+    # enable some (donmai-specific) optimizations for post counts
+    def estimate_post_counts
+      true
+    end
+
     # listbooru options
     def listbooru_enabled?
       false
diff --git a/test/unit/artist_test.rb b/test/unit/artist_test.rb
index 97ecaefde..8af4566fd 100644
--- a/test/unit/artist_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/artist_test.rb
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ class ArtistTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
   context "An artist" do
     setup do
-      user = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
+      user = Timecop.travel(1.month.ago) {FactoryGirl.create(:user)}
       CurrentUser.user = user
       CurrentUser.ip_addr = "127.0.0.1"
       MEMCACHE.flush_all
diff --git a/test/unit/forum_post_test.rb b/test/unit/forum_post_test.rb
index a20a69612..3ee3212a8 100644
--- a/test/unit/forum_post_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/forum_post_test.rb
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class ForumPostTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
           end
 
           dmail = Dmail.last
-          assert_equal("You were mentioned in the forum topic \"#{@topic.title}\":http://#{Danbooru.config.hostname}/forum_topics/#{@topic.id}?page=1\n\n---\n\nHey @#{@user2.name} check this out!", dmail.body)
+          assert_equal("You were mentioned in the forum topic \"#{@topic.title}\":http://#{Danbooru.config.hostname}/forum_topics/#{@topic.id}?page=1\n\n---\n\n[i]#{@user.name} said:[/i]\n\nHey @#{@user2.name} check this out!", dmail.body)
         end
       end
     end
diff --git a/test/unit/janitor_trial_test.rb b/test/unit/janitor_trial_test.rb
index 282fc56d1..08ec1a170 100644
--- a/test/unit/janitor_trial_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/janitor_trial_test.rb
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class JanitorTrialTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
     context "upon creation" do
       should "create a dmail when testing a new janitor" do
-        assert_difference("Dmail.count", 2) do
+        assert_difference("Dmail.count", 4) do
           JanitorTrial.create(:user_id => @user.id)
         end
       end
diff --git a/test/unit/pool_test.rb b/test/unit/pool_test.rb
index 4fcada60e..c654aa9d8 100644
--- a/test/unit/pool_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/pool_test.rb
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ require 'test_helper'
 
 class PoolTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   setup do
-    user = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
-    CurrentUser.user = user
+    Timecop.travel(1.month.ago) do
+      user = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
+      CurrentUser.user = user
+    end
     CurrentUser.ip_addr = "127.0.0.1"
     MEMCACHE.flush_all
   end
@@ -201,7 +203,7 @@ class PoolTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
     should "create new versions for each distinct user" do
       assert_equal(1, @pool.versions.size)
-      user2 = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
+      user2 = Timecop.travel(1.month.ago) {FactoryGirl.create(:user)}
 
       CurrentUser.scoped(user2, "127.0.0.2") do
         @pool.post_ids = "#{@p1.id}"
@@ -294,7 +296,7 @@ class PoolTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
   context "An anonymous pool" do
     setup do
-      user = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
+      user = Timecop.travel(1.month.ago) {FactoryGirl.create(:user)}
       CurrentUser.user = user
     end
 
diff --git a/test/unit/post_test.rb b/test/unit/post_test.rb
index 16a439993..861cff7cb 100644
--- a/test/unit/post_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/post_test.rb
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ class PostTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       end
 
       should "update the fast count" do
+        Danbooru.config.stubs(:estimate_post_counts).returns(false)
         post = FactoryGirl.create(:post, :tag_string => "aaa")
         assert_equal(1, Post.fast_count)
         assert_equal(1, Post.fast_count("aaa"))
@@ -1491,6 +1492,7 @@ class PostTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     context "Creating a post" do
       setup do
         Danbooru.config.stubs(:blank_tag_search_fast_count).returns(nil)
+        Danbooru.config.stubs(:estimate_post_counts).returns(false)
       end
 
       context "with a primed cache" do
@@ -1505,7 +1507,7 @@ class PostTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
         should "be counted correctly in fast_count" do
           assert_equal(1, Post.count)
-          assert_equal(Danbooru.config.blank_tag_search_fast_count, Post.fast_count(""))
+          assert_equal(1, Post.fast_count(""))
           assert_equal(1, Post.fast_count("aaa"))
           assert_equal(1, Post.fast_count("alias"))
           assert_equal(0, Post.fast_count("bbb"))
diff --git a/test/unit/post_version_test.rb b/test/unit/post_version_test.rb
index 79272bff3..fcb6992d7 100644
--- a/test/unit/post_version_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/post_version_test.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ require 'test_helper'
 class PostVersionTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   context "A post" do
     setup do
-      @user = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
+      Timecop.travel(1.month.ago) do
+        @user = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
+      end
       CurrentUser.user = @user
       CurrentUser.ip_addr = "127.0.0.1"
       MEMCACHE.flush_all
@@ -18,6 +20,7 @@ class PostVersionTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       setup do
         @post = FactoryGirl.create(:post, :tag_string => "1")
         @post.stubs(:merge_version?).returns(false)
+        @post.stubs(:tag_string_changed?).returns(true)
         @post.update_attributes(:tag_string => "1 2")
         @post.update_attributes(:tag_string => "2 3")
       end
diff --git a/test/unit/saved_search_test.rb b/test/unit/saved_search_test.rb
index c850a9bf9..8a6804fb9 100644
--- a/test/unit/saved_search_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/saved_search_test.rb
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ class SavedSearchTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
   context "Destroying a saved search" do
     setup do
+      SqsService.any_instance.stubs(:send_message)
       @user = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
       @saved_search = @user.saved_searches.create(:tag_query => "xxx")
       @saved_search.destroy
diff --git a/test/unit/tag_alias_test.rb b/test/unit/tag_alias_test.rb
index 6d945dbd3..90277330d 100644
--- a/test/unit/tag_alias_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/tag_alias_test.rb
@@ -3,8 +3,10 @@ require 'test_helper'
 class TagAliasTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   context "A tag alias" do
     setup do
-      user = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
-      CurrentUser.user = user
+      Timecop.travel(1.month.ago) do
+        user = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
+        CurrentUser.user = user
+      end
       CurrentUser.ip_addr = "127.0.0.1"
       MEMCACHE.flush_all
       Delayed::Worker.delay_jobs = false
diff --git a/test/unit/user_test.rb b/test/unit/user_test.rb
index e3240a3be..f390cfd2a 100644
--- a/test/unit/user_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/user_test.rb
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class UserTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
           @user.promote_to!(User::Levels::GOLD)
         end
 
-        assert_equal("Promoted from Member to Gold", @user.feedback.last.body)
+        assert_equal("You have been promoted to a Gold level account from Member.", @user.feedback.last.body)
       end
 
       should "create a dmail" do