diff --git a/src/tests/backend/specs/api/chat.js b/src/tests/backend/specs/api/chat.js
index fcc69a363..b86917dab 100644
--- a/src/tests/backend/specs/api/chat.js
+++ b/src/tests/backend/specs/api/chat.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const common = require('../../common');
+const assert = require('assert').strict;
 
 let agent;
 const apiKey = common.apiKey;
@@ -15,14 +16,14 @@ describe(__filename, function () {
   before(async function () { agent = await common.init(); });
 
   describe('API Versioning', function () {
-    it('errors if can not connect', function (done) {
-      agent.get('/api/')
+    it('errors if can not connect', async function () {
+      await agent.get('/api/')
           .expect((res) => {
             apiVersion = res.body.currentVersion;
             if (!res.body.currentVersion) throw new Error('No version set in API');
             return;
           })
-          .expect(200, done);
+          .expect(200);
     });
   });
 
@@ -38,20 +39,18 @@ describe(__filename, function () {
       -> getChatHistory(padID)
   */
 
-  describe('createPad', function () {
-    it('creates a new Pad', function (done) {
-      agent.get(`${endPoint('createPad')}&padID=${padID}`)
+  describe('Chat functionality', function () {
+    it('creates a new Pad', async function () {
+      await agent.get(`${endPoint('createPad')}&padID=${padID}`)
           .expect((res) => {
             if (res.body.code !== 0) throw new Error('Unable to create new Pad');
           })
           .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
-          .expect(200, done);
+          .expect(200);
     });
-  });
 
-  describe('createAuthor', function () {
-    it('Creates an author with a name set', function (done) {
-      agent.get(endPoint('createAuthor'))
+    it('Creates an author with a name set', async function () {
+      await agent.get(endPoint('createAuthor'))
           .expect((res) => {
             if (res.body.code !== 0 || !res.body.data.authorID) {
               throw new Error('Unable to create author');
@@ -59,47 +58,51 @@ describe(__filename, function () {
             authorID = res.body.data.authorID; // we will be this author for the rest of the tests
           })
           .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
-          .expect(200, done);
+          .expect(200);
     });
-  });
 
-  describe('appendChatMessage', function () {
-    it('Adds a chat message to the pad', function (done) {
-      agent.get(`${endPoint('appendChatMessage')}&padID=${padID}&text=blalblalbha` +
+    it('Gets the head of chat before the first chat msg', async function () {
+      await agent.get(`${endPoint('getChatHead')}&padID=${padID}`)
+          .expect((res) => {
+            if (res.body.data.chatHead !== -1) throw new Error('Chat Head Length is wrong');
+            if (res.body.code !== 0) throw new Error('Unable to get chat head');
+          })
+          .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+          .expect(200);
+    });
+
+    it('Adds a chat message to the pad', async function () {
+      await agent.get(`${endPoint('appendChatMessage')}&padID=${padID}&text=blalblalbha` +
                 `&authorID=${authorID}&time=${timestamp}`)
           .expect((res) => {
             if (res.body.code !== 0) throw new Error('Unable to create chat message');
           })
           .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
-          .expect(200, done);
+          .expect(200);
     });
-  });
 
-
-  describe('getChatHead', function () {
-    it('Gets the head of chat', function (done) {
-      agent.get(`${endPoint('getChatHead')}&padID=${padID}`)
+    it('Gets the head of chat', async function () {
+      await agent.get(`${endPoint('getChatHead')}&padID=${padID}`)
           .expect((res) => {
             if (res.body.data.chatHead !== 0) throw new Error('Chat Head Length is wrong');
 
             if (res.body.code !== 0) throw new Error('Unable to get chat head');
           })
           .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
-          .expect(200, done);
+          .expect(200);
     });
-  });
 
-  describe('getChatHistory', function () {
-    it('Gets Chat History of a Pad', function (done) {
-      agent.get(`${endPoint('getChatHistory')}&padID=${padID}`)
-          .expect((res) => {
-            if (res.body.data.messages.length !== 1) {
-              throw new Error('Chat History Length is wrong');
-            }
-            if (res.body.code !== 0) throw new Error('Unable to get chat history');
-          })
+    it('Gets Chat History of a Pad', async function () {
+      await agent.get(`${endPoint('getChatHistory')}&padID=${padID}`)
           .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
-          .expect(200, done);
+          .expect(200)
+          .expect((res) => {
+            assert.equal(res.body.code, 0, 'Unable to get chat history');
+            assert.equal(res.body.data.messages.length, 1, 'Chat History Length is wrong');
+            assert.equal(res.body.data.messages[0].text, 'blalblalbha', 'Chat text does not match');
+            assert.equal(res.body.data.messages[0].userId, authorID, 'Message author does not match');
+            assert.equal(res.body.data.messages[0].time, timestamp.toString(), 'Message time does not match');
+          });
     });
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/tests/backend/specs/api/instance.js b/src/tests/backend/specs/api/instance.js
index f0180e203..62202263e 100644
--- a/src/tests/backend/specs/api/instance.js
+++ b/src/tests/backend/specs/api/instance.js
@@ -17,16 +17,16 @@ describe(__filename, function () {
   before(async function () { agent = await common.init(); });
 
   describe('Connectivity for instance-level API tests', function () {
-    it('can connect', function (done) {
-      agent.get('/api/')
+    it('can connect', async function () {
+      await agent.get('/api/')
           .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
-          .expect(200, done);
+          .expect(200);
     });
   });
 
   describe('getStats', function () {
-    it('Gets the stats of a running instance', function (done) {
-      agent.get(endPoint('getStats'))
+    it('Gets the stats of a running instance', async function () {
+      await agent.get(endPoint('getStats'))
           .expect((res) => {
             if (res.body.code !== 0) throw new Error('getStats() failed');
 
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ describe(__filename, function () {
             }
           })
           .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
-          .expect(200, done);
+          .expect(200);
     });
   });
 });