diff --git a/test/controllers.js b/test/controllers.js
index 4c9fb1470b..9c6790d5c5 100644
--- a/test/controllers.js
+++ b/test/controllers.js
@@ -402,6 +402,8 @@ describe('Controllers', () => {
 
 				assert(!res.body.errors.includes('[[error:invalid-email]]'));
 				assert(!res.body.errors.includes('[[error:gdpr_consent_denied]]'));
+
+				meta.config.requireEmailAddress = 1;
 			});
 
 			it('should error if userData is falsy', async () => {
@@ -427,7 +429,6 @@ describe('Controllers', () => {
 			});
 
 			it('should reject an email that comprises only whitespace', async () => {
-				meta.config.requireEmailAddress = 1;
 				const uid = await user.create({ username: utils.generateUUID().slice(0, 10) });
 				const result = await user.interstitials.email({
 					userData: { uid: uid, updateEmail: true },
@@ -488,8 +489,9 @@ describe('Controllers', () => {
 				}
 			});
 
-			it('should remove current email', async () => {
+			it('should remove current email (only allowed if email not required)', async () => {
 				meta.config.requireEmailAddress = 0;
+
 				const uid = await user.create({ username: 'interstiuser5' });
 				await user.setUserField(uid, 'email', 'interstiuser5@nodebb.org');
 				await user.email.confirmByUid(uid);
@@ -506,6 +508,8 @@ describe('Controllers', () => {
 				const userData = await user.getUserData(uid);
 				assert.strictEqual(userData.email, '');
 				assert.strictEqual(userData['email:confirmed'], 0);
+
+				meta.config.requireEmailAddress = 1;
 			});
 
 			it('should require a password (if one is set) for email change', async () => {
@@ -530,6 +534,8 @@ describe('Controllers', () => {
 			});
 
 			it('should require a password (if one is set) for email clearing', async () => {
+				meta.config.requireEmailAddress = 0;
+
 				try {
 					const [username, password] = [utils.generateUUID().slice(0, 10), utils.generateUUID()];
 					const uid = await user.create({ username, password });
@@ -548,6 +554,8 @@ describe('Controllers', () => {
 				} catch (err) {
 					assert.strictEqual(err.message, '[[error:invalid-password]]');
 				}
+
+				meta.config.requireEmailAddress = 1;
 			});
 
 			it('should successfully issue validation request if the correct password is passed in', async () => {