diff --git a/functional/test_autoscaling.py b/functional/test_autoscaling.py
index 489ae63..301981f 100644
--- a/functional/test_autoscaling.py
+++ b/functional/test_autoscaling.py
@@ -183,7 +183,6 @@
                                'flavor': self.conf.instance_type}}
         self.update_stack(stack_identifier, self.template,
                           environment=env2, files=files)
-        self._wait_for_stack_status(stack_identifier, 'UPDATE_COMPLETE')
         stack = self.client.stacks.get(stack_identifier)
         self.assert_instance_count(stack, 5)
 
@@ -374,7 +373,6 @@
         # test stack update
         self.update_stack(stack_identifier, updt_template,
                           environment=env, files=files)
-        self._wait_for_stack_status(stack_identifier, 'UPDATE_COMPLETE')
         updt_stack = self.client.stacks.get(stack_identifier)
 
         # test that the launch configuration is replaced
diff --git a/functional/test_default_parameters.py b/functional/test_default_parameters.py
index 138a13e..00000fd 100644
--- a/functional/test_default_parameters.py
+++ b/functional/test_default_parameters.py
@@ -68,8 +68,6 @@
         self.client = self.orchestration_client
 
     def test_defaults(self):
-        stack_name = self._stack_rand_name()
-
         env = {'parameters': {}, 'parameter_defaults': {}}
         if self.param:
             env['parameters'] = {'length': self.param}
@@ -84,22 +82,13 @@
         else:
             nested_template = self.nested_template
 
-        self.client.stacks.create(
-            stack_name=stack_name,
+        stack_identifier = self.stack_create(
             template=self.template,
             files={'nested_random.yaml': nested_template},
-            disable_rollback=True,
-            parameters={},
             environment=env
         )
-        self.addCleanup(self.client.stacks.delete, stack_name)
 
-        stack = self.client.stacks.get(stack_name)
-        stack_identifier = '%s/%s' % (stack_name, stack.id)
-
-        self._wait_for_stack_status(stack_identifier, 'CREATE_COMPLETE')
-
-        stack = self.client.stacks.get(stack_name)
+        stack = self.client.stacks.get(stack_identifier)
         for out in stack.outputs:
             if out['output_key'] == 'random1':
                 self.assertEqual(self.expect1, len(out['output_value']))
diff --git a/functional/test_heat_autoscaling.py b/functional/test_heat_autoscaling.py
index 0e6e0cb..dbe3e8f 100644
--- a/functional/test_heat_autoscaling.py
+++ b/functional/test_heat_autoscaling.py
@@ -132,4 +132,3 @@
             'scaling_adjustment: 2')
 
         self.update_stack(stack_identifier, template=new_template)
-        self._wait_for_stack_status(stack_identifier, 'UPDATE_COMPLETE')
diff --git a/functional/test_instance_group.py b/functional/test_instance_group.py
index 5c88bed..1455d0b 100644
--- a/functional/test_instance_group.py
+++ b/functional/test_instance_group.py
@@ -174,7 +174,6 @@
                                'flavor': self.conf.instance_type}}
         self.update_stack(stack_identifier, self.template,
                           environment=env2, files=files)
-        self._wait_for_stack_status(stack_identifier, 'UPDATE_COMPLETE')
         stack = self.client.stacks.get(stack_identifier)
         self.assert_instance_count(stack, 5)
 
@@ -345,7 +344,6 @@
         # test stack update
         self.update_stack(stack_identifier, updt_template,
                           environment=env, files=files)
-        self._wait_for_stack_status(stack_identifier, 'UPDATE_COMPLETE')
         updt_stack = self.client.stacks.get(stack_identifier)
 
         # test that the launch configuration is replaced
diff --git a/functional/test_notifications.py b/functional/test_notifications.py
index a9b6cf1..a4c419c 100644
--- a/functional/test_notifications.py
+++ b/functional/test_notifications.py
@@ -141,17 +141,9 @@
         return len(handler.notifications) == count
 
     def test_basic_notifications(self):
-        stack_identifier = self._stack_rand_name()
-        # do this manually so we can call _stack_delete() directly.
-        self.client.stacks.create(
-            stack_name=stack_identifier,
-            template=self.basic_template,
-            files={},
-            disable_rollback=True,
-            parameters={},
-            environment={}
-        )
-        self._wait_for_stack_status(stack_identifier, 'CREATE_COMPLETE')
+        # disable cleanup so we can call _stack_delete() directly.
+        stack_identifier = self.stack_create(template=self.basic_template,
+                                             enable_cleanup=False)
         self.update_stack(stack_identifier,
                           template=self.update_basic_template)
         self.stack_suspend(stack_identifier)
diff --git a/functional/test_template_resource.py b/functional/test_template_resource.py
index 392bddd..356fc2a 100644
--- a/functional/test_template_resource.py
+++ b/functional/test_template_resource.py
@@ -102,17 +102,12 @@
         This tests that if you manually delete a nested
         stack, the parent stack is still deletable.
         """
-        name = self._stack_rand_name()
-        # do this manually so we can call _stack_delete() directly.
-        self.client.stacks.create(
-            stack_name=name,
+        # disable cleanup so we can call _stack_delete() directly.
+        stack_identifier = self.stack_create(
             template=self.template,
             files={'nested.yaml': self.nested_templ},
             environment=self.env_templ,
-            disable_rollback=True)
-        stack = self.client.stacks.get(name)
-        stack_identifier = '%s/%s' % (name, stack.id)
-        self._wait_for_stack_status(stack_identifier, 'CREATE_COMPLETE')
+            enable_cleanup=False)
 
         nested_ident = self.assert_resource_is_a_stack(stack_identifier,
                                                        'secret1')
@@ -445,16 +440,11 @@
         return yaml.load(yaml_templ)
 
     def test_abandon(self):
-        stack_name = self._stack_rand_name()
-        self.client.stacks.create(
-            stack_name=stack_name,
+        stack_identifier = self.stack_create(
             template=self.main_template,
             files={'the.yaml': self.nested_templ},
-            disable_rollback=True,
+            enable_cleanup=False
         )
-        stack = self.client.stacks.get(stack_name)
-        stack_identifier = '%s/%s' % (stack_name, stack.id)
-        self._wait_for_stack_status(stack_identifier, 'CREATE_COMPLETE')
 
         info = self.stack_abandon(stack_id=stack_identifier)
         self.assertEqual(self._yaml_to_json(self.main_template),
@@ -527,16 +517,10 @@
         self.client = self.orchestration_client
 
     def test_check(self):
-        stack_name = self._stack_rand_name()
-        self.client.stacks.create(
-            stack_name=stack_name,
+        stack_identifier = self.stack_create(
             template=self.main_template,
-            files={'the.yaml': self.nested_templ},
-            disable_rollback=True,
+            files={'the.yaml': self.nested_templ}
         )
-        stack = self.client.stacks.get(stack_name)
-        stack_identifier = '%s/%s' % (stack_name, stack.id)
-        self._wait_for_stack_status(stack_identifier, 'CREATE_COMPLETE')
 
         self.client.actions.check(stack_id=stack_identifier)
         self._wait_for_stack_status(stack_identifier, 'CHECK_COMPLETE')