diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/age_keys.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/age_keys.py
index 7c356620f..41162a287 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/age_keys.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/age_keys.py
@@ -26,14 +26,7 @@ class SopsSetup:
         self.keys = keys
         self.user = os.environ.get("USER", "admin")
 
-    # louis@(2025-03-10): It is odd to have to call an init function on a
-    # fixture: the fixture should already be initialized when it is received in
-    # the test function. Maybe we can arrange for the `flake` fixtures, to take
-    # the `sops_setup` fixture as input and call its `init` function on the
-    # correct path.
-    def init(self, flake_path: Path | None = None) -> None:
-        if flake_path is None:
-            flake_path = Path.cwd()
+    def init(self, flake_path: Path) -> None:
         cli.run(
             [
                 "vars",
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/fixtures_flakes.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/fixtures_flakes.py
index 114536718..17b32ec4a 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/fixtures_flakes.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/fixtures_flakes.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from collections.abc import Callable, Iterator
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any, NamedTuple
 
+import age_keys
 import pytest
 from clan_cli.dirs import TemplateType, clan_templates, nixpkgs_source
 from clan_cli.locked_open import locked_open
@@ -229,6 +230,15 @@ def flake(
     return minimal_flake_template.copy(temporary_home, monkeypatch)
 
 
+@pytest.fixture
+def flake_with_sops(
+    flake: ClanFlake,
+    sops_setup: age_keys.SopsSetup,
+) -> ClanFlake:
+    sops_setup.init(flake.path)
+    return flake
+
+
 def create_flake(
     temporary_home: Path,
     flake_template: str | Path,
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_machines_cli.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_machines_cli.py
index 9e5977c1d..4c4db7173 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_machines_cli.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_machines_cli.py
@@ -51,21 +51,14 @@ def test_machine_subcommands(
     assert "vm2" in output.out
 
 
-# louis(2025-03-09):
-#
-# The `with_core` mark is cargo-culted from
-# `test_generate_public_and_secret_vars` which
-# I used as a starting point:
 @pytest.mark.with_core
 def test_machine_delete(
     monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
-    flake: fixtures_flakes.ClanFlake,
+    flake_with_sops: fixtures_flakes.ClanFlake,
     sops_setup: SopsSetup,
 ) -> None:
-    # create the admin user and set its key:
-    sops_setup.init(flake.path)
+    flake = flake_with_sops
 
-    # admin_key, machine_key, machine2_key = age_keys
     admin_key, machine_key, machine2_key = sops_setup.keys
 
     # create a couple machines with their keys
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_vars.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_vars.py
index 68163e474..12123e8ab 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_vars.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_vars.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import json
 import logging
 import shutil
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
 import pytest
 from age_keys import SopsSetup
@@ -21,9 +20,6 @@ from clan_cli.vars.set import set_var
 from fixtures_flakes import ClanFlake
 from helpers import cli
 
-if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from age_keys import KeyPair
-
 
 def test_dependencies_as_files(temp_dir: Path) -> None:
     from clan_cli.vars.generate import dependencies_as_dir
@@ -100,9 +96,10 @@ def test_required_generators() -> None:
 @pytest.mark.with_core
 def test_generate_public_and_secret_vars(
     monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
-    flake: ClanFlake,
-    sops_setup: SopsSetup,
+    flake_with_sops: ClanFlake,
 ) -> None:
+    flake = flake_with_sops
+
     config = flake.machines["my_machine"]
     config["nixpkgs"]["hostPlatform"] = "x86_64-linux"
     my_generator = config["clan"]["core"]["vars"]["generators"]["my_generator"]
@@ -136,7 +133,6 @@ def test_generate_public_and_secret_vars(
 
     flake.refresh()
     monkeypatch.chdir(flake.path)
-    sops_setup.init()
 
     machine = Machine(name="my_machine", flake=Flake(str(flake.path)))
     assert not check_vars(machine)
@@ -227,10 +223,11 @@ def test_generate_public_and_secret_vars(
 @pytest.mark.with_core
 def test_generate_secret_var_sops_with_default_group(
     monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
-    flake: ClanFlake,
+    flake_with_sops: ClanFlake,
     sops_setup: SopsSetup,
-    age_keys: list["KeyPair"],
 ) -> None:
+    flake = flake_with_sops
+
     config = flake.machines["my_machine"]
     config["nixpkgs"]["hostPlatform"] = "x86_64-linux"
     config["clan"]["core"]["sops"]["defaultGroups"] = ["my_group"]
@@ -248,7 +245,6 @@ def test_generate_secret_var_sops_with_default_group(
     )
     flake.refresh()
     monkeypatch.chdir(flake.path)
-    sops_setup.init()
     cli.run(["secrets", "groups", "add-user", "my_group", sops_setup.user])
     cli.run(["vars", "generate", "--flake", str(flake.path), "my_machine"])
     in_repo_store = in_repo.FactStore(
@@ -268,7 +264,7 @@ def test_generate_secret_var_sops_with_default_group(
     )
 
     # add another user to the group and check if secret gets re-encrypted
-    pubkey_user2 = age_keys[1]
+    pubkey_user2 = sops_setup.keys[1]
     cli.run(
         [
             "secrets",
@@ -291,7 +287,7 @@ def test_generate_secret_var_sops_with_default_group(
     )
 
     # Rotate key of a user
-    pubkey_user3 = age_keys[2]
+    pubkey_user3 = sops_setup.keys[2]
     cli.run(
         [
             "secrets",
@@ -316,9 +312,10 @@ def test_generate_secret_var_sops_with_default_group(
 @pytest.mark.with_core
 def test_generated_shared_secret_sops(
     monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
-    flake: ClanFlake,
-    sops_setup: SopsSetup,
+    flake_with_sops: ClanFlake,
 ) -> None:
+    flake = flake_with_sops
+
     m1_config = flake.machines["machine1"]
     m1_config["nixpkgs"]["hostPlatform"] = "x86_64-linux"
     shared_generator = m1_config["clan"]["core"]["vars"]["generators"][
@@ -334,7 +331,6 @@ def test_generated_shared_secret_sops(
     )
     flake.refresh()
     monkeypatch.chdir(flake.path)
-    sops_setup.init()
     machine1 = Machine(name="machine1", flake=Flake(str(flake.path)))
     machine2 = Machine(name="machine2", flake=Flake(str(flake.path)))
     cli.run(["vars", "generate", "--flake", str(flake.path), "machine1"])
@@ -434,9 +430,10 @@ def test_generate_secret_var_password_store(
 @pytest.mark.with_core
 def test_generate_secret_for_multiple_machines(
     monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
-    flake: ClanFlake,
-    sops_setup: SopsSetup,
+    flake_with_sops: ClanFlake,
 ) -> None:
+    flake = flake_with_sops
+
     from clan_cli.nix import nix_config
 
     local_system = nix_config()["system"]
@@ -467,7 +464,6 @@ def test_generate_secret_for_multiple_machines(
     )
     flake.refresh()
     monkeypatch.chdir(flake.path)
-    sops_setup.init()
     cli.run(["vars", "generate", "--flake", str(flake.path)])
     # check if public vars have been created correctly
     in_repo_store1 = in_repo.FactStore(
@@ -506,9 +502,10 @@ def test_generate_secret_for_multiple_machines(
 @pytest.mark.with_core
 def test_prompt(
     monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
-    flake: ClanFlake,
-    sops_setup: SopsSetup,
+    flake_with_sops: ClanFlake,
 ) -> None:
+    flake = flake_with_sops
+
     config = flake.machines["my_machine"]
     config["nixpkgs"]["hostPlatform"] = "x86_64-linux"
     my_generator = config["clan"]["core"]["vars"]["generators"]["my_generator"]
@@ -530,7 +527,6 @@ def test_prompt(
     )
     flake.refresh()
     monkeypatch.chdir(flake.path)
-    sops_setup.init()
     monkeypatch.setattr(
         "clan_cli.vars.prompt.MOCK_PROMPT_RESPONSE",
         iter(["line input", "my\nmultiline\ninput\n", "prompt_persist"]),
@@ -565,8 +561,7 @@ def test_prompt(
 @pytest.mark.with_core
 def test_multi_machine_shared_vars(
     monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
-    flake: ClanFlake,
-    sops_setup: SopsSetup,
+    flake_with_sops: ClanFlake,
 ) -> None:
     """
     Ensure that shared vars are regenerated only when they should, and also can be
@@ -576,6 +571,8 @@ def test_multi_machine_shared_vars(
         - make sure shared wars are not regenerated when a second machines is added
         - make sure vars can still be accessed by all machines, after they are regenerated
     """
+    flake = flake_with_sops
+
     machine1_config = flake.machines["machine1"]
     machine1_config["nixpkgs"]["hostPlatform"] = "x86_64-linux"
     shared_generator = machine1_config["clan"]["core"]["vars"]["generators"][
@@ -591,7 +588,6 @@ def test_multi_machine_shared_vars(
     flake.machines["machine2"] = machine1_config
     flake.refresh()
     monkeypatch.chdir(flake.path)
-    sops_setup.init()
     machine1 = Machine(name="machine1", flake=Flake(str(flake.path)))
     machine2 = Machine(name="machine2", flake=Flake(str(flake.path)))
     sops_store_1 = sops.SecretStore(machine1)
@@ -680,10 +676,11 @@ def test_api_set_prompts(
 @pytest.mark.with_core
 def test_stdout_of_generate(
     monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
-    flake: ClanFlake,
-    sops_setup: SopsSetup,
+    flake_with_sops: ClanFlake,
     caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture,
 ) -> None:
+    flake = flake_with_sops
+
     config = flake.machines["my_machine"]
     config["nixpkgs"]["hostPlatform"] = "x86_64-linux"
     my_generator = config["clan"]["core"]["vars"]["generators"]["my_generator"]
@@ -696,7 +693,6 @@ def test_stdout_of_generate(
     my_secret_generator["script"] = "echo -n hello > $out/my_secret"
     flake.refresh()
     monkeypatch.chdir(flake.path)
-    sops_setup.init()
     from clan_cli.vars.generate import generate_vars_for_machine
 
     # with capture_output as output:
@@ -763,10 +759,11 @@ def test_stdout_of_generate(
 @pytest.mark.with_core
 def test_migration(
     monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
-    flake: ClanFlake,
-    sops_setup: SopsSetup,
+    flake_with_sops: ClanFlake,
     caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture,
 ) -> None:
+    flake = flake_with_sops
+
     config = flake.machines["my_machine"]
     config["nixpkgs"]["hostPlatform"] = "x86_64-linux"
     my_service = config["clan"]["core"]["facts"]["services"]["my_service"]
@@ -792,7 +789,6 @@ def test_migration(
 
     flake.refresh()
     monkeypatch.chdir(flake.path)
-    sops_setup.init()
     cli.run(["facts", "generate", "--flake", str(flake.path), "my_machine"])
     with caplog.at_level(logging.INFO):
         cli.run(["vars", "generate", "--flake", str(flake.path), "my_machine"])
@@ -819,9 +815,10 @@ def test_migration(
 @pytest.mark.with_core
 def test_fails_when_files_are_left_from_other_backend(
     monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
-    flake: ClanFlake,
-    sops_setup: SopsSetup,
+    flake_with_sops: ClanFlake,
 ) -> None:
+    flake = flake_with_sops
+
     config = flake.machines["my_machine"]
     config["nixpkgs"]["hostPlatform"] = "x86_64-linux"
     my_secret_generator = config["clan"]["core"]["vars"]["generators"][
@@ -836,7 +833,6 @@ def test_fails_when_files_are_left_from_other_backend(
     my_value_generator["script"] = "echo hello > $out/my_value"
     flake.refresh()
     monkeypatch.chdir(flake.path)
-    sops_setup.init()
     for generator in ["my_secret_generator", "my_value_generator"]:
         generate_vars_for_machine(
             Machine(name="my_machine", flake=Flake(str(flake.path))),