diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/AbstractCodeOwnersTest.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/AbstractCodeOwnersTest.java
index b632510..13c3b3e 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/AbstractCodeOwnersTest.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/AbstractCodeOwnersTest.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 package com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.acceptance;
 
+import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
 import static com.google.gerrit.server.group.SystemGroupBackend.REGISTERED_USERS;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
@@ -231,6 +232,26 @@
   }
 
   /**
+   * Returns the parsing error message for the non-parseable code owner config that was created by
+   * {@link #createNonParseableCodeOwnerConfig(String)}.
+   */
+  protected String getParsingErrorMessageForNonParseableCodeOwnerConfig() {
+    return getParsingErrorMessage(
+        ImmutableMap.of(
+            FindOwnersBackend.class,
+            "invalid line: INVALID",
+            ProtoBackend.class,
+            "1:8: Expected \"{\"."));
+  }
+
+  protected String getParsingErrorMessage(
+      ImmutableMap<Class<? extends CodeOwnerBackend>, String> messagesByBackend) {
+    CodeOwnerBackend codeOwnerBackend = backendConfig.getDefaultBackend();
+    assertThat(messagesByBackend).containsKey(codeOwnerBackend.getClass());
+    return messagesByBackend.get(codeOwnerBackend.getClass());
+  }
+
+  /**
    * Creates a default code owner config with the given test accounts as code owners.
    *
    * @param testAccounts the accounts of the users that should be code owners
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CheckCodeOwnerConfigFilesIT.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CheckCodeOwnerConfigFilesIT.java
index 75bf757..a275287 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CheckCodeOwnerConfigFilesIT.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CheckCodeOwnerConfigFilesIT.java
@@ -35,18 +35,13 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.RestApiException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.UnprocessableEntityException;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.acceptance.AbstractCodeOwnersIT;
-import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.backend.CodeOwnerBackend;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.backend.CodeOwnerConfig;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.backend.CodeOwnerConfigImportMode;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.backend.CodeOwnerConfigReference;
-import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.backend.config.BackendConfig;
-import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.backend.findowners.FindOwnersBackend;
-import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.backend.proto.ProtoBackend;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
-import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 /**
@@ -62,13 +57,6 @@
   @Inject private RequestScopeOperations requestScopeOperations;
   @Inject private ProjectOperations projectOperations;
 
-  private BackendConfig backendConfig;
-
-  @Before
-  public void setUpCodeOwnersPlugin() throws Exception {
-    backendConfig = plugin.getSysInjector().getInstance(BackendConfig.class);
-  }
-
   @Test
   public void requiresAuthenticatedUser() throws Exception {
     requestScopeOperations.setApiUserAnonymous();
@@ -172,12 +160,7 @@
                                     + " branch = master):\n  %s",
                                 codeOwnerConfigPath,
                                 project,
-                                getParsingErrorMessage(
-                                    ImmutableMap.of(
-                                        FindOwnersBackend.class,
-                                        "invalid line: INVALID",
-                                        ProtoBackend.class,
-                                        "1:8: Expected \"{\".")))))),
+                                getParsingErrorMessageForNonParseableCodeOwnerConfig())))),
             "refs/meta/config", ImmutableMap.of());
   }
 
@@ -618,12 +601,7 @@
                     "invalid code owner config file '%s' (project = %s, branch = master):\n  %s",
                     pathOfNonParseableCodeOwnerConfig,
                     project,
-                    getParsingErrorMessage(
-                        ImmutableMap.of(
-                            FindOwnersBackend.class,
-                            "invalid line: INVALID",
-                            ProtoBackend.class,
-                            "1:8: Expected \"{\"."))))));
+                    getParsingErrorMessageForNonParseableCodeOwnerConfig()))));
     if (verbosity == null
         || (ConsistencyProblemInfo.Status.ERROR.equals(verbosity)
             && (expectedStatus.equals(ConsistencyProblemInfo.Status.FATAL)
@@ -667,11 +645,4 @@
       Project.NameKey projectName) throws RestApiException {
     return projectCodeOwnersApiFactory.project(projectName).checkCodeOwnerConfigFiles().check();
   }
-
-  private String getParsingErrorMessage(
-      ImmutableMap<Class<? extends CodeOwnerBackend>, String> messagesByBackend) {
-    CodeOwnerBackend codeOwnerBackend = backendConfig.getDefaultBackend();
-    assertThat(messagesByBackend).containsKey(codeOwnerBackend.getClass());
-    return messagesByBackend.get(codeOwnerBackend.getClass());
-  }
 }
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CheckCodeOwnerConfigFilesInRevisionIT.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CheckCodeOwnerConfigFilesInRevisionIT.java
index 0a6c5ad..b003707 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CheckCodeOwnerConfigFilesInRevisionIT.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CheckCodeOwnerConfigFilesInRevisionIT.java
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.api.config.ConsistencyCheckInfo.ConsistencyProblemInfo;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.RestApiException;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.acceptance.AbstractCodeOwnersIT;
-import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.backend.CodeOwnerBackend;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.backend.CodeOwnerConfig;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.backend.CodeOwnerSet;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.backend.config.BackendConfig;
@@ -525,11 +524,4 @@
             "unknown code owner backend: %s",
             backendConfig.getDefaultBackend().getClass().getName()));
   }
-
-  private String getParsingErrorMessage(
-      ImmutableMap<Class<? extends CodeOwnerBackend>, String> messagesByBackend) {
-    CodeOwnerBackend codeOwnerBackend = backendConfig.getDefaultBackend();
-    assertThat(messagesByBackend).containsKey(codeOwnerBackend.getClass());
-    return messagesByBackend.get(codeOwnerBackend.getClass());
-  }
 }
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CodeOwnerConfigValidatorIT.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CodeOwnerConfigValidatorIT.java
index 6907c43..c364abc 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CodeOwnerConfigValidatorIT.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/acceptance/api/CodeOwnerConfigValidatorIT.java
@@ -2465,13 +2465,6 @@
             backendConfig.getDefaultBackend().getClass().getName()));
   }
 
-  private String getParsingErrorMessage(
-      ImmutableMap<Class<? extends CodeOwnerBackend>, String> messagesByBackend) {
-    CodeOwnerBackend codeOwnerBackend = backendConfig.getDefaultBackend();
-    assertThat(messagesByBackend).containsKey(codeOwnerBackend.getClass());
-    return messagesByBackend.get(codeOwnerBackend.getClass());
-  }
-
   private String abbreviateName(AnyObjectId id) throws Exception {
     return ObjectIds.abbreviateName(id, testRepo.getRevWalk().getObjectReader());
   }