diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index c000d9f..c1da77f 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -143,6 +143,9 @@ def cleanup(self) -> None:
         self.ec2_client.revoke_security_group_ingress(**self.vpc_sg_rule_params)
 
     def delete(self) -> None:
+        # never used (AWS tests skipped)
+        if not hasattr(self, "rds_client"):
+            return
         self.rds_client.delete_db_instance(
             DBInstanceIdentifier=self.db_name,
             SkipFinalSnapshot=True,
@@ -189,20 +192,33 @@ def cleanup(self) -> bool:
         return True
 
     def delete(self) -> None:
+        # never used (AWS tests skipped)
+        if not hasattr(self, "s3_client"):
+            return
         exists = self.cleanup()
         if exists:
             self.s3_client.delete_bucket(Bucket=self.bucket_name)
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session")
-def rds_testing_instance() -> RDSTestingInstance:
-    return RDSTestingInstance("decodecloudintegrationtestsworkerapi")
+def rds_testing_instance() -> Generator[RDSTestingInstance, Any, None]:
+    # tests themselves must create the instance by calling instance.create();
+    # this way, if no test that needs the DB is run, no RDS instance is created
+    # instance.delete() only deletes the RDS instance if it was created
+    instance = RDSTestingInstance("decodecloudintegrationtestsworkerapi")
+    yield instance
+    instance.delete()
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session")
-def s3_testing_bucket() -> S3TestingBucket:
+def s3_testing_bucket() -> Generator[S3TestingBucket, Any, None]:
+    # tests themselves must create the bucket by calling bucket.create();
+    # this way, if no test that needs the bucket is run, no S3 bucket is created
+    # bucket.delete() only deletes the S3 bucket if it was created
     bucket_suffix = datetime.datetime.now(datetime.UTC).strftime("%Y%m%d%H%M%S")
-    return S3TestingBucket(bucket_suffix)
+    bucket = S3TestingBucket(bucket_suffix)
+    yield bucket
+    bucket.delete()
 
 
 @pytest.mark.aws
diff --git a/tests/integration/conftest.py b/tests/integration/conftest.py
index 8bb0c4c..fd58219 100644
--- a/tests/integration/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/integration/conftest.py
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ def env(
         s3_testing_bucket.create()
     yield env
     if env == "aws":
-        rds_testing_instance.delete()
-        s3_testing_bucket.delete()
+        rds_testing_instance.cleanup()
+        s3_testing_bucket.cleanup()
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session")
@@ -103,9 +103,6 @@ def queue(
         queue = RDSJobQueue(rds_testing_instance.db_url)
     queue.create(err_on_exists=True)
     yield queue
-    queue.delete()
-    if env == "aws":
-        rds_testing_instance.cleanup()
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session", autouse=True)
diff --git a/tests/integration/endpoints/test_jobs.py b/tests/integration/endpoints/test_jobs.py
index 275cad0..3243c44 100644
--- a/tests/integration/endpoints/test_jobs.py
+++ b/tests/integration/endpoints/test_jobs.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import requests
 from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
 
+from tests.conftest import RDSTestingInstance
 from tests.integration.endpoints.conftest import EndpointParams, _TestEndpoint
 from workerfacing_api.core.filesystem import FileSystem, LocalFilesystem, S3Filesystem
 from workerfacing_api.core.queue import RDSJobQueue
@@ -60,8 +61,16 @@ def passing_params(self) -> list[EndpointParams]:
         return [EndpointParams("get", params={"memory": 1})]
 
     @pytest.fixture(scope="function", autouse=True)
-    def cleanup_queue(self, queue: RDSJobQueue) -> None:
-        queue.delete()
+    def cleanup_queue(
+        self,
+        queue: RDSJobQueue,
+        env: str,
+        rds_testing_instance: RDSTestingInstance,
+    ) -> None:
+        if env == "local":
+            queue.delete()
+        else:
+            rds_testing_instance.cleanup()
         queue.create()
 
     @pytest.fixture(scope="function")
diff --git a/tests/unit/core/test_filesystem.py b/tests/unit/core/test_filesystem.py
index 504d11d..80f847e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/core/test_filesystem.py
+++ b/tests/unit/core/test_filesystem.py
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ def base_filesystem(
             yield S3Filesystem(
                 s3_testing_bucket.s3_client, s3_testing_bucket.bucket_name
             )
-            s3_testing_bucket.delete()
+            s3_testing_bucket.cleanup()
 
     @pytest.fixture(scope="class", autouse=True)
     def data_file1(
diff --git a/tests/unit/core/test_queue.py b/tests/unit/core/test_queue.py
index 32d2b7d..5d527f7 100644
--- a/tests/unit/core/test_queue.py
+++ b/tests/unit/core/test_queue.py
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ def base_queue(
         queue_path = str(tmpdir_factory.mktemp("queue") / "queue.pkl")
         base_queue = LocalJobQueue(queue_path)
         yield base_queue
+        base_queue.delete()
 
 
 class TestSQSQueue(_TestJobQueue):
@@ -294,8 +295,7 @@ class TestRDSLocalQueue(_TestRDSQueue):
     def base_queue(
         self, tmpdir_factory: pytest.TempdirFactory
     ) -> Generator[RDSJobQueue, Any, None]:
-        base_queue = RDSJobQueue(f"sqlite:///{tmpdir_factory.mktemp('queue')}/local.db")
-        yield base_queue
+        yield RDSJobQueue(f"sqlite:///{tmpdir_factory.mktemp('queue')}/local.db")
 
 
 @pytest.mark.aws
@@ -304,5 +304,6 @@ class TestRDSAWSQueue(_TestRDSQueue):
     def base_queue(
         self, rds_testing_instance: RDSTestingInstance
     ) -> Generator[RDSJobQueue, Any, None]:
+        rds_testing_instance.create()
         yield RDSJobQueue(rds_testing_instance.db_url)
         rds_testing_instance.cleanup()