diff --git a/test/regression/models/model_settings.test.js b/test/regression/models/model_settings.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..65a449bf49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/models/model_settings.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+const should = require('should');
+const sinon = require('sinon');
+const mockDb = require('mock-knex');
+
+const models = require('../../../core/server/models');
+const {knex} = require('../../../core/server/data/db');
+const events = require('../../../core/server/lib/common/events');
+const defaultSettings = require('../../../core/server/data/schema/default-settings');
+
+describe('Settings Model', function () {
+    let tracker;
+    let eventSpy;
+
+    before(function () {
+        models.init();
+    });
+
+    beforeEach(function () {
+        mockDb.mock(knex);
+        tracker = mockDb.getTracker();
+        tracker.install();
+    });
+
+    afterEach(function () {
+        mockDb.unmock(knex);
+        tracker.uninstall();
+    });
+
+    beforeEach(function () {
+        eventSpy = sinon.spy(events, 'emit');
+    });
+
+    afterEach(function () {
+        sinon.restore();
+    });
+
+    it('populates unset defaults', function () {
+        let insertQueries = [];
+
+        tracker.on('query', (query) => {
+            // skip group and flags columns so we can test the insertion column skip
+            if (query.method === 'columnInfo') {
+                return query.response([
+                    {name: 'id', type: 'varchar'},
+                    // {name: 'group', type: 'varchar'},
+                    {name: 'key', type: 'varchar'},
+                    {name: 'value', type: 'varchar'},
+                    {name: 'type', type: 'varchar'},
+                    // {name: 'flags', type: 'varchar'},
+                    {name: 'created_at', type: 'datetime'},
+                    {name: 'created_by', type: 'varchar'},
+                    {name: 'updated_at', type: 'varchar'},
+                    {name: 'updated_by', type: 'datetime'}
+                ]);
+            }
+
+            if (query.method === 'insert') {
+                insertQueries.push(query);
+            }
+
+            return query.response([{}]);
+        });
+
+        return models.Settings.populateDefaults()
+            .then(() => {
+                const numberOfSettings = Object.keys(defaultSettings).reduce((settings, settingGroup) => {
+                    return settings.concat(Object.keys(defaultSettings[settingGroup]));
+                }, []).length;
+
+                insertQueries.length.should.equal(numberOfSettings);
+
+                // non-existent columns should not be populated
+                insertQueries[0].sql.should.not.match(/group/);
+                insertQueries[0].sql.should.not.match(/flags/);
+
+                // no events are emitted because we're not using the model layer
+                eventSpy.callCount.should.equal(0);
+            });
+    });
+
+    it('doesn\'t overwrite any existing settings', function () {
+        let insertQueries = [];
+
+        tracker.on('query', (query) => {
+            if (query.method === 'columnInfo') {
+                return query.response([
+                    {name: 'id', type: 'varchar'},
+                    {name: 'key', type: 'varchar'},
+                    {name: 'value', type: 'varchar'}
+                ]);
+            }
+
+            if (query.method === 'insert') {
+                insertQueries.push(query);
+            }
+
+            return query.response([{
+                key: 'description',
+                value: 'Adam\'s Blog'
+            }]);
+        });
+
+        return models.Settings.populateDefaults()
+            .then(() => {
+                const numberOfSettings = Object.keys(defaultSettings).reduce((settings, settingGroup) => {
+                    return settings.concat(Object.keys(defaultSettings[settingGroup]));
+                }, []).length;
+
+                insertQueries.length.should.equal(numberOfSettings - 1);
+            });
+    });
+});
diff --git a/test/unit/models/settings.test.js b/test/unit/models/settings.test.js
index bcbe0e0b2a..e43dc06a17 100644
--- a/test/unit/models/settings.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/models/settings.test.js
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ const mockDb = require('mock-knex');
 const models = require('../../../core/server/models');
 const {knex} = require('../../../core/server/data/db');
 const events = require('../../../core/server/lib/common/events');
-const defaultSettings = require('../../../core/server/data/schema/default-settings');
 const errors = require('@tryghost/errors');
 
 describe('Unit: models/settings', function () {
@@ -103,82 +102,6 @@ describe('Unit: models/settings', function () {
         afterEach(function () {
             sinon.restore();
         });
-
-        it('populates unset defaults', function () {
-            let insertQueries = [];
-
-            tracker.on('query', (query) => {
-                // skip group and flags columns so we can test the insertion column skip
-                if (query.method === 'columnInfo') {
-                    return query.response([
-                        {name: 'id', type: 'varchar'},
-                        // {name: 'group', type: 'varchar'},
-                        {name: 'key', type: 'varchar'},
-                        {name: 'value', type: 'varchar'},
-                        {name: 'type', type: 'varchar'},
-                        // {name: 'flags', type: 'varchar'},
-                        {name: 'created_at', type: 'datetime'},
-                        {name: 'created_by', type: 'varchar'},
-                        {name: 'updated_at', type: 'varchar'},
-                        {name: 'updated_by', type: 'datetime'}
-                    ]);
-                }
-
-                if (query.method === 'insert') {
-                    insertQueries.push(query);
-                }
-
-                return query.response([{}]);
-            });
-
-            return models.Settings.populateDefaults()
-                .then(() => {
-                    const numberOfSettings = Object.keys(defaultSettings).reduce((settings, settingGroup) => {
-                        return settings.concat(Object.keys(defaultSettings[settingGroup]));
-                    }, []).length;
-
-                    insertQueries.length.should.equal(numberOfSettings);
-
-                    // non-existent columns should not be populated
-                    insertQueries[0].sql.should.not.match(/group/);
-                    insertQueries[0].sql.should.not.match(/flags/);
-
-                    // no events are emitted because we're not using the model layer
-                    eventSpy.callCount.should.equal(0);
-                });
-        });
-
-        it('doesn\'t overwrite any existing settings', function () {
-            let insertQueries = [];
-
-            tracker.on('query', (query) => {
-                if (query.method === 'columnInfo') {
-                    return query.response([
-                        {name: 'id', type: 'varchar'},
-                        {name: 'key', type: 'varchar'},
-                        {name: 'value', type: 'varchar'}
-                    ]);
-                }
-
-                if (query.method === 'insert') {
-                    insertQueries.push(query);
-                }
-
-                return query.response([{
-                    key: 'description',
-                    value: 'Adam\'s Blog'
-                }]);
-            });
-
-            return models.Settings.populateDefaults()
-                .then(() => {
-                    const numberOfSettings = Object.keys(defaultSettings).reduce((settings, settingGroup) => {
-                        return settings.concat(Object.keys(defaultSettings[settingGroup]));
-                    }, []).length;
-
-                    insertQueries.length.should.equal(numberOfSettings - 1);
-                });
-        });
     });
 
     describe('format', function () {