diff --git a/src/services/templateCoordinatesTransformation.service.spec.ts b/src/services/templateCoordinatesTransformation.service.spec.ts
index d91b6f89f3ad176527f1fcad20043f012ade1a97..08906f068f5d49f38d65d599e6bfe8a099545751 100644
--- a/src/services/templateCoordinatesTransformation.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/services/templateCoordinatesTransformation.service.spec.ts
@@ -31,11 +31,14 @@ describe('templateCoordinatesTransformation.service.spec.ts', () => {
         const service = TestBed.inject(TemplateCoordinatesTransformation)
         const httpTestingController = TestBed.inject(HttpTestingController)
 
+        // subscriptions are necessary for http fetch to occur
         service.getPointCoordinatesForTemplate(
           'from',
           'target',
           [1,2,3]
-        )
+        ).subscribe((_ev) => {
+          
+        })
         const req = httpTestingController.expectOne(service.url)
         expect(req.request.method).toEqual('POST')
         expect(
diff --git a/src/ui/viewerStateController/viewerState.useEffect.spec.ts b/src/ui/viewerStateController/viewerState.useEffect.spec.ts
index 36e9b115bb723f465e0163338447ea434f9cc2ac..8fc55ccd958cf7bcc5414662b822cf971022af17 100644
--- a/src/ui/viewerStateController/viewerState.useEffect.spec.ts
+++ b/src/ui/viewerStateController/viewerState.useEffect.spec.ts
@@ -14,10 +14,12 @@ import { HttpClientModule } from '@angular/common/http'
 const bigbrainJson = require('!json-loader!src/res/ext/bigbrain.json')
 const colinJson = require('!json-loader!src/res/ext/colin.json')
 const colinJsonNehubaConfig = require('!json-loader!src/res/ext/colinNehubaConfig.json')
-const reconstitutedColin = {
-  ...colinJson,
-  nehubaConfig: colinJsonNehubaConfig
-}
+const reconstitutedColin = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(
+  {
+    ...colinJson,
+    nehubaConfig: colinJsonNehubaConfig
+  }
+))
 let returnPosition = null
 @Injectable()
 class MockCoordXformService{
@@ -28,12 +30,12 @@ class MockCoordXformService{
   }
 }
 
-const initialState = defaultRootState
-defaultRootState.viewerState.fetchedTemplates = [
+const initialState = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify( defaultRootState ))
+initialState.viewerState.fetchedTemplates = [
   bigbrainJson,
   reconstitutedColin
 ]
-initialState.viewerState.templateSelected = defaultRootState.viewerState.fetchedTemplates[0]
+initialState.viewerState.templateSelected = initialState.viewerState.fetchedTemplates[0]
 const currentNavigation = {
   position: [4, 5, 6],
   orientation: [0, 0, 0, 1],