diff --git a/packages/server/test/integration/cli_spec.js b/packages/server/test/integration/cli_spec.js
index 11f5609bd5..44a2fb7390 100644
--- a/packages/server/test/integration/cli_spec.js
+++ b/packages/server/test/integration/cli_spec.js
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ describe('CLI Interface', () => {
     })
   })
 
-  xit('writes out package.json and exits', (done) => {
+  // TODO:(tgriesser) originally skipped this, not sure why
+  it.skip('writes out package.json and exits', (done) => {
     return cp.exec('npm run dev -- --return-pkg', { env }, (err, stdout, stderr) => {
       if (err) {
         done(err)
diff --git a/packages/server/test/unit/config_spec.js b/packages/server/test/unit/config_spec.js
index fe0e745671..738d329461 100644
--- a/packages/server/test/unit/config_spec.js
+++ b/packages/server/test/unit/config_spec.js
@@ -593,8 +593,8 @@ describe('lib/config', () => {
         })
       })
 
-      // TODO(lachlan): after mega PR
-      xcontext('specPattern', () => {
+      // TODO:(lachlan): after mega PR
+      context.skip('specPattern', () => {
         it('passes if a string', function () {
           this.setup({ e2e: { specPattern: '**/*.coffee' } })
 
@@ -1459,8 +1459,8 @@ describe('lib/config', () => {
       expect(warning).to.be.calledWith('FIREFOX_GC_INTERVAL_REMOVED')
     })
 
-    // todo(lachlan): after mega PR
-    xdescribe('.resolved', () => {
+    // TODO:(lachlan) after mega PR
+    describe.skip('.resolved', () => {
       it('sets reporter and port to cli', () => {
         const obj = {
           projectRoot: '/foo/bar',
diff --git a/packages/server/test/unit/gui/events_spec.js b/packages/server/test/unit/gui/events_spec.js
index cf6be7fd7e..feda29ddd3 100644
--- a/packages/server/test/unit/gui/events_spec.js
+++ b/packages/server/test/unit/gui/events_spec.js
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ describe('lib/gui/events', () => {
     })
   })
 
-  xcontext('.start', () => {
+  // TODO:(tgriesser) originally skipped this, not sure why
+  context.skip('.start', () => {
     it('ipc attaches callback on request', () => {
       sinon.stub(events, 'handleEvent')
 
diff --git a/packages/server/test/unit/server_spec.js b/packages/server/test/unit/server_spec.js
index 05dfb1d649..d2014f130c 100644
--- a/packages/server/test/unit/server_spec.js
+++ b/packages/server/test/unit/server_spec.js
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ describe('lib/server', () => {
 // TODO: Figure out correct configuration to run these tests and/or which ones we need to keep.
 // The introducion of server-base/socket-base and the `ensureProp` function made unit testing
 // the server difficult.
-xdescribe('lib/server', () => {
+describe.skip('lib/server', () => {
   beforeEach(function () {
     this.fileServer = {
       close () {},
diff --git a/system-tests/test/system_node_spec.js b/system-tests/test/system_node_spec.js
index b5cd4d7f6b..3f9a147c00 100644
--- a/system-tests/test/system_node_spec.js
+++ b/system-tests/test/system_node_spec.js
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ describe('e2e system node', () => {
     expect(stderr).to.contain('Plugin Electron version: undefined')
   })
 
-  xit('uses bundled node when launching plugins file', async function () {
+  // TODO:(tgriesser) originally skipped this, not sure why
+  it.skip('uses bundled node when launching plugins file', async function () {
     const { stderr } = await systemTests.exec(this, {
       project: 'system-node',
       config: {