diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index d9635e7..eeb0d8c 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ Specs run in randomized order. The seed is printed at the start of the
 run, e.g.:
 
 ```
-==> Randomized with seed 12345 (reproduce: bundle exec rspec --seed 12345)
+Randomized with seed 12345
 ```
 
 To reproduce that exact run:
diff --git a/spec/plsql/procedure_spec.rb b/spec/plsql/procedure_spec.rb
index 7e4efc5..4cee3b9 100644
--- a/spec/plsql/procedure_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/plsql/procedure_spec.rb
@@ -1506,8 +1506,9 @@ def new_candidate(status)
 
     describe "using Oracle 9.2" do
       before(:all) do
-        # get actual database_version
-        plsql.connect! CONNECTION_PARAMS
+        # get actual database_version using the outer describe's connection;
+        # calling plsql.connect! here would orphan the outer session, leaking
+        # ruby_<outer_sid>_* temporary tables when this skip fires.
         skip "Skip if the actual database version is 18c or higher" if (plsql.connection.database_version <=> [18, 0, 0, 0]) >= 0
       end
 
diff --git a/spec/plsql/schema_spec.rb b/spec/plsql/schema_spec.rb
index d540e3e..0c5760d 100644
--- a/spec/plsql/schema_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/plsql/schema_spec.rb
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@
   end
 
   after(:all) do
-    plsql.connection.logoff
+    plsql.logoff
   end
 
   it "should find existing schema" do
@@ -193,6 +193,10 @@ class TestModel < TestBaseModel
     end
   end
 
+  after(:all) do
+    plsql.activerecord_class = nil
+  end
+
   before(:each) do
     plsql.activerecord_class = ActiveRecord::Base
   end
diff --git a/spec/plsql/variable_spec.rb b/spec/plsql/variable_spec.rb
index 45fa68c..98ba2c8 100644
--- a/spec/plsql/variable_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/plsql/variable_spec.rb
@@ -112,6 +112,10 @@
       SQL
     end
 
+    before(:each) do
+      plsql.execute "BEGIN DBMS_SESSION.RESET_PACKAGE; END;"
+    end
+
     after(:all) do
       plsql.execute "DROP PACKAGE test_package"
       plsql.logoff
diff --git a/spec/plsql/view_spec.rb b/spec/plsql/view_spec.rb
index 6d6df83..93dbc60 100644
--- a/spec/plsql/view_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/plsql/view_spec.rb
@@ -196,9 +196,10 @@
     end
 
     it "should select record in view using :column => nil condition" do
-      employee = @employees.last
-      employee[:employee_id] = employee[:employee_id] + 1
-      employee[:hire_date] = nil
+      employee = @employees.last.merge(
+        employee_id: @employees.last[:employee_id] + 1,
+        hire_date: nil
+      )
       plsql.test_employees_v.insert employee
       expect(plsql.test_employees_v.first("WHERE hire_date IS NULL")).to eq(employee)
       expect(plsql.test_employees_v.first(hire_date: nil)).to eq(employee)
diff --git a/spec/spec.opts b/spec/spec.opts
deleted file mode 100644
index d4254ee..0000000
--- a/spec/spec.opts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
---colour
---format
-progress
---loadby
-mtime
---reverse
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index bb3591d..0eec81a 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -120,3 +120,8 @@ def only(*whitelist)
     self.reject { |key, value| !whitelist.include?(key) }
   end unless method_defined?(:only)
 end
+
+RSpec.configure do |config|
+  config.order = :random
+  Kernel.srand config.seed
+end