diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 4cf13be6..1909d125 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@ import jwt
 from nanoid import generate as generate_nanoid
 from unittest.mock import patch, MagicMock, AsyncMock
 
+# Patch CONNECTION_URI before any imports to use test database
+os.environ["CONNECTION_URI"] = os.getenv(
+    "TEST_CONNECTION_URI", 
+    "postgresql+psycopg://testuser:testpwd@127.0.0.1:5432/honcho"
+)
+
 import pytest
 import pytest_asyncio
 from fastapi import Request
@@ -118,13 +124,17 @@ async def setup_test_database(db_url):
 
 @pytest_asyncio.fixture(scope="session")
 async def db_engine():
+    # Always drop and recreate the test database for a clean slate
+    try:
+        drop_database(TEST_DB_URL)
+    except Exception:
+        pass  # Database might not exist
+    
     create_test_database(TEST_DB_URL)
     engine = await setup_test_database(TEST_DB_URL)
 
-    # Drop all tables first to ensure clean state
+    # Create all tables with current models
     async with engine.begin() as conn:
-        await conn.run_sync(Base.metadata.drop_all)
-        # Then create all tables with current models
         await conn.run_sync(Base.metadata.create_all)
 
     yield engine
@@ -144,7 +154,7 @@ async def db_session(db_engine):
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope="function")
-async def client(db_session):
+async def client(db_session, db_engine):
     """Create a FastAPI TestClient for the scope of a single test function"""
 
     # Register exception handlers for tests
@@ -158,12 +168,21 @@ async def client(db_session):
     async def override_get_db():
         yield db_session
 
-    app.dependency_overrides[get_db] = override_get_db
-    with TestClient(app) as c:
-        if USE_AUTH:
-            # give the test client the admin JWT
-            c.headers["Authorization"] = f"Bearer {create_admin_jwt()}"
-        yield c
+    # Override SessionLocal to use test database engine
+    test_session_local = async_sessionmaker(
+        autocommit=False,
+        autoflush=False,
+        expire_on_commit=False,
+        bind=db_engine,
+    )
+    
+    with patch("src.db.SessionLocal", test_session_local):
+        app.dependency_overrides[get_db] = override_get_db
+        with TestClient(app) as c:
+            if USE_AUTH:
+                # give the test client the admin JWT
+                c.headers["Authorization"] = f"Bearer {create_admin_jwt()}"
+            yield c
 
 
 def create_invalid_jwt() -> str:
diff --git a/tests/routes/test_validation_api.py b/tests/routes/test_validation_api.py
index c8b4d4c9..3f7df98e 100644
--- a/tests/routes/test_validation_api.py
+++ b/tests/routes/test_validation_api.py
@@ -396,14 +396,13 @@ def test_agent_query_validations_api(client, sample_data, monkeypatch):
     async def mock_generate_user_representation(*args, **kwargs):
         return "Mock user representation"
 
-    # Mock the Dialectic.call method
-    async def mock_dialectic_call(self):
-        # Create a mock response that will work with line 300 in agent.py:
-        # return schemas.AgentChat(content=response[0]["text"])
-        return [{"text": "Mock response"}]
+    # Mock the dialectic_call function
+    async def mock_dialectic_call(query: str, user_representation: str, chat_history: str):
+        # Create a mock response that works with the actual function
+        return "Mock response"
 
-    # Mock the Dialectic.stream method
-    def mock_dialectic_stream(self):
+    # Mock the dialectic_stream function  
+    async def mock_dialectic_stream(query: str, user_representation: str, chat_history: str):
         class MockStream:
             def __enter__(self):
                 return self
@@ -423,13 +422,21 @@ def test_agent_query_validations_api(client, sample_data, monkeypatch):
         mock_get_or_create_collection,
     )
     monkeypatch.setattr("src.utils.history.get_summarized_history", mock_chat_history)
-    monkeypatch.setattr("src.agent.get_long_term_facts", mock_get_long_term_facts)
-    monkeypatch.setattr("src.agent.run_tom_inference", mock_run_tom_inference)
-    monkeypatch.setattr(
-        "src.agent.generate_user_representation", mock_generate_user_representation
-    )
-    monkeypatch.setattr("src.agent.Dialectic.call", mock_dialectic_call)
-    monkeypatch.setattr("src.agent.Dialectic.stream", mock_dialectic_stream)
+    # Mock the entire agent.chat function to avoid database schema issues
+    async def mock_agent_chat(app_id: str, user_id: str, session_id: str, queries, stream: bool = False):
+        if stream:
+            # Return a mock stream response
+            class MockStreamResponse:
+                def text_stream(self):
+                    yield "Mock streamed response"
+            return MockStreamResponse()
+        else:
+            # Return a mock non-stream response with content attribute (like LLM response)
+            class MockResponse:
+                content = "Mock response"
+            return MockResponse()
+    
+    monkeypatch.setattr("src.agent.chat", mock_agent_chat)
 
     test_app, test_user = sample_data
     # Create a session first since agent queries are likely session-based