diff --git a/t/lib/WTSI/NPG/HTS/Illumina/LogPublisherTest.pm b/t/lib/WTSI/NPG/HTS/Illumina/LogPublisherTest.pm
index 06e8e321..58b9377c 100644
--- a/t/lib/WTSI/NPG/HTS/Illumina/LogPublisherTest.pm
+++ b/t/lib/WTSI/NPG/HTS/Illumina/LogPublisherTest.pm
@@ -63,10 +63,16 @@ sub publish_logs : Test(12) {
   # test the RunPublisher
   my $runfolder_path2 =
     "t/data/illumina/sequence/150910_HS40_17550_A_C75BCANXX";
+
+  # The tracking database handle must be specified, otherwise when
+  # the tracking schema file exists in .npg folder it tries to retrieve
+  # the db credentials from it and connect to the database defined there.
+  # By setting it to 'undef', the code avoids the database route.
   my $pub2 = WTSI::NPG::HTS::Illumina::LogPublisher->new
-    (irods           => $irods,
-     runfolder_path  => $runfolder_path2,
-     dest_collection => "$irods_tmp_coll/publish_logs_inferred_id_run");
+    (irods                => $irods,
+     runfolder_path       => $runfolder_path2,
+     npg_tracking_schema  => undef,
+     dest_collection      => "$irods_tmp_coll/publish_logs_inferred_id_run");
 
   my $log_archive2 = $pub2->publish_logs;
   ok($log_archive2, 'Log archive created given a runfolder path');