diff --git a/test/helpers/test-instance.js b/test/helpers/test-instance.js
index b2312a6..ca26933 100644
--- a/test/helpers/test-instance.js
+++ b/test/helpers/test-instance.js
@@ -27,49 +27,37 @@ import Database from "better-sqlite3";
 export async function getTestInstance() {
   // Create in-memory database
   const db = new Database(":memory:");
+  const magicLinksStore = [];
 
   // Configure Better Auth for testing
-  const auth = betterAuth({
-    database: db,
-    baseURL: "http://localhost:3000",
-    logger: {
-      disabled: true, // Suppress logs during tests
-    },
-    socialProviders: {
-      github: {
-        clientId: "test-client-id",
-        clientSecret: "test-client-secret",
-      },
-    },
-    telemetry: {
-      enabled: false,
-    },
-    session: {
-      expiresIn: 60 * 60 * 24 * 7, // 7 days
-      updateAge: 60 * 60 * 24, // 1 day
-    },
-    plugins: [
-      magicLink({
-        sendMagicLink: async ({ email, token, url }) => {
-          // Store magic link for testing
-          // Tests can access this via the returned magicLinks array
-          if (!auth._testMagicLinks) {
-            auth._testMagicLinks = [];
-          }
-          auth._testMagicLinks.push({ email, token, url });
-          return Promise.resolve();
-        },
-      }),
-      admin(),
-    ],
-  });
+  const auth = createTestAuth(db, magicLinksStore);
 
   // Run migrations to create database tables
   const migrations = await getMigrations(auth.options);
   await migrations.runMigrations();
 
   // Create client helper for common operations
-  const client = {
+  const client = createTestClient(auth);
+
+  // Helper to get session headers for authenticated requests via magic link
+  const getAuthHeaders = createGetAuthHeaders(auth, magicLinksStore);
+
+  return {
+    auth,
+    client,
+    db,
+    getAuthHeaders,
+    getMagicLinks: () => magicLinksStore,
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Creates a test client helper with admin operations
+ * @param {Object} auth - Better Auth instance
+ * @returns {Object} Client helper object with admin methods
+ */
+function createTestClient(auth) {
+  return {
     // Admin methods (based on spike findings)
     admin: {
       setRole: async ({ userId, role }) => {
@@ -81,9 +69,16 @@ export async function getTestInstance() {
       },
     },
   };
+}
 
-  // Helper to get session headers for authenticated requests via magic link
-  const getAuthHeaders = async (email) => {
+/**
+ * Creates a function to get authentication headers for test requests
+ * @param {Object} auth - Better Auth instance
+ * @param {Array} magicLinksStore - Array storing captured magic links
+ * @returns {Function} Async function that takes an email and returns auth headers
+ */
+function createGetAuthHeaders(auth, magicLinksStore) {
+  return async function getAuthHeaders(email) {
     // Send magic link
     await auth.api.signInMagicLink({
       body: {
@@ -94,8 +89,7 @@ export async function getTestInstance() {
     });
 
     // Get the magic link from the test array
-    const magicLinks = auth._testMagicLinks || [];
-    const magicLink = magicLinks.find((link) => link.email === email);
+    const magicLink = magicLinksStore.find((link) => link.email === email);
 
     if (!magicLink) {
       throw new Error(`No magic link found for ${email}`);
@@ -115,31 +109,9 @@ export async function getTestInstance() {
       });
     } catch (error) {
       // magicLinkVerify may throw an APIError with the redirect response
-      // Extract the headers from the error if it's a 302 redirect
-      if (error.statusCode === 302) {
-        // error.headers is a Map-like object from Headers
-        let setCookie;
-        if (error.headers && typeof error.headers.get === "function") {
-          setCookie = error.headers.get("set-cookie");
-        } else if (error.headers && Array.isArray(error.headers)) {
-          // If it's an array of tuples
-          const setCookieHeader = error.headers.find(
-            (h) => h[0].toLowerCase() === "set-cookie",
-          );
-          setCookie = setCookieHeader ? setCookieHeader[1] : null;
-        }
-
-        if (setCookie) {
-          // Parse cookie to extract session token
-          const cookies = setCookie.split(",").map((c) => c.trim());
-          const sessionCookie = cookies.find((c) =>
-            c.startsWith("better-auth.session_token"),
-          );
-
-          if (sessionCookie) {
-            return { cookie: sessionCookie.split(";")[0] };
-          }
-        }
+      const cookieFromError = extractCookieFromError(error);
+      if (cookieFromError) {
+        return cookieFromError;
       }
       throw new Error(`Magic link verification failed: ${error.message}`, {
         cause: error,
@@ -155,25 +127,93 @@ export async function getTestInstance() {
       throw new Error("No session cookie in magic link verification response");
     }
 
-    // Parse cookie to extract session token
-    const cookies = setCookie.split(",").map((c) => c.trim());
-    const sessionCookie = cookies.find((c) =>
-      c.startsWith("better-auth.session_token"),
+    return parseSessionCookie(setCookie);
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Creates a Better Auth instance configured for testing
+ * @param {Database} db - better-sqlite3 database instance
+ * @param {Array} magicLinksStore - External array to store captured magic links
+ * @returns {Object} Configured Better Auth instance
+ */
+function createTestAuth(db, magicLinksStore) {
+  return betterAuth({
+    database: db,
+    baseURL: "http://localhost:3000",
+    logger: {
+      disabled: true, // Suppress logs during tests
+    },
+    socialProviders: {
+      github: {
+        clientId: "test-client-id",
+        clientSecret: "test-client-secret",
+      },
+    },
+    telemetry: {
+      enabled: false,
+    },
+    session: {
+      expiresIn: 60 * 60 * 24 * 7, // 7 days
+      updateAge: 60 * 60 * 24, // 1 day
+    },
+    plugins: [
+      magicLink({
+        sendMagicLink: async ({ email, token, url }) => {
+          // Store magic link for testing
+          // Tests can access this via the returned magicLinks array
+          magicLinksStore.push({ email, token, url });
+          return Promise.resolve();
+        },
+      }),
+      admin(),
+    ],
+  });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Extract session cookie from a 302 redirect error response
+ * @param {Error} error - The error thrown by magicLinkVerify
+ * @returns {{cookie: string}|null} Session cookie object or null if not found
+ */
+function extractCookieFromError(error) {
+  if (error.statusCode !== 302) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  let setCookie;
+  if (error.headers && typeof error.headers.get === "function") {
+    setCookie = error.headers.get("set-cookie");
+  } else if (error.headers && Array.isArray(error.headers)) {
+    const setCookieHeader = error.headers.find(
+      (h) => h[0].toLowerCase() === "set-cookie",
     );
+    setCookie = setCookieHeader ? setCookieHeader[1] : null;
+  }
 
-    if (!sessionCookie) {
-      throw new Error("No session token cookie found");
-    }
+  if (setCookie) {
+    return parseSessionCookie(setCookie);
+  }
 
-    // Return just the cookie header value
-    return { cookie: sessionCookie.split(";")[0] };
-  };
+  return null;
+}
 
-  return {
-    auth,
-    client,
-    db,
-    getAuthHeaders,
-    getMagicLinks: () => auth._testMagicLinks || [],
-  };
+/**
+ * Parse a Set-Cookie header to extract the better-auth session token
+ * @param {string} setCookie - The Set-Cookie header value
+ * @returns {{cookie: string}} Object containing the cookie header value
+ * @throws {Error} If no session token cookie is found
+ */
+function parseSessionCookie(setCookie) {
+  const cookies = setCookie.split(",").map((c) => c.trim());
+  const sessionCookie = cookies.find((c) =>
+    c.startsWith("better-auth.session_token"),
+  );
+
+  if (!sessionCookie) {
+    throw new Error("No session token cookie found");
+  }
+
+  // Return just the cookie header value (before the semicolon)
+  return { cookie: sessionCookie.split(";")[0] };
 }