diff --git a/pkg/actuators/machine/actuator_test.go b/pkg/actuators/machine/actuator_test.go
index 6e5400a35e..9f9610f951 100644
--- a/pkg/actuators/machine/actuator_test.go
+++ b/pkg/actuators/machine/actuator_test.go
@@ -44,11 +44,15 @@ func TestMachineEvents(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("unable to build codec: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	machine, cluster, awsCredentialsSecret, userDataSecret, err := stubMachineAPIResources()
+	machine, err := stubMachine()
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	cluster := stubCluster()
+	awsCredentialsSecret := stubAwsCredentialsSecret()
+	userDataSecret := stubUserDataSecret()
+
 	machineInvalidProviderConfig := machine.DeepCopy()
 	machineInvalidProviderConfig.Spec.ProviderSpec.Value = nil
 	machineInvalidProviderConfig.Spec.ProviderSpec.ValueFrom = nil
@@ -194,11 +198,15 @@ func TestMachineEvents(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestActuator(t *testing.T) {
-	machine, cluster, awsCredentialsSecret, userDataSecret, err := stubMachineAPIResources()
+	machine, err := stubMachine()
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	cluster := stubCluster()
+	awsCredentialsSecret := stubAwsCredentialsSecret()
+	userDataSecret := stubUserDataSecret()
+
 	codec, err := providerconfigv1.NewCodec()
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("unable to build codec: %v", err)
@@ -623,9 +631,14 @@ func TestAvailabiltyZone(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("unable to build codec: %v", err)
 	}
+
+	cluster := stubCluster()
+	awsCredentialsSecret := stubAwsCredentialsSecret()
+	userDataSecret := stubUserDataSecret()
+
 	for _, tc := range cases {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			machine, cluster, awsCredentialsSecret, userDataSecret, err := stubMachineAPIResources()
+			machine, err := stubMachine()
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/actuators/machine/awsclient_test.go b/pkg/actuators/machine/awsclient_test.go
index 39a36fde5c..64e6c08f08 100644
--- a/pkg/actuators/machine/awsclient_test.go
+++ b/pkg/actuators/machine/awsclient_test.go
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
-	providerconfigv1 "sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api-provider-aws/pkg/apis/awsproviderconfig/v1alpha1"
-
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/ec2"
 	"github.com/golang/mock/gomock"
@@ -14,13 +12,11 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestAwsClient(t *testing.T) {
-	machine, machinePC, err := stubMachine()
+	machine, err := stubMachine()
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Unable to build test machine manifest: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	machinePC.AMI = providerconfigv1.AWSResourceReference{}
-
 	cases := []struct {
 		name   string
 		output *ec2.DescribeInstancesOutput
diff --git a/pkg/actuators/machine/instaces_test.go b/pkg/actuators/machine/instaces_test.go
index cd1cbf5ee9..2673f168d3 100644
--- a/pkg/actuators/machine/instaces_test.go
+++ b/pkg/actuators/machine/instaces_test.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func TestBuildEC2Filters(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestRemoveStoppedMachine(t *testing.T) {
-	machine, _, err := stubMachine()
+	machine, err := stubMachine()
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("Unable to build test machine manifest: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ func TestRemoveStoppedMachine(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestRunningInstance(t *testing.T) {
-	machine, _, err := stubMachine()
+	machine, err := stubMachine()
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Unable to build test machine manifest: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ func TestRunningInstance(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestLaunchInstance(t *testing.T) {
-	machine, _, err := stubMachine()
+	machine, err := stubMachine()
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Unable to build test machine manifest: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/actuators/machine/stubs.go b/pkg/actuators/machine/stubs.go
index 723e5b2cf6..d006ac2492 100644
--- a/pkg/actuators/machine/stubs.go
+++ b/pkg/actuators/machine/stubs.go
@@ -96,16 +96,16 @@ func stubProviderConfig() *providerconfigv1.AWSMachineProviderConfig {
 	}
 }
 
-func stubMachine() (*clusterv1.Machine, *providerconfigv1.AWSMachineProviderConfig, error) {
+func stubMachine() (*clusterv1.Machine, error) {
 	machinePc := stubProviderConfig()
 
 	codec, err := providerconfigv1.NewCodec()
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed creating codec: %v", err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed creating codec: %v", err)
 	}
 	config, err := codec.EncodeProviderConfig(machinePc)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("encodeToProviderConfig failed: %v", err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("encodeToProviderConfig failed: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	machine := &clusterv1.Machine{
@@ -124,35 +124,32 @@ func stubMachine() (*clusterv1.Machine, *providerconfigv1.AWSMachineProviderConf
 		},
 	}
 
-	return machine, machinePc, nil
+	return machine, nil
 }
 
-func stubMachineAPIResources() (*clusterv1.Machine, *clusterv1.Cluster, *apiv1.Secret, *apiv1.Secret, error) {
-	awsCredentialsSecret := utils.GenerateAwsCredentialsSecretFromEnv(awsCredentialsSecretName, defaultNamespace)
-
-	userDataSecret := &apiv1.Secret{
+func stubCluster() *clusterv1.Cluster {
+	return &clusterv1.Cluster{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
-			Name:      userDataSecretName,
+			Name:      clusterID,
 			Namespace: defaultNamespace,
 		},
-		Data: map[string][]byte{
-			userDataSecretKey: []byte(userDataBlob),
-		},
-	}
-
-	machine, _, err := stubMachine()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, nil, nil, err
 	}
+}
 
-	cluster := &clusterv1.Cluster{
+func stubUserDataSecret() *corev1.Secret {
+	return &apiv1.Secret{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
-			Name:      clusterID,
+			Name:      userDataSecretName,
 			Namespace: defaultNamespace,
 		},
+		Data: map[string][]byte{
+			userDataSecretKey: []byte(userDataBlob),
+		},
 	}
+}
 
-	return machine, cluster, awsCredentialsSecret, userDataSecret, nil
+func stubAwsCredentialsSecret() *corev1.Secret {
+	return utils.GenerateAwsCredentialsSecretFromEnv(awsCredentialsSecretName, defaultNamespace)
 }
 
 func stubInstance(imageID, instanceID string) *ec2.Instance {