diff --git a/.rspec b/.rspec
index 5cc5ff03168..7b862b57b96 100644
--- a/.rspec
+++ b/.rspec
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
---format documentation
+--format Fuubar
 --profile
 --color
 --tag ~performance
diff --git a/app/models/app_config.rb b/app/models/app_config.rb
index a2b8e10919a..927ec2abee6 100644
--- a/app/models/app_config.rb
+++ b/app/models/app_config.rb
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ def self.setup!
     normalize_admins
     normalize_pod_services
     deprecate_hoptoad_api_key
+    self[:to_ary] = []
   end
 
   def self.configured_services
diff --git a/spec/models/app_config_spec.rb b/spec/models/app_config_spec.rb
index 792fd84cb9a..bc37389f9b3 100644
--- a/spec/models/app_config_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/app_config_spec.rb
@@ -184,10 +184,6 @@
         ENV["REDISTOGO_URL"] = "redis://myserver"
       end
       
-      after do
-        ENV["REDISTOGO_URL"] = nil
-      end
-      
       it "uses that" do
         AppConfig.get_redis_instance.client.host.should == "myserver"
       end
@@ -195,13 +191,10 @@
     
     context "with REDIS_URL set" do
       before do
+        ENV["REDISTOGO_URL"] = nil
         ENV["REDIS_URL"] = "redis://yourserver"
       end
       
-      after do
-        ENV["REDIS_URL"] = nil
-      end
-      
       it "uses that" do
         AppConfig.get_redis_instance.client.host.should == "yourserver"
       end
@@ -210,10 +203,11 @@
     context "with redis_url set" do
       before do
         AppConfig[:redis_url] = "redis://ourserver"
+        ENV["REDISTOGO_URL"] = nil
+        ENV["REDIS_URL"] = nil
       end
       
       after do
-        AppConfig[:redis_url] = ""
       end
       
       it "uses that" do
@@ -222,6 +216,12 @@
     end
     
     context "with nothing set" do
+      before do
+        AppConfig[:redis_url] = ""
+        ENV["REDISTOGO_URL"] = nil
+        ENV["REDIS_URL"] = nil
+      end
+        
       it "uses localhost" do  
         AppConfig.get_redis_instance.client.host.should == "127.0.0.1"
       end