diff --git a/spec/validators/email_mx_validator_spec.rb b/spec/validators/email_mx_validator_spec.rb
index 7109c9f4e23..0ffbf7fb8bc 100644
--- a/spec/validators/email_mx_validator_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/validators/email_mx_validator_spec.rb
@@ -3,75 +3,95 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe EmailMxValidator do
-  describe '#validate' do
-    let(:user) { instance_double(User, email: 'foo@example.com', sign_up_ip: '1.2.3.4', errors: instance_double(ActiveModel::Errors, add: nil)) }
-    let(:resolv_dns_double) { instance_double(Resolv::DNS) }
+  let(:user) { Fabricate.build :user, email: }
+  let(:email) { 'foo@example.com' }
+  let(:resolv_dns_double) { instance_double(Resolv::DNS) }
 
-    context 'with an e-mail domain that is explicitly allowed' do
-      around do |block|
-        tmp = Rails.configuration.x.email_domains_allowlist
-        Rails.configuration.x.email_domains_allowlist = 'example.com'
-        block.call
-        Rails.configuration.x.email_domains_allowlist = tmp
-      end
+  context 'with an e-mail domain that is explicitly allowed' do
+    around do |example|
+      original = Rails.configuration.x.email_domains_allowlist
+      Rails.configuration.x.email_domains_allowlist = 'example.com'
+      example.run
+      Rails.configuration.x.email_domains_allowlist = original
+    end
 
-      it 'does not add errors if there are no DNS records' do
-        configure_resolver('example.com')
+    context 'when there are not DNS records' do
+      before { configure_resolver('example.com') }
 
+      it 'does not add errors to record' do
         subject.validate(user)
-        expect(user.errors).to_not have_received(:add)
+        expect(user.errors).to be_empty
       end
     end
+  end
 
-    it 'adds no error if there are DNS records for the e-mail domain' do
-      configure_resolver('example.com', a: resolv_double_a('192.0.2.42'))
+  context 'when there are DNS records for the domain' do
+    before { configure_resolver('example.com', a: resolv_double_a('192.0.2.42')) }
 
+    it 'does not add errors to record' do
       subject.validate(user)
-      expect(user.errors).to_not have_received(:add)
+      expect(user.errors).to be_empty
+    end
+  end
+
+  context 'when the TagManager fails to normalize the domain' do
+    before do
+      allow(TagManager).to receive(:instance).and_return(tag_manage_double)
+      allow(tag_manage_double).to receive(:normalize_domain).with('example.com').and_raise(Addressable::URI::InvalidURIError)
     end
 
-    it 'adds an error if the TagManager fails to normalize domain' do
-      double = instance_double(TagManager)
-      allow(TagManager).to receive(:instance).and_return(double)
-      allow(double).to receive(:normalize_domain).with('example.com').and_raise(Addressable::URI::InvalidURIError)
+    let(:tag_manage_double) { instance_double(TagManager) }
 
-      user = instance_double(User, email: 'foo@example.com', errors: instance_double(ActiveModel::Errors, add: nil))
+    it 'adds errors to record' do
       subject.validate(user)
-      expect(user.errors).to have_received(:add)
+      expect(user.errors).to be_present
     end
+  end
 
-    it 'adds an error if the domain email portion is blank' do
-      user = instance_double(User, email: 'foo@', errors: instance_double(ActiveModel::Errors, add: nil))
+  context 'when the email portion is blank' do
+    let(:email) { 'foo@' }
+
+    it 'adds errors to record' do
       subject.validate(user)
-      expect(user.errors).to have_received(:add)
+      expect(user.errors).to be_present
     end
+  end
 
-    it 'adds an error if the email domain name contains empty labels' do
-      configure_resolver('example..com', a: resolv_double_a('192.0.2.42'))
+  context 'when the email domain contains empty labels' do
+    let(:email) { 'foo@example..com' }
 
-      user = instance_double(User, email: 'foo@example..com', sign_up_ip: '1.2.3.4', errors: instance_double(ActiveModel::Errors, add: nil))
+    before { configure_resolver('example..com', a: resolv_double_a('192.0.2.42')) }
+
+    it 'adds errors to record' do
       subject.validate(user)
-      expect(user.errors).to have_received(:add)
+      expect(user.errors).to be_present
     end
+  end
 
-    it 'adds an error if there are no DNS records for the e-mail domain' do
-      configure_resolver('example.com')
+  context 'when there are no DNS records for the email domain' do
+    before { configure_resolver('example.com') }
 
+    it 'adds errors to record' do
       subject.validate(user)
-      expect(user.errors).to have_received(:add)
+      expect(user.errors).to be_present
     end
+  end
 
-    it 'adds an error if a MX record does not lead to an IP' do
+  context 'when MX record does not lead to an IP' do
+    before do
       configure_resolver('example.com', mx: resolv_double_mx('mail.example.com'))
       configure_resolver('mail.example.com')
-
-      subject.validate(user)
-      expect(user.errors).to have_received(:add)
     end
 
-    it 'adds an error if the MX record has an email domain block' do
-      EmailDomainBlock.create!(domain: 'mail.example.com')
+    it 'adds errors to record' do
+      subject.validate(user)
+      expect(user.errors).to be_present
+    end
+  end
 
+  context 'when the MX record has an email domain block' do
+    before do
+      Fabricate :email_domain_block, domain: 'mail.example.com'
       configure_resolver(
         'example.com',
         mx: resolv_double_mx('mail.example.com')
@@ -81,12 +101,16 @@ RSpec.describe EmailMxValidator do
         a: instance_double(Resolv::DNS::Resource::IN::A, address: '2.3.4.5'),
         aaaa: instance_double(Resolv::DNS::Resource::IN::AAAA, address: 'fd00::2')
       )
+    end
 
+    it 'adds errors to record' do
       subject.validate(user)
-      expect(user.errors).to have_received(:add)
+      expect(user.errors).to be_present
     end
   end
 
+  private
+
   def configure_resolver(domain, options = {})
     allow(resolv_dns_double)
       .to receive(:getresources)