diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/rest-api/rest-tags-controller.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/rest-api/rest-tags-controller.php
index d7dcf22edc..fd0e1d5604 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/rest-api/rest-tags-controller.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/rest-api/rest-tags-controller.php
@@ -10,17 +10,23 @@
  * @group restapi
  */
 class WP_Test_REST_Tags_Controller extends WP_Test_REST_Controller_Testcase {
+	protected static $administrator;
+	protected static $subscriber;
 
-	public function setUp() {
-		parent::setUp();
-		$this->administrator = $this->factory->user->create( array(
+	public static function wpSetUpBeforeClass( $factory ) {
+		self::$administrator = $factory->user->create( array(
 			'role' => 'administrator',
 		) );
-		$this->subscriber = $this->factory->user->create( array(
+		self::$subscriber = $factory->user->create( array(
 			'role' => 'subscriber',
 		) );
 	}
 
+	public static function wpTearDownAfterClass() {
+		self::delete_user( self::$administrator );
+		self::delete_user( self::$subscriber );
+	}
+
 	public function test_register_routes() {
 		$routes = $this->server->get_routes();
 		$this->assertArrayHasKey( '/wp/v2/tags', $routes );
@@ -450,7 +456,7 @@ class WP_Test_REST_Tags_Controller extends WP_Test_REST_Controller_Testcase {
 	}
 
 	public function test_create_item() {
-		wp_set_current_user( $this->administrator );
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$administrator );
 		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'POST', '/wp/v2/tags' );
 		$request->set_param( 'name', 'My Awesome Term' );
 		$request->set_param( 'description', 'This term is so awesome.' );
@@ -466,7 +472,7 @@ class WP_Test_REST_Tags_Controller extends WP_Test_REST_Controller_Testcase {
 	}
 
 	public function test_create_item_incorrect_permissions() {
-		wp_set_current_user( $this->subscriber );
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$subscriber );
 		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'POST', '/wp/v2/tags' );
 		$request->set_param( 'name', 'Incorrect permissions' );
 		$response = $this->server->dispatch( $request );
@@ -474,14 +480,14 @@ class WP_Test_REST_Tags_Controller extends WP_Test_REST_Controller_Testcase {
 	}
 
 	public function test_create_item_missing_arguments() {
-		wp_set_current_user( $this->administrator );
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$administrator );
 		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'POST', '/wp/v2/tags' );
 		$response = $this->server->dispatch( $request );
 		$this->assertErrorResponse( 'rest_missing_callback_param', $response, 400 );
 	}
 
 	public function test_create_item_parent_non_hierarchical_taxonomy() {
-		wp_set_current_user( $this->administrator );
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$administrator );
 
 		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'POST', '/wp/v2/tags' );
 		$request->set_param( 'name', 'My Awesome Term' );
@@ -491,7 +497,7 @@ class WP_Test_REST_Tags_Controller extends WP_Test_REST_Controller_Testcase {
 	}
 
 	public function test_update_item() {
-		wp_set_current_user( $this->administrator );
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$administrator );
 		$orig_args = array(
 			'name'        => 'Original Name',
 			'description' => 'Original Description',
@@ -511,7 +517,7 @@ class WP_Test_REST_Tags_Controller extends WP_Test_REST_Controller_Testcase {
 	}
 
 	public function test_update_item_invalid_term() {
-		wp_set_current_user( $this->administrator );
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$administrator );
 		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'POST', '/wp/v2/tags/' . REST_TESTS_IMPOSSIBLY_HIGH_NUMBER );
 		$request->set_param( 'name', 'Invalid Term' );
 		$response = $this->server->dispatch( $request );
@@ -519,7 +525,7 @@ class WP_Test_REST_Tags_Controller extends WP_Test_REST_Controller_Testcase {
 	}
 
 	public function test_update_item_incorrect_permissions() {
-		wp_set_current_user( $this->subscriber );
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$subscriber );
 		$term = get_term_by( 'id', $this->factory->tag->create(), 'post_tag' );
 		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'POST', '/wp/v2/tags/' . $term->term_id );
 		$request->set_param( 'name', 'Incorrect permissions' );
@@ -528,7 +534,7 @@ class WP_Test_REST_Tags_Controller extends WP_Test_REST_Controller_Testcase {
 	}
 
 	public function test_update_item_parent_non_hierarchical_taxonomy() {
-		wp_set_current_user( $this->administrator );
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$administrator );
 		$term = get_term_by( 'id', $this->factory->tag->create(), 'post_tag' );
 
 		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'POST', '/wp/v2/tags/' . $term->term_id );
@@ -538,7 +544,7 @@ class WP_Test_REST_Tags_Controller extends WP_Test_REST_Controller_Testcase {
 	}
 
 	public function test_delete_item() {
-		wp_set_current_user( $this->administrator );
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$administrator );
 		$term = get_term_by( 'id', $this->factory->tag->create( array( 'name' => 'Deleted Tag' ) ), 'post_tag' );
 		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'DELETE', '/wp/v2/tags/' . $term->term_id );
 		$request->set_param( 'force', true );
@@ -549,7 +555,7 @@ class WP_Test_REST_Tags_Controller extends WP_Test_REST_Controller_Testcase {
 	}
 
 	public function test_delete_item_force_false() {
-		wp_set_current_user( $this->administrator );
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$administrator );
 		$term = get_term_by( 'id', $this->factory->tag->create( array( 'name' => 'Deleted Tag' ) ), 'post_tag' );
 		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'DELETE', '/wp/v2/tags/' . $term->term_id );
 		// force defaults to false
@@ -558,14 +564,14 @@ class WP_Test_REST_Tags_Controller extends WP_Test_REST_Controller_Testcase {
 	}
 
 	public function test_delete_item_invalid_term() {
-		wp_set_current_user( $this->administrator );
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$administrator );
 		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'DELETE', '/wp/v2/tags/' . REST_TESTS_IMPOSSIBLY_HIGH_NUMBER );
 		$response = $this->server->dispatch( $request );
 		$this->assertErrorResponse( 'rest_term_invalid', $response, 404 );
 	}
 
 	public function test_delete_item_incorrect_permissions() {
-		wp_set_current_user( $this->subscriber );
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$subscriber );
 		$term = get_term_by( 'id', $this->factory->tag->create(), 'post_tag' );
 		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'DELETE', '/wp/v2/tags/' . $term->term_id );
 		$response = $this->server->dispatch( $request );
@@ -652,7 +658,7 @@ class WP_Test_REST_Tags_Controller extends WP_Test_REST_Controller_Testcase {
 			'update_callback' => array( $this, 'additional_field_update_callback' ),
 		) );
 
-		wp_set_current_user( $this->administrator );
+		wp_set_current_user( self::$administrator );
 		$tag_id = $this->factory->tag->create();
 		// Check for error on update.
 		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'POST', sprintf( '/wp/v2/tags/%d', $tag_id ) );