diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/context/index.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/context/index.ts
index 910bd192b4..15eed8d0ba 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/context/index.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/context/index.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
   getDevelopmentAppID,
   getProdAppID,
   baseGlobalDBName,
+  getDB,
   PouchLike,
 } from "../db"
 import { Context } from "./localStorage"
@@ -185,7 +186,10 @@ export function updateAppId(appId: string) {
 
 export function getGlobalDB(): PouchLike {
   const context = Context.get()
-  return new PouchLike(baseGlobalDBName(context?.tenantId))
+  if (!context || (env.MULTI_TENANCY && !context.tenantId)) {
+    throw new Error("Global DB not found")
+  }
+  return getDB(baseGlobalDBName(context?.tenantId))
 }
 
 /**
@@ -194,7 +198,7 @@ export function getGlobalDB(): PouchLike {
  */
 export function getAppDB(opts?: any): PouchLike {
   const appId = getAppId()
-  return new PouchLike(appId, opts)
+  return getDB(appId, opts)
 }
 
 /**
@@ -206,7 +210,7 @@ export function getProdAppDB(opts?: any): PouchLike {
   if (!appId) {
     throw new Error("Unable to retrieve prod DB - no app ID.")
   }
-  return new PouchLike(getProdAppID(appId), opts)
+  return getDB(getProdAppID(appId), opts)
 }
 
 /**
@@ -218,5 +222,5 @@ export function getDevAppDB(opts?: any): PouchLike {
   if (!appId) {
     throw new Error("Unable to retrieve dev DB - no app ID.")
   }
-  return new PouchLike(getDevelopmentAppID(appId), opts)
+  return getDB(getDevelopmentAppID(appId), opts)
 }
diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/context/tests/index.spec.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/context/tests/index.spec.js
similarity index 80%
rename from packages/backend-core/src/context/tests/index.spec.ts
rename to packages/backend-core/src/context/tests/index.spec.js
index 749231c3e5..6d09446059 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/context/tests/index.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/context/tests/index.spec.js
@@ -1,18 +1,10 @@
-import "../../../tests/utilities/TestConfiguration"
-import * as context from ".."
-import { DEFAULT_TENANT_ID } from "../../constants"
-import env from "../../environment"
-
-// must use require to spy index file exports due to known issue in jest
-const dbUtils = require("../../db")
-jest.spyOn(dbUtils, "closePouchDB")
-jest.spyOn(dbUtils, "getDB")
+require("../../../tests/utilities/TestConfiguration")
+const context = require("../")
+const { DEFAULT_TENANT_ID } = require("../../constants")
+const env = require("../../environment")
+const dbCore = require("../../db")
 
 describe("context", () => {
-  beforeEach(() => {
-    jest.clearAllMocks()
-  })
-
   describe("doInTenant", () => {
     describe("single-tenancy", () => {
       it("defaults to the default tenant", () => {
@@ -25,8 +17,6 @@ describe("context", () => {
           const db = context.getGlobalDB()
           expect(db.name).toBe("global-db")
         })
-        expect(dbUtils.getDB).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
-        expect(dbUtils.closePouchDB).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
       })
     })
 
@@ -40,7 +30,7 @@ describe("context", () => {
           let error
           try {
             context.getTenantId()
-          } catch (e: any) {
+          } catch (e) {
             error = e
           }
           expect(error.message).toBe("Tenant id not found")
@@ -59,7 +49,7 @@ describe("context", () => {
           let error
           try {
             context.getGlobalDB()
-          } catch (e: any) {
+          } catch (e) {
             error = e
           }
           expect(error.message).toBe("Global DB not found")
@@ -85,8 +75,6 @@ describe("context", () => {
           const db = context.getGlobalDB()
           expect(db.name).toBe("test_global-db")
         })
-        expect(dbUtils.getDB).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
-        expect(dbUtils.closePouchDB).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
       })
 
       it("sets the tenant id when nested with same tenant id", async () => {
@@ -121,10 +109,6 @@ describe("context", () => {
             })
           })
         })
-
-        // only 1 db is opened and closed
-        expect(dbUtils.getDB).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
-        expect(dbUtils.closePouchDB).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
       })
 
       it("sets different tenant id inside another context", () => {
diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/db/couch/index.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/db/couch/index.ts
index 3730a1e248..b8cb0ab79f 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/db/couch/index.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/db/couch/index.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 export * from "./connections"
 export * from "./pouchLike"
 export * from "./utils"
-export { init, getPouch, getPouchDB } from "./pouchDB"
+export { init, getPouch, getPouchDB, closePouchDB } from "./pouchDB"
diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/db/db.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/db/db.ts
index 497b747b80..909d286d32 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/db/db.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/db/db.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const checkInitialised = () => {
   }
 }
 
-export function getDB(dbName: string, opts?: any): PouchLike {
+export function getDB(dbName?: string, opts?: any): PouchLike {
   if (env.isTest()) {
     dbList.add(dbName)
   }