diff --git a/tests/src/Functional/AutomaticUpdatesFunctionalTestBase.php b/tests/src/Functional/AutomaticUpdatesFunctionalTestBase.php
index 864646457118088b1c7bc90c025fae8f07a9b859..901d327b6a924e12ac1dbf013243b0dea0d7f951 100644
--- a/tests/src/Functional/AutomaticUpdatesFunctionalTestBase.php
+++ b/tests/src/Functional/AutomaticUpdatesFunctionalTestBase.php
@@ -33,18 +33,6 @@ abstract class AutomaticUpdatesFunctionalTestBase extends BrowserTestBase {
     'package_manager_bypass',
   ];
 
-  /**
-   * Set the core update version.
-   *
-   * @param string $version
-   *   The core version.
-   */
-  protected function setCoreUpdate(string $version): void {
-    $stage_manipulator = new StageFixtureManipulator();
-    $stage_manipulator->setCorePackageVersion($version)
-      ->setReadyToCommit();
-  }
-
   /**
    * The service IDs of any validators to disable.
    *
diff --git a/tests/src/Functional/StatusCheckTest.php b/tests/src/Functional/StatusCheckTest.php
index e7eb188a520ca895a582cdad7f46a5e829254f49..5fcde2d67471461e34ef6b4a949c5698e45d807f 100644
--- a/tests/src/Functional/StatusCheckTest.php
+++ b/tests/src/Functional/StatusCheckTest.php
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ use Drupal\automatic_updates_test\Datetime\TestTime;
 use Drupal\automatic_updates_test\EventSubscriber\TestSubscriber1;
 use Drupal\automatic_updates_test2\EventSubscriber\TestSubscriber2;
 use Drupal\Core\Url;
+use Drupal\fixture_manipulator\StageFixtureManipulator;
 use Drupal\package_manager\Event\StatusCheckEvent;
 use Drupal\package_manager_test_validation\EventSubscriber\TestSubscriber;
 use Drupal\system\SystemManager;
@@ -469,6 +470,9 @@ class StatusCheckTest extends AutomaticUpdatesFunctionalTestBase {
    * Tests that stored validation results are deleted after an update.
    */
   public function testStoredResultsClearedAfterUpdate(): void {
+    (new StageFixtureManipulator())
+      ->setCorePackageVersion('9.8.1')
+      ->setReadyToCommit();
     $assert_session = $this->assertSession();
     $page = $this->getSession()->getPage();
     $this->drupalLogin($this->checkerRunnerUser);
@@ -500,7 +504,6 @@ class StatusCheckTest extends AutomaticUpdatesFunctionalTestBase {
     // status check (without storing the results), and the checker is no
     // longer raising an error.
     $this->drupalGet('/admin/modules/update');
-    $this->setCoreUpdate('9.8.1');
     $assert_session->buttonExists('Update to 9.8.1');
     // Ensure that the previous results are still displayed on another admin
     // page, to confirm that the updater form is not discarding the previous
diff --git a/tests/src/Functional/UpdateLockTest.php b/tests/src/Functional/UpdateLockTest.php
index 5512da72539f0d54b55f552b1c554c972d55a3fc..2fd681da2754ecb83015bc776d290a544987874b 100644
--- a/tests/src/Functional/UpdateLockTest.php
+++ b/tests/src/Functional/UpdateLockTest.php
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ declare(strict_types = 1);
 
 namespace Drupal\Tests\automatic_updates\Functional;
 
+use Drupal\fixture_manipulator\StageFixtureManipulator;
+
 /**
  * Tests that only one Automatic Update operation can be performed at a time.
  *
@@ -42,6 +44,9 @@ class UpdateLockTest extends AutomaticUpdatesFunctionalTestBase {
    * Tests that only user who started an update can continue through it.
    */
   public function testLock(): void {
+    (new StageFixtureManipulator())
+      ->setCorePackageVersion('9.8.1')
+      ->setReadyToCommit();
     $page = $this->getSession()->getPage();
     $assert_session = $this->assertSession();
     $this->setCoreVersion('9.8.0');
@@ -53,7 +58,6 @@ class UpdateLockTest extends AutomaticUpdatesFunctionalTestBase {
     // We should be able to get partway through an update without issue.
     $this->drupalLogin($user_1);
     $this->drupalGet('/admin/modules/update');
-    $this->setCoreUpdate('9.8.1');
     $page->pressButton('Update');
     $this->checkForMetaRefresh();
     $this->assertUpdateReady('9.8.1');
diff --git a/tests/src/Functional/UpdaterFormTest.php b/tests/src/Functional/UpdaterFormTest.php
index 4288b6cae78942354cde9687757b5b222f963e6f..7bfab83517a40629004ef6a5b03cfa1ff29ea597 100644
--- a/tests/src/Functional/UpdaterFormTest.php
+++ b/tests/src/Functional/UpdaterFormTest.php
@@ -452,6 +452,9 @@ class UpdaterFormTest extends AutomaticUpdatesFunctionalTestBase {
    * Tests deleting an existing update.
    */
   public function testDeleteExistingUpdate(): void {
+    (new StageFixtureManipulator())
+      ->setCorePackageVersion('9.8.1')
+      ->setReadyToCommit();
     $conflict_message = 'Cannot begin an update because another Composer operation is currently in progress.';
     $cancelled_message = 'The update was successfully cancelled.';
 
@@ -461,7 +464,6 @@ class UpdaterFormTest extends AutomaticUpdatesFunctionalTestBase {
     $this->checkForUpdates();
 
     $this->drupalGet('/admin/modules/update');
-    $this->setCoreUpdate('9.8.1');
     $page->pressButton('Update to 9.8.1');
     $this->checkForMetaRefresh();
     $this->assertUpdateStagedTimes(1);
@@ -580,6 +582,9 @@ class UpdaterFormTest extends AutomaticUpdatesFunctionalTestBase {
    * @requires PHP >= 8.0
    */
   public function testStagedDatabaseUpdates(bool $maintenance_mode_on): void {
+    (new StageFixtureManipulator())
+      ->setCorePackageVersion('9.8.1')
+      ->setReadyToCommit();
     $this->setCoreVersion('9.8.0');
     $this->checkForUpdates();
     $this->container->get('theme_installer')->install(['automatic_updates_theme_with_updates']);
@@ -598,7 +603,6 @@ class UpdaterFormTest extends AutomaticUpdatesFunctionalTestBase {
 
     $page = $this->getSession()->getPage();
     $this->drupalGet('/admin/modules/update');
-    $this->setCoreUpdate('9.8.1');
     // The warning should be visible.
     $assert_session = $this->assertSession();
     $assert_session->pageTextContains(reset($messages));
@@ -698,6 +702,9 @@ class UpdaterFormTest extends AutomaticUpdatesFunctionalTestBase {
    * @dataProvider providerSuccessfulUpdate
    */
   public function testSuccessfulUpdate(string $update_form_url, bool $maintenance_mode_on): void {
+    (new StageFixtureManipulator())
+      ->setCorePackageVersion('9.8.1')
+      ->setReadyToCommit();
     $assert_session = $this->assertSession();
     $this->setCoreVersion('9.8.0');
     $this->checkForUpdates();
@@ -707,7 +714,6 @@ class UpdaterFormTest extends AutomaticUpdatesFunctionalTestBase {
     $cached_message = $this->setAndAssertCachedMessage();
 
     $this->drupalGet($update_form_url);
-    $this->setCoreUpdate('9.8.1');
     $assert_session->pageTextNotContains($cached_message);
     $page->pressButton('Update to 9.8.1');
     $this->checkForMetaRefresh();
@@ -759,13 +765,15 @@ class UpdaterFormTest extends AutomaticUpdatesFunctionalTestBase {
    * @requires PHP >= 8.0
    */
   public function testStatusCheckerRunAfterUpdate(bool $has_database_updates) {
+    (new StageFixtureManipulator())
+      ->setCorePackageVersion('9.8.1')
+      ->setReadyToCommit();
     $assert_session = $this->assertSession();
     $this->setCoreVersion('9.8.0');
     $this->checkForUpdates();
     $page = $this->getSession()->getPage();
     // Navigate to the automatic updates form.
     $this->drupalGet('/admin/modules/update');
-    $this->setCoreUpdate('9.8.1');
     $page->pressButton('Update to 9.8.1');
     $this->checkForMetaRefresh();
     $this->assertUpdateStagedTimes(1);
@@ -837,6 +845,9 @@ class UpdaterFormTest extends AutomaticUpdatesFunctionalTestBase {
    * @dataProvider providerUpdateCompleteMessage
    */
   public function testUpdateCompleteMessage(bool $maintenance_mode_on): void {
+    (new StageFixtureManipulator())
+      ->setCorePackageVersion('9.8.1')
+      ->setReadyToCommit();
     $assert_session = $this->assertSession();
     $this->setCoreVersion('9.8.0');
     $this->checkForUpdates();
@@ -845,7 +856,6 @@ class UpdaterFormTest extends AutomaticUpdatesFunctionalTestBase {
     $page = $this->getSession()->getPage();
 
     $this->drupalGet('/admin/modules/automatic-update');
-    $this->setCoreUpdate('9.8.1');
     $page->pressButton('Update to 9.8.1');
     $this->checkForMetaRefresh();
     // Confirm that the site was put into maintenance mode if needed.
@@ -861,12 +871,14 @@ class UpdaterFormTest extends AutomaticUpdatesFunctionalTestBase {
    * Tests what happens when a staged update is deleted without being destroyed.
    */
   public function testStagedUpdateDeletedImproperly(): void {
+    (new StageFixtureManipulator())
+      ->setCorePackageVersion('9.8.1')
+      ->setReadyToCommit();
     $this->setCoreVersion('9.8.0');
     $this->checkForUpdates();
 
     $page = $this->getSession()->getPage();
     $this->drupalGet('/admin/modules/update');
-    $this->setCoreUpdate('9.8.1');
     $page->pressButton('Update to 9.8.1');
     $this->checkForMetaRefresh();
     $this->assertUpdateStagedTimes(1);