diff --git a/qqq-sample-project/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/SampleCli.java b/qqq-sample-project/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/SampleCli.java
index cd828001..fd1b468b 100644
--- a/qqq-sample-project/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/SampleCli.java
+++ b/qqq-sample-project/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/SampleCli.java
@@ -50,7 +50,25 @@ public class SampleCli
    {
       try
       {
-         QInstance              qInstance              = SampleMetaDataProvider.defineInstance();
+         QInstance qInstance = SampleMetaDataProvider.defineInstance();
+         return (run(qInstance, args));
+      }
+      catch(Exception e)
+      {
+         e.printStackTrace();
+         return (-1);
+      }
+   }
+
+
+
+   /***************************************************************************
+    **
+    ***************************************************************************/
+   int run(QInstance qInstance, String[] args)
+   {
+      try
+      {
          QPicoCliImplementation qPicoCliImplementation = new QPicoCliImplementation(qInstance);
 
          return (qPicoCliImplementation.runCli("my-sample-cli", args));
diff --git a/qqq-sample-project/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/metadata/SampleMetaDataProvider.java b/qqq-sample-project/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/metadata/SampleMetaDataProvider.java
index c3194006..2a866f00 100644
--- a/qqq-sample-project/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/metadata/SampleMetaDataProvider.java
+++ b/qqq-sample-project/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/metadata/SampleMetaDataProvider.java
@@ -144,7 +144,6 @@ public class SampleMetaDataProvider extends AbstractQQQApplication
    {
       QInstance qInstance = new QInstance();
 
-      // qInstance.setAuthentication(defineAuthentication());
       qInstance.addBackend(defineRdbmsBackend());
       qInstance.addBackend(defineMemoryBackend());
       qInstance.addBackend(defineFilesystemBackend());
@@ -175,6 +174,18 @@ public class SampleMetaDataProvider extends AbstractQQQApplication
 
 
 
+   /***************************************************************************
+    ** for tests, define the same instance as above, but use mock authentication.
+    ***************************************************************************/
+   public static QInstance defineTestInstance() throws QException
+   {
+      QInstance qInstance = defineInstance();
+      qInstance.setAuthentication(defineAuthentication());
+      return qInstance;
+   }
+
+
+
    /***************************************************************************
     **
     ***************************************************************************/
diff --git a/qqq-sample-project/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/SampleCliTest.java b/qqq-sample-project/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/SampleCliTest.java
index e342f586..e3cd2762 100644
--- a/qqq-sample-project/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/SampleCliTest.java
+++ b/qqq-sample-project/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/SampleCliTest.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ package com.kingsrook.sampleapp;
 
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.context.QContext;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.exceptions.QException;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.metadata.QInstance;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.session.QSession;
 import com.kingsrook.sampleapp.metadata.SampleMetaDataProvider;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
@@ -43,8 +44,9 @@ class SampleCliTest
    @Test
    void testExitSuccess() throws QException
    {
-      QContext.init(SampleMetaDataProvider.defineInstance(), new QSession());
-      int exitCode = new SampleCli().run(new String[] { "--meta-data" });
+      QInstance qInstance = SampleMetaDataProvider.defineTestInstance();
+      QContext.init(qInstance, new QSession());
+      int exitCode = new SampleCli().run(qInstance, new String[] { "--meta-data" });
       assertEquals(0, exitCode);
    }
 
@@ -56,8 +58,9 @@ class SampleCliTest
    @Test
    void testNotExitSuccess() throws QException
    {
-      QContext.init(SampleMetaDataProvider.defineInstance(), new QSession());
-      int exitCode = new SampleCli().run(new String[] { "asdfasdf" });
+      QInstance qInstance = SampleMetaDataProvider.defineTestInstance();
+      QContext.init(qInstance, new QSession());
+      int exitCode = new SampleCli().run(qInstance, new String[] { "asdfasdf" });
       assertNotEquals(0, exitCode);
    }
 
diff --git a/qqq-sample-project/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/SampleMetaDataProviderTest.java b/qqq-sample-project/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/SampleMetaDataProviderTest.java
index e2b488ca..8f584ee9 100644
--- a/qqq-sample-project/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/SampleMetaDataProviderTest.java
+++ b/qqq-sample-project/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/SampleMetaDataProviderTest.java
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public class SampleMetaDataProviderTest
    void beforeEach() throws Exception
    {
       primeTestDatabase("prime-test-database.sql");
-      QContext.init(SampleMetaDataProvider.defineInstance(), new QSession());
+      QContext.init(SampleMetaDataProvider.defineTestInstance(), new QSession());
    }
 
 
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ public class SampleMetaDataProviderTest
    @Test
    public void testGreetProcess() throws Exception
    {
-      QInstance       qInstance   = SampleMetaDataProvider.defineInstance();
+      QInstance       qInstance   = SampleMetaDataProvider.defineTestInstance();
       QTableMetaData  personTable = SampleMetaDataProvider.defineTablePerson();
       RunProcessInput request     = new RunProcessInput();
       request.setProcessName(SampleMetaDataProvider.PROCESS_NAME_GREET);
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ public class SampleMetaDataProviderTest
    @Test
    public void testThrowProcess() throws Exception
    {
-      QInstance       qInstance = SampleMetaDataProvider.defineInstance();
+      QInstance       qInstance = SampleMetaDataProvider.defineTestInstance();
       RunProcessInput request   = new RunProcessInput();
       request.setProcessName(SampleMetaDataProvider.PROCESS_NAME_SIMPLE_THROW);
       request.addValue(SampleMetaDataProvider.ThrowerStep.FIELD_SLEEP_MILLIS, 10);
diff --git a/qqq-sample-project/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/dashboard/widgets/RenderAllWidgetsTest.java b/qqq-sample-project/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/dashboard/widgets/RenderAllWidgetsTest.java
index 4b9af90c..f5599a79 100644
--- a/qqq-sample-project/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/dashboard/widgets/RenderAllWidgetsTest.java
+++ b/qqq-sample-project/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/dashboard/widgets/RenderAllWidgetsTest.java
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class RenderAllWidgetsTest
    @Test
    void test() throws QException
    {
-      QInstance qInstance = SampleMetaDataProvider.defineInstance();
+      QInstance qInstance = SampleMetaDataProvider.defineTestInstance();
       QContext.init(qInstance, new QSession());
 
       ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/qqq-sample-project/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/processes/clonepeople/ClonePeopleTransformStepTest.java b/qqq-sample-project/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/processes/clonepeople/ClonePeopleTransformStepTest.java
index 4de7c550..5dc4245e 100644
--- a/qqq-sample-project/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/processes/clonepeople/ClonePeopleTransformStepTest.java
+++ b/qqq-sample-project/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/sampleapp/processes/clonepeople/ClonePeopleTransformStepTest.java
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ class ClonePeopleTransformStepTest
    @Test
    void testProcessStep() throws QException
    {
-      QInstance qInstance = SampleMetaDataProvider.defineInstance();
+      QInstance qInstance = SampleMetaDataProvider.defineTestInstance();
       QContext.init(qInstance, new QSession());
 
       QueryInput queryInput = new QueryInput();