diff --git a/tests/utils.ts b/tests/utils.ts
index e7b7f8e..af10b0a 100644
--- a/tests/utils.ts
+++ b/tests/utils.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import type { EventSubscriptionHandler, GenericMessage, Persona, UnionMessageReply } from '@tbd54566975/dwn-sdk-js';
+import type { GenericMessage, Persona, UnionMessageReply } from '@tbd54566975/dwn-sdk-js';
 import { Cid, DataStream, RecordsWrite } from '@tbd54566975/dwn-sdk-js';
 
 import type { ReadStream } from 'node:fs';
@@ -11,9 +11,8 @@ import type { Readable } from 'readable-stream';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
 import { WebSocket } from 'ws';
 
-import type { JsonRpcResponse, JsonRpcRequest } from '../src/lib/json-rpc.js';
+import type { JsonRpcResponse } from '../src/lib/json-rpc.js';
 import { createJsonRpcRequest } from '../src/lib/json-rpc.js';
-import { JsonRpcSocket } from '../src/json-rpc-socket.js';
 
 // __filename and __dirname are not defined in ES module scope
 const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
@@ -221,49 +220,3 @@ export async function sendWsMessage(
     };
   });
 }
-
-export async function sendWsRequest(options: {
-  url?: string,
-  connection?: JsonRpcSocket,
-  request: JsonRpcRequest,
-  responseTimeout?: number,
-}): Promise<JsonRpcResponse> {
-  const { url, connection: incomingConnection , request, responseTimeout } = options;
-  const connection = incomingConnection ?? await JsonRpcSocket.connect(url, { responseTimeout });
-  return connection.request(request);
-}
-
-/**
- * A helper method for testing JSON RPC socket subscription requests to the DWN.
- * 
- * If a connection is not provided, creates a new connection to the url provided.
- * If no subscribe options are provided, creates a subscribe id.
- * Attempts to subscribe and returns the response, close function and connection.
- */
-export async function subscribeToMessageEvents(options: {
-  /** json rpc socket connection, mutually exclusive with url */
-  connection?: JsonRpcSocket,
-  /** url to connect to if no connection is provided */
-  url?: string,
-  /** the request to use for subscription */
-  request: JsonRpcRequest,
-  /** the message handler to use for incoming events */
-  messageHandler: EventSubscriptionHandler,
-  /** optional response timeout for new connections */
-  responseTimeout?: number,
-}): Promise<{ close?: () => Promise<void>, response: JsonRpcResponse, connection?: JsonRpcSocket }> {
-  const { url, connection: incomingConnection, request, messageHandler, responseTimeout } = options;
-  const connection = incomingConnection ?? await JsonRpcSocket.connect(url, { responseTimeout });
-  request.subscribe ??= {
-    id: uuidv4(),
-  };
-
-  const { close, response } = await connection.subscribe(request, (response) => {
-    const { event } = response.result;
-    messageHandler(event);
-  });
-
-  return {
-    response, close, connection
-  }
-}
diff --git a/tests/ws-api.spec.ts b/tests/ws-api.spec.ts
index 893a592..03ce7b7 100644
--- a/tests/ws-api.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/ws-api.spec.ts
@@ -18,8 +18,9 @@ import {
 import { config } from '../src/config.js';
 import { WsApi } from '../src/ws-api.js';
 import { getTestDwn } from './test-dwn.js';
-import { createRecordsWriteMessage, sendWsMessage, sendHttpMessage, subscribeToMessageEvents, sendWsRequest } from './utils.js';
+import { createRecordsWriteMessage, sendWsMessage, sendHttpMessage } from './utils.js';
 import { HttpApi } from '../src/http-api.js';
+import { JsonRpcSocket } from '../src/json-rpc-socket.js';
 
 
 describe('websocket api', function () {
@@ -85,10 +86,9 @@ describe('websocket api', function () {
       encodedData,
     });
 
-    const response = await sendWsRequest({
-      url:'ws://127.0.0.1:9002',
-      request: dwnRequest,
-    });
+    const connection = await JsonRpcSocket.connect('ws://127.0.0.1:9002');
+    const response = await connection.request(dwnRequest);
+    
     expect(response.id).to.equal(requestId);
     expect(response.error).to.not.be.undefined;
     expect(response.error.code).to.equal(JsonRpcErrorCodes.InvalidParams);
@@ -117,11 +117,12 @@ describe('websocket api', function () {
       target: alice.did,
     });
 
-    const { response, close } = await subscribeToMessageEvents({
-      url            : 'ws://127.0.0.1:9002',
-      request        : dwnRequest,
-      messageHandler : subscriptionHandler
+    const connection = await JsonRpcSocket.connect('ws://127.0.0.1:9002');
+    const { response, close } = await connection.subscribe(dwnRequest, (response) => {
+      const { event } = response.result;
+      subscriptionHandler(event);
     });
+    
     expect(response.error).to.be.undefined;
     expect(response.result.reply.status.code).to.equal(200);
     expect(close).to.not.be.undefined;
@@ -181,16 +182,18 @@ describe('websocket api', function () {
     };
 
     const requestId = uuidv4();
-    const dwnRequest = createJsonRpcRequest(requestId, 'rpc.subscribe.dwn.processMessage', {
+    const subscribeId = uuidv4();
+    const dwnRequest = createJsonRpcSubscribeRequest(requestId, 'rpc.subscribe.dwn.processMessage', {
       message: message,
       target: alice.did,
-    });
+    }, subscribeId);
 
-    const { response, close } = await subscribeToMessageEvents({
-      url            : 'ws://127.0.0.1:9002',
-      request        : dwnRequest,
-      messageHandler : subscriptionHandler
+    const connection = await JsonRpcSocket.connect('ws://127.0.0.1:9002');
+    const { response, close } = await connection.subscribe(dwnRequest, (response) => {
+      const { event } = response.result;
+      subscriptionHandler(event);
     });
+
     expect(response.error).to.be.undefined;
     expect(response.result.reply.status.code).to.equal(200);
     expect(close).to.not.be.undefined;
@@ -268,15 +271,11 @@ describe('websocket api', function () {
       target: alice.did
     }, subscribeId);
 
-    const { response, close, connection } = await subscribeToMessageEvents({
-      url            : 'ws://127.0.0.1:9002',
-      request        : dwnRequest,
-      messageHandler : subscriptionHandler
+    const connection = await JsonRpcSocket.connect('ws://127.0.0.1:9002');
+    const { close } = await connection.subscribe(dwnRequest, (response) => {
+      const { event } = response.result;
+      subscriptionHandler(event);
     });
-    expect(response.error).to.be.undefined;
-    expect(response.result.reply.status.code).to.equal(200);
-    expect(close).to.not.be.undefined;
-
 
     const { message: message2 } = await TestDataGenerator.generateRecordsSubscribe({ filter: { schema: 'bar/baz' }, author: alice });
 
@@ -287,11 +286,11 @@ describe('websocket api', function () {
       target: alice.did
     }, subscribeId);
 
-    const { response: response2 } = await subscribeToMessageEvents({
-      connection,
-      request: dwnRequest2,
-      messageHandler: subscriptionHandler,
+    const { response: response2 } = await connection.subscribe(dwnRequest2, (response) => {
+      const { event } = response.result;
+      subscriptionHandler(event);
     });
+
     expect(response2.error.code).to.equal(JsonRpcErrorCodes.InvalidParams);
     expect(response2.error.message).to.contain(`${subscribeId} is in use by an active subscription`);