diff --git a/src/__tests__/integration.test.ts b/src/__tests__/integration.test.ts
index a4ba974..63d045d 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/integration.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/integration.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,18 @@
+import dotenv from 'dotenv';
+import path from 'path';
 import request from 'supertest';
-import { app } from '../boot/setup';
+import type { Application } from 'express';
+import { createApp } from '../boot/setup';
+
+let app: Application;
+
+beforeAll(async () => {
+  app = await createApp();
+});
+
+dotenv.config({ path: path.resolve(__dirname, '../../.env.test') });
+
+// const app = createApp();
 
 describe('Integration Tests', () => {
   it('GET /health should return 200 OK', async () => {
@@ -8,9 +21,9 @@ describe('Integration Tests', () => {
     expect(response.body).toHaveProperty('status', 'ok');
   });
 
-  it('GET /users (unauthenticated) should return 200 OK', async () => {
-    const response = await request(app).get('/users');
-    expect(response.status).toBe(200);
+  it('POST /users/register with missing data should return 400', async () => {
+    const res = await request(app).post('/users/register').send({}); // Empty body to simulate missing fields
+    expect(res.status).toBe(400); // Adjust if your validation returns a different code
   });
 
   it('GET /messages without token should return 401', async () => {
@@ -18,7 +31,7 @@ describe('Integration Tests', () => {
     expect(response.status).toBe(401);
   });
 
-  it('GET /unknown-route should return 404', async () => {
+  it('GET /nonexistent should return 404', async () => {
     const response = await request(app).get('/nonexistent');
     expect(response.status).toBe(404);
   });
diff --git a/src/__tests__/setup.ts b/src/__tests__/setup.ts
index b9c88d8..dcf64e0 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/setup.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/setup.ts
@@ -17,8 +17,14 @@ jest.mock('pg', () => {
     connect: jest.fn(),
     query: jest.fn(),
     end: jest.fn(),
+    on: jest.fn(),
+  };
+  return {
+    Pool: jest.fn(() => mockPool),
+    types: {
+      setTypeParser: jest.fn(),
+    },
   };
-  return { Pool: jest.fn(() => mockPool) };
 });
 
 // Mock winston logger
diff --git a/src/boot/setup.ts b/src/boot/setup.ts
index 9b1c260..50546f2 100644
--- a/src/boot/setup.ts
+++ b/src/boot/setup.ts
@@ -25,16 +25,23 @@ const PORT = process.env.PORT || 8080;
 const MONGO_URI = process.env.MONGO_URI;
 const SESSION_SECRET = process.env.SESSION_SECRET || 'default_secret';
 
-const app: Application = express();
 const ENV = process.env.NODE_ENV || 'dev';
 dotenv.config({ path: path.resolve(__dirname, `../../.env.${ENV}`) });
 
-try {
-  mongoose.connect(MONGO_URI as string);
-  logger.info(`MongoDB Connected to ${MONGO_URI}`);
-} catch (error) {
-  logger.error('Error connecting to DB: ' + error);
-}
+const app: Application = express();
+
+const connectMongo = async () => {
+  if (MONGO_URI && process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'test') {
+    try {
+      await mongoose.connect(MONGO_URI);
+      logger.info(`MongoDB Connected to ${MONGO_URI}`);
+    } catch (error) {
+      logger.error('Error connecting to DB: ' + error);
+    }
+  } else {
+    logger.warn('Skipping MongoDB connection (likely running in test mode)');
+  }
+};
 
 // MIDDLEWARE
 const registerCoreMiddleWare = (): void => {
@@ -73,10 +80,10 @@ const registerCoreMiddleWare = (): void => {
     // 404 handling for not found
     app.use(notFound);
 
-    logger.http('Done registering all middlewares');
+    logger.info('Done registering all middlewares');
   } catch (_err) {
     logger.error('Error thrown while executing registerCoreMiddleWare');
-    process.exit(1);
+    throw _err;
   }
 };
 
@@ -89,9 +96,17 @@ const handleError = (): void => {
   });
 };
 
+const createApp = async (): Promise<Application> => {
+  await connectMongo(); // only connects if not in test
+  registerCoreMiddleWare(); // apply middleware + routes
+  return app;
+};
+
 // start applicatoin
-const startApp = (): void => {
+const startApp = async (): Promise<void> => {
   try {
+    await connectMongo();
+
     // register core application level middleware
     registerCoreMiddleWare();
 
@@ -113,4 +128,4 @@ const startApp = (): void => {
   }
 };
 
-export { startApp, app };
+export { startApp, createApp };
diff --git a/src/routes/users.routes.ts b/src/routes/users.routes.ts
index 885ef9c..66536d7 100644
--- a/src/routes/users.routes.ts
+++ b/src/routes/users.routes.ts
@@ -6,4 +6,4 @@ const router = Router();
 router.post('/register', register);
 router.post('/login', login);
 
-export default router; 
\ No newline at end of file
+export default router;