diff --git a/packages/testing/index.ts b/packages/testing/index.ts
index 771308161a0..c3a1aa3ba0f 100644
--- a/packages/testing/index.ts
+++ b/packages/testing/index.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ export {
   apps,
   assertFails,
   assertSucceeds,
-  initializeAdminApp,
   initializeTestApp,
   loadDatabaseRules
 } from './src/api';
diff --git a/packages/testing/package.json b/packages/testing/package.json
index 3244a9b8892..8a7c5add0a1 100644
--- a/packages/testing/package.json
+++ b/packages/testing/package.json
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
   },
   "license": "Apache-2.0",
   "dependencies": {
-    "firebase-admin": "5.12.0",
     "request-promise": "4.2.2"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
diff --git a/packages/testing/src/api/index.ts b/packages/testing/src/api/index.ts
index 9239ba34bfc..31bc5049d0b 100644
--- a/packages/testing/src/api/index.ts
+++ b/packages/testing/src/api/index.ts
@@ -14,9 +14,11 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import * as admin from 'firebase-admin';
+import { firebase } from '@firebase/app';
 import request from 'request-promise';
 import * as fs from 'fs';
+import { FirebaseApp, FirebaseOptions } from '@firebase/app-types';
+import { base64 } from '@firebase/util';
 
 const DBURL = 'http://localhost:9000';
 
@@ -32,36 +34,43 @@ class FakeCredentials {
   }
 }
 
-export function apps(): (admin.app.App | null)[] {
-  return admin.apps;
+export function apps(): (FirebaseApp | null)[] {
+  return firebase.apps;
 }
 
-export function initializeAdminApp(options: any): admin.app.App {
-  if (!('databaseName' in options)) {
-    throw new Error('databaseName not specified');
-  }
-  return admin.initializeApp(
-    {
-      credential: new FakeCredentials(),
+export type AppOptions = {
+  databaseName?: string;
+  projectId?: string;
+  auth: object;
+};
+export function initializeTestApp(options: AppOptions): FirebaseApp {
+  let appOptions: FirebaseOptions;
+  if ('databaseName' in options) {
+    appOptions = {
       databaseURL: DBURL + '?ns=' + options.databaseName
-    },
-    'app-' + (new Date().getTime() + Math.random())
-  );
-}
-
-export function initializeTestApp(options: any): admin.app.App {
-  if (!('databaseName' in options)) {
-    throw new Error('databaseName not specified');
+    };
+  } else if ('projectId' in options) {
+    appOptions = {
+      projectId: options.projectId
+    };
+  } else {
+    throw new Error('neither databaseName or projectId were specified');
   }
-  // if options.auth is not present, we will construct an app with auth == null
-  return admin.initializeApp(
-    {
-      credential: new FakeCredentials(),
-      databaseURL: DBURL + '?ns=' + options.databaseName,
-      databaseAuthVariableOverride: options.auth || null
-    },
-    'app-' + (new Date().getTime() + Math.random())
-  );
+  const header = {
+    alg: 'RS256',
+    kid: 'fakekid'
+  };
+  const fakeToken = [
+    base64.encodeString(JSON.stringify(header), /*webSafe=*/ false),
+    base64.encodeString(JSON.stringify(options.auth), /*webSafe=*/ false),
+    'fakesignature'
+  ].join('.');
+  const appName = 'app-' + new Date().getTime() + '-' + Math.random();
+  const app = firebase.initializeApp(appOptions, appName);
+  // hijacking INTERNAL.getToken to bypass FirebaseAuth and allows specifying of auth headers
+  (app as any).INTERNAL.getToken = () =>
+    Promise.resolve({ accessToken: fakeToken });
+  return app;
 }
 
 export type LoadDatabaseRulesOptions = {
diff --git a/packages/testing/test/database.test.ts b/packages/testing/test/database.test.ts
index 9e7f6bb9f76..a89aa185963 100644
--- a/packages/testing/test/database.test.ts
+++ b/packages/testing/test/database.test.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 import { expect } from 'chai';
 import * as firebase from '../src/api';
+import { base64 } from '@firebase/util';
 
 describe('Testing Module Tests', function() {
   it('assertSucceeds() iff success', async function() {
@@ -46,42 +47,56 @@ describe('Testing Module Tests', function() {
     });
   });
 
-  it('initializeAdminApp() throws if no databaseName', function() {
-    expect(firebase.initializeAdminApp.bind(null, {})).to.throw(
-      /databaseName not specified/
+  it('initializeTestApp() with DatabaseAppOptions uses specified auth.', async function() {
+    let app = firebase.initializeTestApp({
+      projectId: 'foo',
+      auth: {}
+    });
+    let token = await (app as any).INTERNAL.getToken();
+    expect(token).to.have.any.keys('accessToken');
+    let claims = base64.decodeString(
+      token.accessToken.split('.')[1],
+      /*webSafe=*/ false
     );
-    expect(
-      firebase.initializeAdminApp.bind(null, { databaseName: 'foo' })
-    ).to.not.throw();
-  });
+    expect(claims).to.equal('{}');
 
-  it('initializeAdminApp() provides admin', function() {
-    const app = firebase.initializeAdminApp({ databaseName: 'foo' });
-    expect(app.options).to.not.have.any.keys('databaseAuthVariableOverride');
-  });
-
-  it('initializeTestApp() throws if no databaseName', function() {
-    expect(firebase.initializeTestApp.bind(null, {})).to.throw(
-      /databaseName not specified/
+    app = firebase.initializeTestApp({
+      projectId: 'foo',
+      auth: { uid: 'alice' }
+    });
+    token = await (app as any).INTERNAL.getToken();
+    expect(token).to.have.any.keys('accessToken');
+    claims = base64.decodeString(
+      token.accessToken.split('.')[1],
+      /*webSafe=*/ false
     );
-    expect(
-      firebase.initializeTestApp.bind(null, { databaseName: 'foo' })
-    ).to.not.throw();
+    expect(claims).to.equal('{"uid":"alice"}');
   });
 
-  it('initializeTestApp() uses specified auth.', function() {
-    let app = firebase.initializeTestApp({ databaseName: 'foo' });
-    expect(app.options).to.have.any.keys('databaseAuthVariableOverride');
+  it('initializeTestApp() with FirestoreAppOptions uses specified auth.', async function() {
+    let app = firebase.initializeTestApp({
+      projectId: 'foo',
+      auth: {}
+    });
+    let token = await (app as any).INTERNAL.getToken();
+    expect(token).to.have.any.keys('accessToken');
+    let claims = base64.decodeString(
+      token.accessToken.split('.')[1],
+      /*webSafe=*/ false
+    );
+    expect(claims).to.equal('{}');
 
     app = firebase.initializeTestApp({
-      databaseName: 'foo',
+      projectId: 'foo',
       auth: { uid: 'alice' }
     });
-    expect(app.options).to.have.any.keys('databaseAuthVariableOverride');
-    expect(app.options.databaseAuthVariableOverride).to.have.all.keys('uid');
-    expect(app.options.databaseAuthVariableOverride['uid']).to.be.equal(
-      'alice'
+    token = await (app as any).INTERNAL.getToken();
+    expect(token).to.have.any.keys('accessToken');
+    claims = base64.decodeString(
+      token.accessToken.split('.')[1],
+      /*webSafe=*/ false
     );
+    expect(claims).to.equal('{"uid":"alice"}');
   });
 
   it('loadDatabaseRules() throws if no databaseName or rulesPath', async function() {
@@ -108,13 +123,11 @@ describe('Testing Module Tests', function() {
     ).to.throw(/Could not find file/);
   });
 
-  it('apps() returns all created apps', async function() {
+  it('apps() returns apps created with initializeTestApp', async function() {
     const numApps = firebase.apps().length;
-    await firebase.initializeAdminApp({ databaseName: 'foo' });
+    await firebase.initializeTestApp({ databaseName: 'foo', auth: {} });
     expect(firebase.apps().length).to.equal(numApps + 1);
-    await firebase.initializeAdminApp({ databaseName: 'foo' });
+    await firebase.initializeTestApp({ databaseName: 'bar', auth: {} });
     expect(firebase.apps().length).to.equal(numApps + 2);
-    await firebase.initializeTestApp({ databaseName: 'foo' });
-    expect(firebase.apps().length).to.equal(numApps + 3);
   });
 });