diff --git a/.rubocop_todo.yml b/.rubocop_todo.yml
index b3228bac6..f9d14fd55 100644
--- a/.rubocop_todo.yml
+++ b/.rubocop_todo.yml
@@ -104,12 +104,6 @@ RSpec/LetSetup:
     - 'spec/services/unsuspend_account_service_spec.rb'
     - 'spec/workers/scheduler/user_cleanup_scheduler_spec.rb'
 
-RSpec/MessageChain:
-  Exclude:
-    - 'spec/models/concerns/remotable_spec.rb'
-    - 'spec/models/session_activation_spec.rb'
-    - 'spec/models/setting_spec.rb'
-
 RSpec/MultipleExpectations:
   Max: 8
 
diff --git a/spec/fabricators/session_activation_fabricator.rb b/spec/fabricators/session_activation_fabricator.rb
index 4b5244cec..655ec37aa 100644
--- a/spec/fabricators/session_activation_fabricator.rb
+++ b/spec/fabricators/session_activation_fabricator.rb
@@ -2,5 +2,5 @@
 
 Fabricator(:session_activation) do
   user { Fabricate.build(:user) }
-  session_id 'MyString'
+  session_id { sequence(:session_id) { |i| "session_id_#{i}" } }
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/concerns/remotable_spec.rb b/spec/models/concerns/remotable_spec.rb
index 6413b6f46..db690da3c 100644
--- a/spec/models/concerns/remotable_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/concerns/remotable_spec.rb
@@ -69,7 +69,9 @@ RSpec.describe Remotable do
 
     context 'with an invalid URL' do
       before do
-        allow(Addressable::URI).to receive_message_chain(:parse, :normalize).with(url).with(no_args).and_raise(Addressable::URI::InvalidURIError)
+        parsed = instance_double(Addressable::URI)
+        allow(parsed).to receive(:normalize).with(no_args).and_raise(Addressable::URI::InvalidURIError)
+        allow(Addressable::URI).to receive(:parse).with(url).and_return(parsed)
       end
 
       it 'makes no request' do
diff --git a/spec/models/session_activation_spec.rb b/spec/models/session_activation_spec.rb
index 4012d46fd..bed411c36 100644
--- a/spec/models/session_activation_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/session_activation_spec.rb
@@ -98,34 +98,44 @@ RSpec.describe SessionActivation do
     end
 
     context 'when id exists' do
-      let(:id) { '1' }
+      let!(:session_activation) { Fabricate(:session_activation) }
 
-      it 'calls where.destroy_all' do
-        expect(described_class).to receive_message_chain(:where, :destroy_all)
-          .with(session_id: id).with(no_args)
+      it 'destroys the record' do
+        described_class.deactivate(session_activation.session_id)
 
-        described_class.deactivate(id)
+        expect { session_activation.reload }.to raise_error(ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound)
       end
     end
   end
 
   describe '.purge_old' do
-    it 'calls order.offset.destroy_all' do
-      expect(described_class).to receive_message_chain(:order, :offset, :destroy_all)
-        .with('created_at desc').with(Rails.configuration.x.max_session_activations).with(no_args)
+    around do |example|
+      before = Rails.configuration.x.max_session_activations
+      Rails.configuration.x.max_session_activations = 1
+      example.run
+      Rails.configuration.x.max_session_activations = before
+    end
 
+    let!(:oldest_session_activation) { Fabricate(:session_activation, created_at: 10.days.ago) }
+    let!(:newest_session_activation) { Fabricate(:session_activation, created_at: 5.days.ago) }
+
+    it 'preserves the newest X records based on config' do
       described_class.purge_old
+
+      expect { oldest_session_activation.reload }.to raise_error(ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound)
+      expect { newest_session_activation.reload }.to_not raise_error
     end
   end
 
   describe '.exclusive' do
-    let(:id) { '1' }
+    let!(:unwanted_session_activation) { Fabricate(:session_activation) }
+    let!(:wanted_session_activation) { Fabricate(:session_activation) }
 
-    it 'calls where.destroy_all' do
-      expect(described_class).to receive_message_chain(:where, :not, :destroy_all)
-        .with(session_id: id).with(no_args)
+    it 'preserves supplied record and destroys all others' do
+      described_class.exclusive(wanted_session_activation.session_id)
 
-      described_class.exclusive(id)
+      expect { unwanted_session_activation.reload }.to raise_error(ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound)
+      expect { wanted_session_activation.reload }.to_not raise_error
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/setting_spec.rb b/spec/models/setting_spec.rb
index 5f53ee563..b08136a1c 100644
--- a/spec/models/setting_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/setting_spec.rb
@@ -77,10 +77,13 @@ RSpec.describe Setting do
             let(:default_value) { { default_value: 'default_value' } }
 
             it 'calls default_value.with_indifferent_access.merge!' do
-              expect(default_value).to receive_message_chain(:with_indifferent_access, :merge!)
-                .with(db_val.value)
+              indifferent_hash = instance_double(Hash, merge!: nil)
+              allow(default_value).to receive(:with_indifferent_access).and_return(indifferent_hash)
 
               described_class[key]
+
+              expect(default_value).to have_received(:with_indifferent_access)
+              expect(indifferent_hash).to have_received(:merge!).with(db_val.value)
             end
           end