diff --git a/swh/journal/tests/conftest.py b/swh/journal/tests/conftest.py
--- a/swh/journal/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/swh/journal/tests/conftest.py
@@ -184,7 +184,6 @@
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def producer_to_publisher(
-        request: 'SubRequest',  # noqa F821
         kafka_server: Tuple[Popen, int],
         test_config: Dict,
 ) -> KafkaProducer:  # noqa
@@ -202,35 +201,23 @@
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
-def kafka_consumer(
-        request: 'SubRequest',   # noqa F821
-        test_config: Dict,
-) -> KafkaConsumer:
+def consumer_from_publisher(kafka_server: Tuple[Popen, int],
+                            test_config: Dict) -> KafkaConsumer:
     """Get a connected Kafka consumer.
 
     """
     kafka_topics = ['%s.%s' % (test_config['final_prefix'], object_type)
                     for object_type in test_config['object_types']]
-    test_config['topics'] = kafka_topics
-
-    consumer_kwargs = dict(
+    _, kafka_port = kafka_server
+    consumer = KafkaConsumer(
+        *kafka_topics,
+        bootstrap_servers='localhost:{}'.format(kafka_port),
+        consumer_timeout_ms=constants.DEFAULT_CONSUMER_TIMEOUT_MS,
         key_deserializer=kafka_to_key,
         value_deserializer=kafka_to_value,
         auto_offset_reset='earliest',
         enable_auto_commit=True,
-        group_id="test-consumer")
-
-    _, kafka_port = request.getfixturevalue('kafka_server')
-
-    used_consumer_kwargs = consumer_kwargs.copy()
-    used_consumer_kwargs.setdefault('consumer_timeout_ms',
-                                    constants.DEFAULT_CONSUMER_TIMEOUT_MS)
-    used_consumer_kwargs.setdefault(
-        'bootstrap_servers', 'localhost:{}'.format(kafka_port))
-
-    consumer = KafkaConsumer(
-        *kafka_topics,
-        **used_consumer_kwargs,
+        group_id="test-consumer"
     )
 
     # Enforce auto_offset_reset=earliest even if the consumer was created
diff --git a/swh/journal/tests/test_publisher_kafka.py b/swh/journal/tests/test_publisher_kafka.py
--- a/swh/journal/tests/test_publisher_kafka.py
+++ b/swh/journal/tests/test_publisher_kafka.py
@@ -64,15 +64,15 @@
 def test_publish(
         publisher: JournalPublisher,
         kafka_server: Tuple[Popen, int],
-        kafka_consumer: KafkaConsumer,
+        consumer_from_publisher: KafkaConsumer,
         producer_to_publisher: KafkaProducer):
     """
     Reading from and writing to the journal publisher should work (contents)
 
     Args:
         journal_publisher (JournalPublisher): publisher to read and write data
-        kafka_consumer (KafkaConsumer): To read data from the publisher
-        producer_to_publisher (KafkaProducer): To send data to the publisher
+        consumer_from_publisher (KafkaConsumer): To read data from publisher
+        producer_to_publisher (KafkaProducer): To send data to publisher
 
     """
     # retrieve the object types we want to test
@@ -82,4 +82,5 @@
     # output topics
     for object_type in object_types:
         assert_publish_ok(
-            publisher, kafka_consumer, producer_to_publisher, object_type)
+            publisher, consumer_from_publisher, producer_to_publisher,
+            object_type)