diff --git a/swh/journal/tests/test_cli.py b/swh/journal/tests/test_cli.py
--- a/swh/journal/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/swh/journal/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 from swh.objstorage.backends.in_memory import InMemoryObjStorage
-from swh.storage.in_memory import InMemoryStorage
+from swh.storage import get_storage
 
 from swh.journal.cli import cli
 from swh.journal.serializers import key_to_kafka, value_to_kafka
@@ -42,9 +42,15 @@
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def storage():
-    """An instance of swh.storage.in_memory.InMemoryStorage that gets injected
-    into the CLI functions."""
-    storage = InMemoryStorage()
+    """An swh-storage object that gets injected into the CLI functions."""
+    storage_config = {
+        'cls': 'pipeline',
+        'steps': [
+            {'cls': 'validate'},
+            {'cls': 'memory'},
+        ]
+    }
+    storage = get_storage(**storage_config)
     with patch('swh.journal.cli.get_storage') as get_storage_mock:
         get_storage_mock.return_value = storage
         yield storage
@@ -64,7 +70,7 @@
 
 
 def test_replay(
-        storage: InMemoryStorage,
+        storage,
         kafka_prefix: str,
         kafka_server: Tuple[Popen, int]):
     (_, port) = kafka_server
@@ -154,7 +160,7 @@
 @_patch_objstorages(['src', 'dst'])
 def test_replay_content(
         objstorages,
-        storage: InMemoryStorage,
+        storage,
         kafka_prefix: str,
         kafka_server: Tuple[Popen, int]):
     (_, kafka_port) = kafka_server
@@ -182,7 +188,7 @@
 @_patch_objstorages(['src', 'dst'])
 def test_replay_content_exclude(
         objstorages,
-        storage: InMemoryStorage,
+        storage,
         kafka_prefix: str,
         kafka_server: Tuple[Popen, int]):
     (_, kafka_port) = kafka_server
diff --git a/swh/journal/tests/test_kafka_writer.py b/swh/journal/tests/test_kafka_writer.py
--- a/swh/journal/tests/test_kafka_writer.py
+++ b/swh/journal/tests/test_kafka_writer.py
@@ -104,7 +104,8 @@
         consumer: Consumer):
     kafka_prefix += '.swh.journal.objects'
 
-    config = {
+    writer_config = {
+        'cls': 'kafka',
         'brokers': ['localhost:%d' % kafka_server[1]],
         'client_id': 'kafka_writer',
         'prefix': kafka_prefix,
@@ -112,10 +113,15 @@
             'message.max.bytes': 100000000,
         }
     }
+    storage_config = {
+        'cls': 'pipeline',
+        'steps': [
+            {'cls': 'validate'},
+            {'cls': 'memory', 'journal_writer': writer_config},
+        ]
+    }
 
-    storage = get_storage('memory', journal_writer={
-        'cls': 'kafka', **config,
-    })
+    storage = get_storage(**storage_config)
 
     expected_messages = 0
 
diff --git a/swh/journal/tests/test_replay.py b/swh/journal/tests/test_replay.py
--- a/swh/journal/tests/test_replay.py
+++ b/swh/journal/tests/test_replay.py
@@ -24,13 +24,22 @@
 from .utils import MockedJournalClient, MockedKafkaWriter
 
 
+storage_config = {
+    'cls': 'pipeline',
+    'steps': [
+        {'cls': 'validate'},
+        {'cls': 'memory'},
+    ]
+}
+
+
 def test_storage_play(
         kafka_prefix: str,
         kafka_server: Tuple[Popen, int]):
     (_, port) = kafka_server
     kafka_prefix += '.swh.journal.objects'
 
-    storage = get_storage('memory')
+    storage = get_storage(**storage_config)
 
     producer = Producer({
         'bootstrap.servers': 'localhost:{}'.format(port),
@@ -140,7 +149,7 @@
     assert replayer.max_messages == 0
     replayer.max_messages = queue_size
 
-    storage = get_storage('memory')
+    storage = get_storage(**storage_config)
     worker_fn = functools.partial(process_replay_objects, storage=storage)
     nb_messages = 0
     while nb_messages < queue_size:
diff --git a/swh/journal/tests/test_write_replay.py b/swh/journal/tests/test_write_replay.py
--- a/swh/journal/tests/test_write_replay.py
+++ b/swh/journal/tests/test_write_replay.py
@@ -4,14 +4,14 @@
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
 
 import functools
+from unittest.mock import patch
 
 import attr
 from hypothesis import given, settings, HealthCheck
 from hypothesis.strategies import lists
 
 from swh.model.hypothesis_strategies import object_dicts
-from swh.storage.in_memory import InMemoryStorage
-from swh.storage import HashCollision
+from swh.storage import get_storage, HashCollision
 
 from swh.journal.replay import process_replay_objects
 from swh.journal.replay import process_replay_objects_content
@@ -19,6 +19,15 @@
 from .utils import MockedJournalClient, MockedKafkaWriter
 
 
+storage_config = {
+    'cls': 'pipeline',
+    'steps': [
+        {'cls': 'validate'},
+        {'cls': 'memory', 'journal_writer': {'cls': 'memory'}},
+    ]
+}
+
+
 def empty_person_name_email(rev_or_rel):
     """Empties the 'name' and 'email' fields of the author/committer fields
     of a revision or release; leaving only the fullname."""
@@ -51,8 +60,9 @@
     queue = []
     replayer = MockedJournalClient(queue)
 
-    storage1 = InMemoryStorage()
-    storage1.journal_writer = MockedKafkaWriter(queue)
+    with patch('swh.journal.writer.inmemory.InMemoryJournalWriter',
+               return_value=MockedKafkaWriter(queue)):
+        storage1 = get_storage(**storage_config)
 
     for (obj_type, obj) in objects:
         obj = obj.copy()
@@ -72,7 +82,7 @@
     assert replayer.max_messages == 0
     replayer.max_messages = queue_size
 
-    storage2 = InMemoryStorage()
+    storage2 = get_storage(**storage_config)
     worker_fn = functools.partial(process_replay_objects, storage=storage2)
     nb_messages = 0
     while nb_messages < queue_size:
@@ -110,8 +120,9 @@
     queue = []
     replayer = MockedJournalClient(queue)
 
-    storage1 = InMemoryStorage()
-    storage1.journal_writer = MockedKafkaWriter(queue)
+    with patch('swh.journal.writer.inmemory.InMemoryJournalWriter',
+               return_value=MockedKafkaWriter(queue)):
+        storage1 = get_storage(**storage_config)
 
     contents = []
     for (obj_type, obj) in objects:
@@ -127,7 +138,7 @@
     assert replayer.max_messages == 0
     replayer.max_messages = queue_size
 
-    storage2 = InMemoryStorage()
+    storage2 = get_storage(**storage_config)
     worker_fn = functools.partial(process_replay_objects_content,
                                   src=storage1.objstorage,
                                   dst=storage2.objstorage)