diff --git a/cypress/plugins/index.js b/cypress/plugins/index.js
--- a/cypress/plugins/index.js
+++ b/cypress/plugins/index.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 const axios = require('axios');
 const {execFileSync} = require('child_process');
-const fs = require('fs');
+// const fs = require('fs');
 const sqlite3 = require('sqlite3').verbose();
 
 let buildId = process.env.CYPRESS_PARALLEL_BUILD_ID;
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 function getDatabase() {
   const db = new sqlite3.Database(`./swh-web-test${buildId}.sqlite3`);
   // to prevent "database is locked" error when running tests
+  db.configure('busyTimeout', 20000);
   db.run('PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL;');
   return db;
 }
@@ -49,18 +50,6 @@
 module.exports = (on, config) => {
   require('@cypress/code-coverage/task')(on, config);
   // produce JSON files prior launching browser in order to dynamically generate tests
-  on('before:browser:launch', function(browser, launchOptions) {
-    return new Promise((resolve) => {
-      const p1 = axios.get(`${config.baseUrl}/tests/data/content/code/extensions/`);
-      const p2 = axios.get(`${config.baseUrl}/tests/data/content/code/filenames/`);
-      Promise.all([p1, p2])
-        .then(function(responses) {
-          fs.writeFileSync('cypress/fixtures/source-file-extensions.json', JSON.stringify(responses[0].data));
-          fs.writeFileSync('cypress/fixtures/source-file-names.json', JSON.stringify(responses[1].data));
-          resolve();
-        });
-    });
-  });
   on('task', {
     getSwhTestsData: async() => {
       if (!global.swhTestsData) {