diff --git a/besu/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/RunnerTest.java b/besu/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/RunnerTest.java
index 2af4a86666..1385e18a46 100644
--- a/besu/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/RunnerTest.java
+++ b/besu/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/RunnerTest.java
@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@ import okhttp3.RequestBody;
 import okhttp3.Response;
 import org.apache.tuweni.units.bigints.UInt256;
 import org.awaitility.Awaitility;
+import org.junit.After;
+import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Rule;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.rules.TemporaryFolder;
@@ -94,6 +96,18 @@ public final class RunnerTest {
   private static final int MAX_BACKGROUND_COMPACTIONS = 4;
   private static final int BACKGROUND_THREAD_COUNT = 4;
 
+  private Vertx vertx;
+
+  @Before
+  public void initVertx() {
+    vertx = Vertx.vertx();
+  }
+
+  @After
+  public void stopVertx() {
+    vertx.close();
+  }
+
   @Rule public final TemporaryFolder temp = new TemporaryFolder();
 
   @Test
@@ -179,7 +193,7 @@ public final class RunnerTest {
     final MetricsConfiguration aheadMetricsConfiguration = metricsConfiguration();
     final RunnerBuilder runnerBuilder =
         new RunnerBuilder()
-            .vertx(Vertx.vertx())
+            .vertx(vertx)
             .discovery(true)
             .p2pAdvertisedHost(listenHost)
             .p2pListenPort(0)
@@ -313,7 +327,7 @@ public final class RunnerTest {
               });
 
       final Future<Void> future = Future.future();
-      final HttpClient httpClient = Vertx.vertx().createHttpClient();
+      final HttpClient httpClient = vertx.createHttpClient();
       httpClient.websocket(
           runnerBehind.getWebsocketPort().get(),
           WebSocketConfiguration.DEFAULT_WEBSOCKET_HOST,
diff --git a/enclave/src/integration-test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/enclave/EnclaveTest.java b/enclave/src/integration-test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/enclave/EnclaveTest.java
index 373cf089c6..540f212786 100644
--- a/enclave/src/integration-test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/enclave/EnclaveTest.java
+++ b/enclave/src/integration-test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/enclave/EnclaveTest.java
@@ -44,13 +44,15 @@ public class EnclaveTest {
   private static final String PAYLOAD = "a wonderful transaction";
   private static final String MOCK_KEY = "iOCzoGo5kwtZU0J41Z9xnGXHN6ZNukIa9MspvHtu3Jk=";
   private static Enclave enclave;
-  private Vertx vertx = Vertx.vertx();
-  private EnclaveFactory factory = new EnclaveFactory(vertx);
+  private Vertx vertx;
+  private EnclaveFactory factory;
 
   private static OrionTestHarness testHarness;
 
   @Before
   public void setUp() throws Exception {
+    vertx = Vertx.vertx();
+    factory = new EnclaveFactory(vertx);
     folder.create();
 
     testHarness =
diff --git a/ethereum/retesteth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/retesteth/RetestethService.java b/ethereum/retesteth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/retesteth/RetestethService.java
index 0ac4342b10..8fe02e4de2 100644
--- a/ethereum/retesteth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/retesteth/RetestethService.java
+++ b/ethereum/retesteth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/retesteth/RetestethService.java
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ public class RetestethService {
 
   public void stop() {
     jsonRpcHttpService.stop();
+    vertx.close();
   }
 
   private static Map<String, JsonRpcMethod> mapOf(final JsonRpcMethod... rpcMethods) {
diff --git a/metrics/core/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/metrics/prometheus/MetricsHttpServiceTest.java b/metrics/core/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/metrics/prometheus/MetricsHttpServiceTest.java
index abdd9a3747..477fa0f171 100644
--- a/metrics/core/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/metrics/prometheus/MetricsHttpServiceTest.java
+++ b/metrics/core/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/metrics/prometheus/MetricsHttpServiceTest.java
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ public class MetricsHttpServiceTest {
   @AfterClass
   public static void shutdownServer() {
     service.stop().join();
+    vertx.close();
   }
 
   @Test