diff --git a/__tests__/spec/install.js b/__tests__/spec/install.js
index 453f91d241..e83a62ded7 100644
--- a/__tests__/spec/install.js
+++ b/__tests__/spec/install.js
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 /* eslint-env jest */
 
-const child_process = require('child_process') // eslint-disable-line camelcase
 const fs = require('fs')
 const path = require('path')
 
 const utils = require('../util')
+const { exec } = require('../../lib/exec')
 
 describe('npm install', () => {
   const tmpDir = utils.mkdtempSync()
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ describe('npm install', () => {
     const testDir = path.join(tmpDir, 'install-no-optional')
     await utils.mkPrototype(testDir)
 
-    child_process.execSync(
+    await exec(
       'npm install',
-      { cwd: testDir, env: { LANG: process.env.LANG, PATH: process.env.PATH } }
+      { cwd: testDir }
     )
 
     expect(
diff --git a/__tests__/spec/sanity-checks.js b/__tests__/spec/sanity-checks.js
index 15250dd7a4..482f085fdc 100644
--- a/__tests__/spec/sanity-checks.js
+++ b/__tests__/spec/sanity-checks.js
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ const { generateAssetsSync } = require('../../lib/build/tasks')
 const fse = require('fs-extra')
 const { projectDir } = require('../../lib/path-utils')
 
+const createKitTimeout = parseInt(process.env.CREATE_KIT_TIMEOUT || '90000', 10)
+
 function readFile (pathFromRoot) {
   return fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, '../../' + pathFromRoot), 'utf8')
 }
@@ -29,7 +31,7 @@ describe('The Prototype Kit', () => {
     jest.spyOn(fse, 'writeFileSync').mockImplementation(() => {})
     jest.spyOn(sass, 'compile').mockImplementation((css, options) => ({ css }))
     generateAssetsSync()
-  })
+  }, createKitTimeout)
 
   it('should call writeFileSync with result css from sass.compile', () => {
     expect(fse.writeFileSync).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
diff --git a/__tests__/util/index.js b/__tests__/util/index.js
index f0ad151bbc..34d0ad70dd 100644
--- a/__tests__/util/index.js
+++ b/__tests__/util/index.js
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
-const child_process = require('child_process') // eslint-disable-line camelcase
-
-const fs = require('fs-extra')
 const os = require('os')
 const path = require('path')
 
+const fs = require('fs-extra')
+
+const { exec } = require('../../lib/exec')
+
 /**
  * An ID that will be shared between all process in the same Jest test run,
  * this is useful for sharing fixture files. Normally sharing state across Jest
@@ -71,6 +72,8 @@ async function mkPrototype (prototypePath, {
     }
   }
 
+  const startTime = Date.now()
+
   try {
     // Remove previous test starter project
     await fs.remove(prototypePath)
@@ -79,20 +82,21 @@ async function mkPrototype (prototypePath, {
     await fs.mkdirp(prototypePath)
 
     // Generate starter project and start
-    child_process.execSync(
-      'npm i -g',
-      { stdio: 'inherit' }
+    await exec(
+      'npm i -g'
     )
 
     // Generate starter project and start
-    child_process.execSync(
+    await exec(
       'govuk-prototype-kit create --version local',
-      { cwd: prototypePath, env: { ...process.env, env: 'test' }, stdio: 'inherit' }
+      { cwd: prototypePath, env: { ...process.env, env: 'test' } }
     )
 
     if (allowTracking !== undefined) {
-      await fs.writeFile(path.join(prototypePath, 'usage-data-config.json'), `{ "collectUsageData": ${allowTracking}}`)
+      await fs.writeFile(path.join(prototypePath, 'usage-data-config.json'), `{ "collectUsageData": ${!!allowTracking}}`)
     }
+
+    console.log(`Kit creation took [${Math.round((Date.now() - startTime) / 100) / 10}] seconds`)
   } catch (error) {
     console.error(error.message)
     console.error(error.stack)
@@ -102,28 +106,28 @@ async function mkPrototype (prototypePath, {
   }
 }
 
-function installExtensions (prototypePath, extensionNames) {
+async function installExtensions (prototypePath, extensionNames) {
   let extensionNamesProcessed = extensionNames || []
   if (!Array.isArray(extensionNames)) {
     extensionNamesProcessed = [extensionNames]
   }
-  child_process.execSync(
+  return exec(
     `npm install ${extensionNamesProcessed.join(' ')}`,
-    { cwd: prototypePath, env: { ...process.env, env: 'test' }, stdio: 'inherit' }
+    { cwd: prototypePath, env: { ...process.env, env: 'test' } }
   )
 }
 
-function npmInstall (pathToRunInstallIn) {
-  return child_process.exec(
+async function npmInstall (pathToRunInstallIn) {
+  return exec(
     'npm install',
-    { cwd: pathToRunInstallIn, env: { ...process.env, env: 'test' }, stdio: 'inherit' }
+    { cwd: pathToRunInstallIn, env: { ...process.env, env: 'test' } }
   )
 }
 
-function startPrototype (prototypePath) {
-  child_process.execSync(
+async function startPrototype (prototypePath) {
+  return exec(
     'npm start',
-    { cwd: prototypePath, env: { ...process.env, env: 'test' }, stdio: 'inherit' }
+    { cwd: prototypePath, env: { ...process.env, env: 'test' } }
   )
 }
 
diff --git a/cypress/plugins/index.js b/cypress/plugins/index.js
index 37facbb403..b9da1d54e3 100644
--- a/cypress/plugins/index.js
+++ b/cypress/plugins/index.js
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 
 // This function is called when a project is opened or re-opened (e.g. due to
 // the project's config changing)
-// const spawn = require('child_process').spawn
 const fs = require('fs')
 const fsp = fs.promises
 const path = require('path')
diff --git a/lib/routes/prototype-admin-routes.js b/lib/routes/prototype-admin-routes.js
index 965b969393..f1cb6423ac 100644
--- a/lib/routes/prototype-admin-routes.js
+++ b/lib/routes/prototype-admin-routes.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const path = require('path')
 const extensions = require('../extensions/extensions')
 const config = require('../config').getConfig()
 const { requestHttpsJson } = require('../utils')
-const { exec } = require('../upgradeToV13/exec')
+const { exec } = require('../exec')
 
 const appViews = extensions.getAppViews([
   path.join(projectDir, 'node_modules'),
diff --git a/lib/upgradeToV13/exec.js b/lib/upgradeToV13/exec.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 3f1675b585..0000000000
--- a/lib/upgradeToV13/exec.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,48 +0,0 @@
-const { exec } = require('child_process')
-const { verboseLog } = require('./fileHelpers')
-
-module.exports = {
-  exec: (command, options) => {
-    const errorOutput = []
-    const optionsProcessed = Object.assign({}, options || {})
-
-    optionsProcessed.env = optionsProcessed.env || {}
-    optionsProcessed.env.LANG = optionsProcessed.env.LANG || process.env.LANG
-    optionsProcessed.env.PATH = optionsProcessed.env.PATH || process.env.PATH
-
-    const child = exec(command, optionsProcessed)
-
-    child.stdout.on('data', function (data) {
-      verboseLog('')
-      verboseLog(' ---- ')
-      verboseLog('')
-      verboseLog('install update:')
-      verboseLog(data)
-      verboseLog('')
-      verboseLog(' ---- ')
-      verboseLog('')
-    })
-    child.stderr.on('data', function (data) {
-      errorOutput.push(data)
-      verboseLog('')
-      verboseLog(' ---- ')
-      verboseLog('')
-      verboseLog('install error:')
-      verboseLog(data)
-      verboseLog('')
-      verboseLog(' ---- ')
-      verboseLog('')
-    })
-
-    return new Promise(function (resolve, reject) {
-      child.on('close', function (code) {
-        if (code === 0) {
-          resolve(true)
-        } else {
-          console.error(errorOutput.join('\n'))
-          reject(new Error(`Exit code was ${code}`))
-        }
-      })
-    })
-  }
-}
diff --git a/lib/upgradeToV13/fileHelpers.spec.js b/lib/upgradeToV13/fileHelpers.spec.js
index a61180297a..ef198a2875 100644
--- a/lib/upgradeToV13/fileHelpers.spec.js
+++ b/lib/upgradeToV13/fileHelpers.spec.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ const { mockFileSystem } = require('../../__tests__/util/mockFileSystem')
 const { projectDir } = require('../path-utils')
 const { removeLineFromFile, replaceStartOfFile, deleteFile, deleteDirectory } = require('./fileHelpers')
 
-describe.skip('file helpers', () => {
+describe('file helpers', () => {
   const joinLines = arr => arr.join(os.EOL)
   const writeFileToMockFile = (filePathParts, contentStringOrArray) => testScope.fileSystem
     .writeFile(filePathParts, typeof contentStringOrArray === 'string' ? contentStringOrArray : joinLines(contentStringOrArray))
diff --git a/lib/upgradeToV13/index.js b/lib/upgradeToV13/index.js
index 5c8a0a1b4e..f7d7c928f8 100644
--- a/lib/upgradeToV13/index.js
+++ b/lib/upgradeToV13/index.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ const {
 } = require('./fileHelpers')
 const path = require('path')
 const { projectDir, packageDir } = require('../path-utils')
-const { exec } = require('./exec')
+const { exec } = require('../exec')
 
 const fullReport = []
 const reportSuccess = tag => fullReport.push(() => console.log(c.green(`Succeeded [${tag}]`)))
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index cf2b4e7984..dc8c054958 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
     "test:acceptance:open": "KIT_TEST_DIR=tmp/test-prototype-package start-server-and-test 'node cypress/scripts/run-starter-prototype' 3000 'cypress open'",
     "test:smoke": "cypress run --spec \"cypress/integration/0-smoke-tests/*\"",
     "test:unit": "jest --detectOpenHandles lib bin",
-    "test:integration": "IS_INTEGRATION_TEST=true jest --detectOpenHandles --testTimeout=30000 __tests__",
+    "test:integration": "CREATE_KIT_TIMEOUT=90000 IS_INTEGRATION_TEST=true jest --detectOpenHandles --testTimeout=60000 __tests__",
     "test": "npm run test:unit && npm run test:integration && npm run lint"
   },
   "dependencies": {