diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index e48c3474..9042fc5e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           ruby-version: '3.2'
           bundler-cache: true
-      - name: run tests
-        run: bundle exec rspec
+      - name: run tests but not the ones that touch solrcloud
+        run: bundle exec rspec --tag ~solrcloud
         env: 
           GHA_TEST: "true"
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index b4c4e932..c74adc16 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ gem "canister"
 gem "rubyzip"
 gem "semantic_logger"
 gem "thor"
-gem "solr_cloud-connection"
+gem "solr_cloud-connection", ">= 0.3.0"
 
 gem "sqlite3", "~> 1.4", platforms: :mri
 gem "jdbc-sqlite3", "~> 3.28", platforms: :jruby
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index 633763dc..04d625d0 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ GEM
       simplecov_json_formatter (~> 0.1)
     simplecov-html (0.12.3)
     simplecov_json_formatter (0.1.4)
-    solr_cloud-connection (0.1.0)
+    solr_cloud-connection (0.3.0)
       faraday (~> 2.7.12)
       httpx (~> 1.1.5)
       rubyzip (~> 2.3.0)
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   semantic_logger
   sequel (~> 5.60)
   simplecov
-  solr_cloud-connection
+  solr_cloud-connection (>= 0.3.0)
   sqlite3 (~> 1.4)
   standardrb
   thor
diff --git a/lib/authority_browse/solr.rb b/lib/authority_browse/solr.rb
index 8d0837ae..aacfc17b 100644
--- a/lib/authority_browse/solr.rb
+++ b/lib/authority_browse/solr.rb
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@ def self.solr_conf_dir
     #
     # @return[Nil]
     def self.create_configset_if_needed
-      unless S.solrcloud.configset?(configset_name)
+      if S.solrcloud.has_configset?(configset_name)
+        S.solrcloud.get_configset(configset_name)
+      else
         S.solrcloud.create_configset(
           name: configset_name,
           confdir: solr_conf_dir
@@ -62,6 +64,10 @@ def self.create_daily_collection
       )
     end
 
+    def self.latest_daily_collection
+      _sorted_collections.last
+    end
+
     # This creates the daily collection and then sets the reindex alias to that
     # collection
     #
@@ -75,32 +81,31 @@ def self.set_up_daily_collection
     #
     # @return[Nil]
     def self.set_daily_reindex_alias
-      S.solrcloud.create_alias(name: reindex_alias, collection_name: collection_name, force: true)
+      latest_daily_collection.alias_as(reindex_alias)
     end
 
     # This sets the production alias to today's collection.
     #
     # @return[Nil]
     def self.set_production_alias
-      S.solrcloud.create_alias(name: production_alias, collection_name: collection_name, force: true)
+      latest_daily_collection.alias_as(production_alias)
     end
 
     # This verifies that today's collection has enough documents in it. For now
     # the collection must have more than 7_000_000 documents in it.
-    #
+    # @raise [NotEnoughDocsError] if there aren't enough docs in the collection
     # @return[Nil]
-    def self.verify_reindex
-      body = S.solrcloud.get("solr/#{collection_name}/select", {q: "*:*"}).body
-      raise NotEnoughDocsError unless body["response"]["numFound"] > 7000000
+    def self.verify_reindex(min_records: S.min_authority_browse_record_count)
+      raise NotEnoughDocsError unless latest_daily_collection.count > min_records
     end
 
     # This deletes all authority_browse collections with dates that are older
     # than the newest three authority_browse collections.
     #
     # @return[Nil]
-    def self.prune_old_collections(keep: 3)
-      S.logger.info "Pruning the following collections: #{list_old_collections}"
-      list_old_collections(keep: keep).each do |coll|
+    def self.prune_old_collections(collections: list_old_collections(keep: keep), keep: 3)
+      S.logger.info "Pruning the following collections: #{collections}"
+      collections.each do |coll|
         coll.delete!
       end
     end
@@ -108,15 +113,19 @@ def self.prune_old_collections(keep: 3)
     # Lists the authority_browse collections that are older than the newest
     # three authority_browse collections
     #
-    # @param list [Array]<SolrCloud::Collection> Array of all SolrCloud collections
+    # @param list [Array<SolrCloud::Collection>] Array of all SolrCloud collections
     # @param keep [Integer] how many versions to keep, even if they're old
-    # @return [Array]<SolrCloud::Collection> Array of old authority browse Solrcloud collections
-    def self.list_old_collections(list: S.solrcloud.collections, keep: 3)
+    # @return [Array<SolrCloud::Collection>] Array of old authority browse Solrcloud collections
+    def self.list_old_collections(list: S.solrcloud.only_collections, keep: 3)
+      _sorted_collections(list: list)[0..(0 - keep - 1)]
+    end
+
+    def self._sorted_collections(list: S.solrcloud.only_collections)
       list.select do |item|
         item.name.match?("authority_browse")
       end.sort do |a, b|
         a.name.split("_").last <=> b.name.split("_").last
-      end[0..(0 - keep - 1)]
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/authority_browse/solr/uploader.rb b/lib/authority_browse/solr/uploader.rb
index c78ffc7d..7be43196 100644
--- a/lib/authority_browse/solr/uploader.rb
+++ b/lib/authority_browse/solr/uploader.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ module AuthorityBrowse
   module Solr
     class Uploader
       def initialize(collection:)
-        @conn = S.solrcloud.alias collection
+        @collection = S.solrcloud.get_collection collection
         @endpoint = "solr/#{collection}/update"
       end
 
@@ -10,11 +10,11 @@ def initialize(collection:)
       # @param docs [Array] Array of json strings  of docs
       def upload(docs)
         body = "[" + docs.join(",") + "]"
-        @conn.post(@endpoint, body)
+        @collection.post(@endpoint, body)
       end
 
       def commit
-        @conn.get(@endpoint, commit: "true")
+        @collection.commit
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/services.rb b/lib/services.rb
index 2b45454d..b2e491be 100644
--- a/lib/services.rb
+++ b/lib/services.rb
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@
 end
 
 S.register(:today) { Time.now.strftime "%Y-%m-%d-%H-%M-%S" }
+S.register(:min_authority_browse_record_count) { 7_000_000 }
 
 # Solr stuff
 
@@ -73,6 +74,10 @@
 S.register(:solr_configuration) { ENV["SOLR_CONFIGURATION"] || "authority_browse" }
 S.register(:solr_collection) { ENV["SOLR_COLLECTION"] || "authority_browse" }
 S.register(:biblio_solr) { ENV["BIBLIO_SOLR"] }
+
+# @!method S.solrcloud
+# @return [SolrCloud::Connection]
+# @!scope S
 S.register(:solrcloud) do
   SolrCloud::Connection.new(
     url: S.solr_host,
diff --git a/spec/integrations/solrcloud_spec.rb b/spec/integrations/solrcloud_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e4a24b77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/integrations/solrcloud_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+RSpec.describe Browse::CLI::Solr, solrcloud: true do
+  before(:all) do
+    WebMock.allow_net_connect!
+  end
+  after(:all) do
+    WebMock.disable_net_connect!
+  end
+  before(:each) do
+    @today_collection_name = AuthorityBrowse::Solr.collection_name
+  end
+  after(:each) do
+    coll = S.solrcloud.get_collection(@today_collection_name)
+    cset = S.solrcloud.get_configset(AuthorityBrowse::Solr.configset_name)
+    if !coll.nil?
+      coll.aliases.each { |x| x.delete! }
+      coll.delete!
+    end
+    cset&.delete!
+  end
+  subject do
+    described_class.new
+  end
+  context "browse set_up_daily_authority_browse_collection" do
+    it "creates the daily collection and sets the reindex alias" do
+      configset_name = AuthorityBrowse::Solr.configset_name
+      expect(S.solrcloud.has_configset?(configset_name)).to eq(false)
+      expect(S.solrcloud.get_collection(@today_collection_name)).to be_nil
+      subject.invoke(:set_up_daily_authority_browse_collection)
+      expect(S.solrcloud.has_configset?(configset_name)).to eq(true)
+      collection = S.solrcloud.get_collection(@today_collection_name)
+      expect(collection).not_to be_nil
+      expect(collection.has_alias?(AuthorityBrowse::Solr.reindex_alias)).to eq(true)
+    end
+  end
+
+  context "browse verify_and_deploy_authority_browse_collection" do
+    it "verifies that the collection has enough records and then sets the production alias to it" do
+      subject.invoke(:set_up_daily_authority_browse_collection)
+      one_doc = [{
+        id: "twain mark 1835 1910\u001fname",
+        browse_field: "name",
+        term: "Twain, Mark, 1835-1910",
+        count: 7,
+        date_of_index: "2023-09-02T00:00:00Z"
+      }.to_json]
+
+      collection = S.solrcloud.get_collection(@today_collection_name)
+      uploader = AuthorityBrowse::Solr::Uploader.new(collection: @today_collection_name)
+      uploader.upload(one_doc)
+      uploader.commit
+
+      subject.invoke(:verify_and_deploy_authority_browse_collection)
+
+      expect(collection.has_alias?(AuthorityBrowse::Solr.production_alias)).to eq(true)
+    end
+  end
+  context "AuthorityBrowse::Solr.prune_old_collections" do
+    # not testing the cli invocation because we want to inject collections to prune
+    it "prunes the old collections" do
+      subject.invoke(:set_up_daily_authority_browse_collection)
+      col = S.solrcloud.get_collection(@today_collection_name)
+      expect(col).not_to be_nil
+      col.aliases.each { |x| x.delete! }
+      # actual subject
+      AuthorityBrowse::Solr.prune_old_collections(collections: [col], keep: 0)
+
+      expect(S.solrcloud.only_collection_names).not_to include(@today_collection_name)
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index afb78286..b13d4a08 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@
   S.register(:database_host) { "127.0.0.1" }
 end
 
+# S.register(:git_tag) { "my.test.tag" }
+S.register(:git_tag) { "version" }
+S.register(:today) { "2099-12-01-00-00-00" }
+S.register(:min_authority_browse_record_count) { 0 }
+
 Services.register(:database) do
   root = Sequel.connect(
     adapter: Services[:database_adapter],