diff --git a/tests/base.py b/tests/base.py
index 76f7e03..fae23fe 100755
--- a/tests/base.py
+++ b/tests/base.py
@@ -776,21 +776,6 @@
         repo = self._getRepo()
         return repo.references[self._getPRReference()].commit.hexsha
 
-    def setStatus(self, sha, state, url, description, context, user='zuul'):
-        # Since we're bypassing github API, which would require a user, we
-        # hard set the user as 'zuul' here.
-        # insert the status at the top of the list, to simulate that it
-        # is the most recent set status
-        self.statuses[sha].insert(0, ({
-            'state': state,
-            'url': url,
-            'description': description,
-            'context': context,
-            'creator': {
-                'login': user
-            }
-        }))
-
     def addReview(self, user, state, granted_on=None):
         gh_time_format = '%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ'
         # convert the timestamp to a str format that would be returned
@@ -882,6 +867,7 @@
         self.connection_name = connection_name
         self.pr_number = 0
         self.pull_requests = []
+        self.statuses = {}
         self.upstream_root = upstream_root
         self.merge_failure = False
         self.merge_not_allowed_count = 0
@@ -1014,25 +1000,24 @@
         pull_request.merge_message = commit_message
 
     def getCommitStatuses(self, project, sha):
-        owner, proj = project.split('/')
-        for pr in self.pull_requests:
-            pr_owner, pr_project = pr.project.split('/')
-            # This is somewhat risky, if the same commit exists in multiple
-            # PRs, we might grab the wrong one that doesn't have a status
-            # that is expected to be there. Maybe re-work this so that there
-            # is a global registry of commit statuses like with github.
-            if (pr_owner == owner and pr_project == proj and
-                sha in pr.statuses):
-                return pr.statuses[sha]
+        return self.statuses.get(project, {}).get(sha, [])
 
-    def setCommitStatus(self, project, sha, state,
-                        url='', description='', context=''):
-        owner, proj = project.split('/')
-        for pr in self.pull_requests:
-            pr_owner, pr_project = pr.project.split('/')
-            if (pr_owner == owner and pr_project == proj and
-                pr.head_sha == sha):
-                pr.setStatus(sha, state, url, description, context)
+    def setCommitStatus(self, project, sha, state, url='', description='',
+                        context='default', user='zuul'):
+        # always insert a status to the front of the list, to represent
+        # the last status provided for a commit.
+        # Since we're bypassing github API, which would require a user, we
+        # default the user as 'zuul' here.
+        self.statuses.setdefault(project, {}).setdefault(sha, [])
+        self.statuses[project][sha].insert(0, {
+            'state': state,
+            'url': url,
+            'description': description,
+            'context': context,
+            'creator': {
+                'login': user
+            }
+        })
 
     def labelPull(self, project, pr_number, label):
         pull_request = self.pull_requests[pr_number - 1]
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_github_driver.py b/tests/unit/test_github_driver.py
index 4979087..ba8e497 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_github_driver.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_github_driver.py
@@ -248,16 +248,18 @@
 
     @simple_layout('layouts/reporting-github.yaml', driver='github')
     def test_reporting(self):
+        project = 'org/project'
         # pipeline reports pull status both on start and success
         self.executor_server.hold_jobs_in_build = True
-        A = self.fake_github.openFakePullRequest('org/project', 'master', 'A')
+        A = self.fake_github.openFakePullRequest(project, 'master', 'A')
         self.fake_github.emitEvent(A.getPullRequestOpenedEvent())
         self.waitUntilSettled()
         # We should have a status container for the head sha
-        self.assertIn(A.head_sha, A.statuses.keys())
+        statuses = self.fake_github.statuses[project][A.head_sha]
+        self.assertIn(A.head_sha, self.fake_github.statuses[project].keys())
         # We should only have one status for the head sha
-        self.assertEqual(1, len(A.statuses[A.head_sha]))
-        check_status = A.statuses[A.head_sha][0]
+        self.assertEqual(1, len(statuses))
+        check_status = statuses[0]
         check_url = ('http://zuul.example.com/status/#%s,%s' %
                      (A.number, A.head_sha))
         self.assertEqual('tenant-one/check', check_status['context'])
@@ -270,8 +272,9 @@
         self.executor_server.release()
         self.waitUntilSettled()
         # We should only have two statuses for the head sha
-        self.assertEqual(2, len(A.statuses[A.head_sha]))
-        check_status = A.statuses[A.head_sha][0]
+        statuses = self.fake_github.statuses[project][A.head_sha]
+        self.assertEqual(2, len(statuses))
+        check_status = statuses[0]
         check_url = ('http://zuul.example.com/status/#%s,%s' %
                      (A.number, A.head_sha))
         self.assertEqual('tenant-one/check', check_status['context'])
@@ -286,7 +289,8 @@
         self.fake_github.emitEvent(
             A.getCommentAddedEvent('reporting check'))
         self.waitUntilSettled()
-        self.assertEqual(2, len(A.statuses[A.head_sha]))
+        statuses = self.fake_github.statuses[project][A.head_sha]
+        self.assertEqual(2, len(statuses))
         # comments increased by one for the start message
         self.assertEqual(2, len(A.comments))
         self.assertThat(A.comments[1],
@@ -295,8 +299,9 @@
         self.executor_server.release()
         self.waitUntilSettled()
         # pipeline reports success status
-        self.assertEqual(3, len(A.statuses[A.head_sha]))
-        report_status = A.statuses[A.head_sha][0]
+        statuses = self.fake_github.statuses[project][A.head_sha]
+        self.assertEqual(3, len(statuses))
+        report_status = statuses[0]
         self.assertEqual('tenant-one/reporting', report_status['context'])
         self.assertEqual('success', report_status['state'])
         self.assertEqual(2, len(A.comments))
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_github_requirements.py b/tests/unit/test_github_requirements.py
index 5dd6e80..301ea2f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_github_requirements.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_github_requirements.py
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@
     @simple_layout('layouts/requirements-github.yaml', driver='github')
     def test_pipeline_require_status(self):
         "Test pipeline requirement: status"
-        A = self.fake_github.openFakePullRequest('org/project1', 'master', 'A')
+        project = 'org/project1'
+        A = self.fake_github.openFakePullRequest(project, 'master', 'A')
         # A comment event that we will keep submitting to trigger
         comment = A.getCommentAddedEvent('test me')
         self.fake_github.emitEvent(comment)
@@ -34,13 +35,15 @@
         self.assertEqual(len(self.history), 0)
 
         # An error status should not cause it to be enqueued
-        A.setStatus(A.head_sha, 'error', 'null', 'null', 'check')
+        self.fake_github.setCommitStatus(project, A.head_sha, 'error',
+                                         context='check')
         self.fake_github.emitEvent(comment)
         self.waitUntilSettled()
         self.assertEqual(len(self.history), 0)
 
         # A success status goes in
-        A.setStatus(A.head_sha, 'success', 'null', 'null', 'check')
+        self.fake_github.setCommitStatus(project, A.head_sha, 'success',
+                                         context='check')
         self.fake_github.emitEvent(comment)
         self.waitUntilSettled()
         self.assertEqual(len(self.history), 1)
@@ -49,7 +52,8 @@
     @simple_layout('layouts/requirements-github.yaml', driver='github')
     def test_trigger_require_status(self):
         "Test trigger requirement: status"
-        A = self.fake_github.openFakePullRequest('org/project1', 'master', 'A')
+        project = 'org/project1'
+        A = self.fake_github.openFakePullRequest(project, 'master', 'A')
         # A comment event that we will keep submitting to trigger
         comment = A.getCommentAddedEvent('trigger me')
         self.fake_github.emitEvent(comment)
@@ -58,13 +62,15 @@
         self.assertEqual(len(self.history), 0)
 
         # An error status should not cause it to be enqueued
-        A.setStatus(A.head_sha, 'error', 'null', 'null', 'check')
+        self.fake_github.setCommitStatus(project, A.head_sha, 'error',
+                                         context='check')
         self.fake_github.emitEvent(comment)
         self.waitUntilSettled()
         self.assertEqual(len(self.history), 0)
 
         # A success status goes in
-        A.setStatus(A.head_sha, 'success', 'null', 'null', 'check')
+        self.fake_github.setCommitStatus(project, A.head_sha, 'success',
+                                         context='check')
         self.fake_github.emitEvent(comment)
         self.waitUntilSettled()
         self.assertEqual(len(self.history), 1)
@@ -73,10 +79,12 @@
     @simple_layout('layouts/requirements-github.yaml', driver='github')
     def test_trigger_on_status(self):
         "Test trigger on: status"
-        A = self.fake_github.openFakePullRequest('org/project2', 'master', 'A')
+        project = 'org/project2'
+        A = self.fake_github.openFakePullRequest(project, 'master', 'A')
 
         # An error status should not cause it to be enqueued
-        A.setStatus(A.head_sha, 'error', 'null', 'null', 'check')
+        self.fake_github.setCommitStatus(project, A.head_sha, 'error',
+                                         context='check')
         self.fake_github.emitEvent(A.getCommitStatusEvent('check',
                                                           state='error'))
         self.waitUntilSettled()
@@ -84,7 +92,8 @@
 
         # A success status from unknown user should not cause it to be
         # enqueued
-        A.setStatus(A.head_sha, 'success', 'null', 'null', 'check', user='foo')
+        self.fake_github.setCommitStatus(project, A.head_sha, 'success',
+                                         context='check', user='foo')
         self.fake_github.emitEvent(A.getCommitStatusEvent('check',
                                                           state='success',
                                                           user='foo'))
@@ -92,7 +101,8 @@
         self.assertEqual(len(self.history), 0)
 
         # A success status from zuul goes in
-        A.setStatus(A.head_sha, 'success', 'null', 'null', 'check')
+        self.fake_github.setCommitStatus(project, A.head_sha, 'success',
+                                         context='check')
         self.fake_github.emitEvent(A.getCommitStatusEvent('check'))
         self.waitUntilSettled()
         self.assertEqual(len(self.history), 1)
@@ -100,7 +110,8 @@
 
         # An error status for a different context should not cause it to be
         # enqueued
-        A.setStatus(A.head_sha, 'error', 'null', 'null', 'gate')
+        self.fake_github.setCommitStatus(project, A.head_sha, 'error',
+                                         context='gate')
         self.fake_github.emitEvent(A.getCommitStatusEvent('gate',
                                                           state='error'))
         self.waitUntilSettled()