diff --git a/debian/tests/spec b/debian/tests/spec
index 06fc111d26..3efb29a614 100755
--- a/debian/tests/spec
+++ b/debian/tests/spec
@@ -23,20 +23,24 @@ export RAILS_ENV=test
 export DB=postgres
 export INCLUDE_TEST_DEPENDS="true"
 
-# TODO: stop running autopkgtest till these gems are packaged
-exit 0
-
-echo "Installing test only dependencies from rubygems.org..."
-cp ${SOURCE_TREE}/debian/Gemfile.autopkgtest .
-BUNDLE_GEMFILE=Gemfile.autopkgtest bundle install
 su gitlab -c "bundle install --local"
 su gitlab -c "mkdir -p tmp/tests/gitlab-shell"
 export dbname=gitlab_test
+export gitlab_user=gitlab
 su postgres -c "createdb $dbname"
 # enable the pg_trgm extension
 su postgres -c "psql -d $dbname -c \"CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS pg_trgm;\"" || {
   exit 1
   }
+# enable the btree_gist extension
+su postgres -c "psql -d $dbname -c \"CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS btree_gist;\"" || {
+  exit 1
+  }
+# Allow gitlab user required permissions
+su postgres -c "psql -c \"GRANT ALL on schema public TO ${gitlab_user};\""
+su postgres -c "psql -c \"GRANT ALL on database ${dbname} TO ${gitlab_user};\""
+# gitlab user need to create files here
+chown -R ${gitlab_user}: /usr/share/gitlab/db
 su gitlab -c "bundle exec rake db:migrate"
 su gitlab -c "bundle exec rake -f ${SOURCE_TREE}/debian/tests/spec.rake"
 #config 2/2 failed, controllers many failed