diff --git a/filters/ratelimit/fail_closed_test.go b/filters/ratelimit/fail_closed_test.go
index 3c64684184..c2a7d073b8 100644
--- a/filters/ratelimit/fail_closed_test.go
+++ b/filters/ratelimit/fail_closed_test.go
@@ -3,11 +3,9 @@ package ratelimit_test
 import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
-	"net/url"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/zalando/skipper/eskip"
-	"github.com/zalando/skipper/filters"
 	"github.com/zalando/skipper/filters/builtin"
 	fratelimit "github.com/zalando/skipper/filters/ratelimit"
 	snet "github.com/zalando/skipper/net"
@@ -19,68 +17,64 @@ import (
 
 func TestFailureMode(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tt := range []struct {
-		name                string
-		ratelimitFilterName string
-		failClosed          bool
-		wantLimit           bool
-		limitStatusCode     int
+		name            string
+		filters         string
+		wantLimit       bool
+		limitStatusCode int
 	}{
 		{
-			name:                "test clusterRatelimit fail open",
-			ratelimitFilterName: "clusterRatelimit",
-			wantLimit:           false,
-			limitStatusCode:     http.StatusTooManyRequests,
+			name:            "test clusterRatelimit fail open",
+			filters:         `clusterRatelimit("t", 1, "1s")`,
+			wantLimit:       false,
+			limitStatusCode: http.StatusTooManyRequests,
 		},
 		{
-			name:                "test clusterRatelimit fail closed",
-			ratelimitFilterName: "clusterRatelimit",
-			failClosed:          true,
-			wantLimit:           true,
-			limitStatusCode:     http.StatusTooManyRequests,
+			name:            "test clusterRatelimit fail closed",
+			filters:         `ratelimitFailClosed() -> clusterRatelimit("t", 1, "1s")`,
+			wantLimit:       true,
+			limitStatusCode: http.StatusTooManyRequests,
 		},
 		{
-			name:                "test clusterClientRatelimit fail open",
-			ratelimitFilterName: "clusterClientRatelimit",
-			wantLimit:           false,
-			limitStatusCode:     http.StatusTooManyRequests,
+			name:            "test clusterClientRatelimit fail open",
+			filters:         `clusterClientRatelimit("t", 1, "1s", "X-Test")`,
+			wantLimit:       false,
+			limitStatusCode: http.StatusTooManyRequests,
 		},
 		{
-			name:                "test clusterClientRatelimit fail closed",
-			ratelimitFilterName: "clusterClientRatelimit",
-			failClosed:          true,
-			wantLimit:           true,
-			limitStatusCode:     http.StatusTooManyRequests,
+			name:            "test clusterClientRatelimit fail closed",
+			filters:         `ratelimitFailClosed() -> clusterClientRatelimit("t", 1, "1s", "X-Test")`,
+			wantLimit:       true,
+			limitStatusCode: http.StatusTooManyRequests,
 		},
 		{
-			name:                "test backendRatelimit fail open",
-			ratelimitFilterName: "backendRatelimit",
-			wantLimit:           false,
-			limitStatusCode:     http.StatusServiceUnavailable,
+			name:            "test backendRatelimit fail open",
+			filters:         `backendRatelimit("t", 1, "1s")`,
+			wantLimit:       false,
+			limitStatusCode: http.StatusServiceUnavailable,
 		},
 		{
-			name:                "test backendRatelimit fail closed",
-			ratelimitFilterName: "backendRatelimit",
-			failClosed:          true,
-			wantLimit:           true,
-			limitStatusCode:     http.StatusServiceUnavailable,
+			name:            "test backendRatelimit fail closed",
+			filters:         `ratelimitFailClosed() -> backendRatelimit("t", 1, "1s")`,
+			wantLimit:       true,
+			limitStatusCode: http.StatusServiceUnavailable,
 		},
 		{
-			name:                "test clusterLeakyBucketRatelimit fail open",
-			ratelimitFilterName: "clusterLeakyBucketRatelimit",
-			wantLimit:           false,
-			limitStatusCode:     http.StatusTooManyRequests,
+			name:            "test clusterLeakyBucketRatelimit fail open",
+			filters:         `clusterLeakyBucketRatelimit("t", 1, "1s")`,
+			wantLimit:       false,
+			limitStatusCode: http.StatusTooManyRequests,
 		},
 		{
-			name:                "test clusterLeakyBucketRatelimit fail closed",
-			ratelimitFilterName: "clusterLeakyBucketRatelimit",
-			failClosed:          true,
-			wantLimit:           true,
-			limitStatusCode:     http.StatusTooManyRequests,
-		}} {
+			name:            "test clusterLeakyBucketRatelimit fail closed",
+			filters:         `ratelimitFailClosed() -> clusterLeakyBucketRatelimit("t", 1, "1s", 10, 1)`,
+			wantLimit:       true,
+			limitStatusCode: http.StatusTooManyRequests,
+		},
+	} {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			fr := builtin.MakeRegistry()
 
-			reg := ratelimit.NewSwarmRegistry(nil, &snet.RedisOptions{Addrs: []string{"127.0.0.2:6379"}}, ratelimit.Settings{})
+			reg := ratelimit.NewSwarmRegistry(nil, &snet.RedisOptions{Addrs: []string{"fails.test:6379"}}, ratelimit.Settings{})
 			defer reg.Close()
 
 			provider := fratelimit.NewRatelimitProvider(reg)
@@ -96,19 +90,9 @@ func TestFailureMode(t *testing.T) {
 			}))
 			defer backend.Close()
 
-			args := []interface{}{"t", 1, "1s"}
-			switch tt.ratelimitFilterName {
-			case filters.ClusterLeakyBucketRatelimitName:
-				args = append(args, 10, 1)
-			case filters.ClusterClientRatelimitName:
-				args = append(args, "X-Test")
-			}
-
-			r := &eskip.Route{Filters: []*eskip.Filter{
-				{Name: tt.ratelimitFilterName, Args: args}}, Backend: backend.URL}
-			if tt.failClosed {
-				r.Filters = append([]*eskip.Filter{{Name: fratelimit.NewFailClosed().Name()}},
-					r.Filters...)
+			r := &eskip.Route{
+				Filters: eskip.MustParseFilters(tt.filters),
+				Backend: backend.URL,
 			}
 
 			proxy := proxytest.WithParamsAndRoutingOptions(
@@ -123,22 +107,16 @@ func TestFailureMode(t *testing.T) {
 				}, r)
 			defer proxy.Close()
 
-			reqURL, err := url.Parse(proxy.URL)
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Fatalf("Failed to parse url %s: %v", proxy.URL, err)
-			}
-			req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", reqURL.String(), nil)
+			req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", proxy.URL, nil)
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
-				return
 			}
 			req.Header.Set("X-Test", "foo")
 
-			rsp, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
+			rsp, err := proxy.Client().Do(req)
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
-
 			defer rsp.Body.Close()
 
 			limited := rsp.StatusCode == tt.limitStatusCode
@@ -149,5 +127,4 @@ func TestFailureMode(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 		})
 	}
-
 }