diff --git a/spec/pane-element-spec.coffee b/spec/pane-element-spec.coffee
index da284652a..078ef16ea 100644
--- a/spec/pane-element-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/pane-element-spec.coffee
@@ -1,17 +1,21 @@
 PaneContainer = require '../src/pane-container'
 
 describe "PaneElement", ->
+  [paneElement, container, pane] = []
+
+  beforeEach ->
+    container = new PaneContainer
+    pane = container.getRoot()
+    paneElement = atom.views.getView(pane)
+
   describe "when the active item changes", ->
     it "hides all item elements except the active one", ->
-      container = new PaneContainer
-      pane = container.getRoot()
       item1 = document.createElement('div')
       item2 = document.createElement('div')
       item3 = document.createElement('div')
       pane.addItem(item1)
       pane.addItem(item2)
       pane.addItem(item3)
-      paneElement = atom.views.getView(pane)
 
       expect(pane.getActiveItem()).toBe item1
       expect(item1.parentElement).toBeDefined()
@@ -32,15 +36,12 @@ describe "PaneElement", ->
       expect(item3.style.display).toBe ''
 
     it "transfers focus to the new item if the previous item was focused", ->
-      container = new PaneContainer
-      pane = container.getRoot()
       item1 = document.createElement('div')
       item1.tabIndex = -1
       item2 = document.createElement('div')
       item2.tabIndex = -1
       pane.addItem(item1)
       pane.addItem(item2)
-      paneElement = atom.views.getView(pane)
       jasmine.attachToDOM(paneElement)
       paneElement.focus()
 
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ describe "PaneElement", ->
       expect(document.activeElement).toBe item2
 
     describe "if the active item is a model object", ->
-      it "retrieves the associated view from atom.views and appends it", ->
+      it "retrieves the associated view from atom.views and appends it to the itemViews div", ->
         class TestModel
 
         atom.views.addViewProvider TestModel, (model) ->
@@ -59,12 +60,8 @@ describe "PaneElement", ->
 
         item1 = new TestModel
         item2 = new TestModel
-
-        container = new PaneContainer
-        pane = container.getRoot()
         pane.addItem(item1)
         pane.addItem(item2)
-        paneElement = atom.views.getView(pane)
 
         expect(paneElement.itemViews.children[0].model).toBe item1
         expect(paneElement.itemViews.children[0].style.display).toBe ''
@@ -75,14 +72,11 @@ describe "PaneElement", ->
 
     describe "when the new active implements .getPath()", ->
       it "adds the file path and file name as a data attribute on the pane", ->
-        container = new PaneContainer
-        pane = container.getRoot()
         item1 = document.createElement('div')
         item1.getPath = -> '/foo/bar.txt'
         item2 = document.createElement('div')
         pane.addItem(item1)
         pane.addItem(item2)
-        paneElement = atom.views.getView(pane)
 
         expect(paneElement.dataset.activeItemPath).toBe '/foo/bar.txt'
         expect(paneElement.dataset.activeItemName).toBe 'bar.txt'
@@ -100,5 +94,40 @@ describe "PaneElement", ->
         expect(paneElement.dataset.activeItemPath).toBeUndefined()
         expect(paneElement.dataset.activeItemName).toBeUndefined()
 
+  describe "when an item is removed from the pane", ->
+    describe "when the destroyed item is an element", ->
+      it "removes the item from the itemViews div", ->
+        item1 = document.createElement('div')
+        item2 = document.createElement('div')
+        pane.addItem(item1)
+        pane.addItem(item2)
+        paneElement = atom.views.getView(pane)
 
+        expect(item1.parentElement).toBe paneElement.itemViews
+        pane.destroyItem(item1)
+        expect(item1.parentElement).toBeNull()
+        expect(item2.parentElement).toBe paneElement.itemViews
+        pane.destroyItem(item2)
+        expect(item2.parentElement).toBeNull()
 
+    describe "when the destroyed item is a model", ->
+      it "removes the model's associated view", ->
+        class TestModel
+
+        atom.views.addViewProvider TestModel, (model) ->
+          view = document.createElement('div')
+          model.element = view
+          view.model = model
+          view
+
+        item1 = new TestModel
+        item2 = new TestModel
+        pane.addItem(item1)
+        pane.addItem(item2)
+
+        expect(item1.element.parentElement).toBe paneElement.itemViews
+        pane.destroyItem(item1)
+        expect(item1.element.parentElement).toBeNull()
+        expect(item2.element.parentElement).toBe paneElement.itemViews
+        pane.destroyItem(item2)
+        expect(item2.element.parentElement).toBeNull()
diff --git a/spec/pane-view-spec.coffee b/spec/pane-view-spec.coffee
index 6d123761d..ee8d0a189 100644
--- a/spec/pane-view-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/pane-view-spec.coffee
@@ -46,27 +46,6 @@ describe "PaneView", ->
     deserializerDisposable.dispose()
     jasmine.restoreDeprecationsSnapshot()
 
-  describe "when an item is destroyed", ->
-    it "triggers the 'pane:item-removed' event with the item and its former index", ->
-      itemRemovedHandler = jasmine.createSpy("itemRemovedHandler")
-      pane.on 'pane:item-removed', itemRemovedHandler
-      paneModel.destroyItem(editor1)
-      expect(itemRemovedHandler).toHaveBeenCalled()
-      expect(itemRemovedHandler.argsForCall[0][1..2]).toEqual [editor1, 1]
-
-    describe "when the destroyed item is a view", ->
-      it "removes the item from the 'item-views' div", ->
-        expect(view1.parent()).toMatchSelector pane.itemViews
-        paneModel.destroyItem(view1)
-        expect(view1.parent()).not.toMatchSelector pane.itemViews
-
-    describe "when the destroyed item is a model", ->
-      it "removes the associated view", ->
-        paneModel.activateItem(editor1)
-        expect(pane.itemViews.find('atom-text-editor').length).toBe 1
-        pane.destroyItem(editor1)
-        expect(pane.itemViews.find('atom-text-editor').length).toBe 0
-
   describe "when an item is moved within the same pane", ->
     it "emits a 'pane:item-moved' event with the item and the new index", ->
       pane.on 'pane:item-moved', itemMovedHandler = jasmine.createSpy("itemMovedHandler")