diff --git a/logtail/logtail_test.go b/logtail/logtail_test.go
index 6ee5627d8..576cc1888 100644
--- a/logtail/logtail_test.go
+++ b/logtail/logtail_test.go
@@ -6,12 +6,8 @@ package logtail
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"encoding/json"
-	"io"
-	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
-	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -30,175 +26,26 @@ func TestFastShutdown(t *testing.T) {
 	l.Shutdown(ctx)
 }
 
-// accumulate some logs before the server becomes available, exercise the drain path
-func TestDrainPendingMessages(t *testing.T) {
+func TestUploadMessages(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-	uploaded := make(chan int)
-	bodytext := ""
+	uploads := 0
 	testServ := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(
 		func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-			body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(r.Body)
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Error("failed to read HTTP request")
-			}
-			bodytext += "\n" + string(body)
-
-			uploaded <- 0
+			w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json; charset=utf-8")
+			uploads += 1
 		}))
 	defer testServ.Close()
 
 	l := NewLogger(Config{BaseURL: testServ.URL}, t.Logf)
-	for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
+	for i := 1; i < 10; i++ {
 		l.Write([]byte("log line"))
 	}
 
-	select {
-	case <-uploaded:
-		if strings.Count(bodytext, "log line") == 3 {
-			break
-		}
-	case <-time.After(1 * time.Second):
-		t.Errorf("Timed out waiting for log uploads")
-	}
-
 	l.Shutdown(ctx)
 	cancel()
-	if strings.Count(bodytext, "log line") != 3 {
-		t.Errorf("got %q; want: 3 copies of %q", bodytext, "log line")
-	}
-}
-
-func TestEncodeAndUploadMessages(t *testing.T) {
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-	var jsonbody []byte
-	uploaded := make(chan int)
-	testServ := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(
-		func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-			body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(r.Body)
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Error("failed to read HTTP request")
-			}
-			jsonbody = body
-			uploaded <- 0
-		}))
-	defer testServ.Close()
-
-	l := NewLogger(Config{BaseURL: testServ.URL}, t.Logf)
-
-	// There is always an initial "logtail started" message
-	<-uploaded
-	if !strings.Contains(string(jsonbody), "started") {
-		t.Errorf("initialize: got:%q; want:%q", string(jsonbody), "started")
-	}
-
-	tests := []struct {
-		name string
-		log  string
-		want string
-	}{
-		{
-			"plain text",
-			"log line",
-			"log line",
-		},
-		{
-			"simple JSON",
-			`{"text": "log line"}`,
-			"log line",
-		},
-		{
-			"escaped characters",
-			`\b\f\n\r\t"\\`,
-			`\b\f\n\r\t"\\`,
-		},
-	}
-
-	for _, tt := range tests {
-		io.WriteString(l, tt.log)
-		<-uploaded
-
-		data := make(map[string]interface{})
-		err := json.Unmarshal(jsonbody, &data)
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Error(err)
-		}
-
-		got, ok := data["text"]
-		if ok {
-			if got != tt.want {
-				t.Errorf("%s: got %q; want %q", tt.name, got.(string), tt.want)
-			}
-		} else {
-			t.Errorf("no text in: %v", data)
-		}
-
-		ltail, ok := data["logtail"]
-		if ok {
-			logtailmap := ltail.(map[string]interface{})
-			_, ok = logtailmap["client_time"]
-			if !ok {
-				t.Errorf("%s: no client_time present", tt.name)
-			}
-		} else {
-			t.Errorf("%s: no logtail map present", tt.name)
-		}
-	}
-
-	// test some special cases
-
-	// JSON log message already contains a logtail field.
-	io.WriteString(l, `{"logtail": "LOGTAIL", "text": "text"}`)
-	<-uploaded
-	data := make(map[string]interface{})
-	err := json.Unmarshal(jsonbody, &data)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Error(err)
-	}
-	error_has_logtail, ok := data["error_has_logtail"]
-	if ok {
-		if error_has_logtail.(string) != "LOGTAIL" {
-			t.Errorf("error_has_logtail: got:%q; want:%q",
-				error_has_logtail.(string), "LOGTAIL")
-		}
-	} else {
-		t.Errorf("no error_has_logtail field: %v", data)
-	}
-
-	// skipClientTime to omit the logtail metadata
-	l.skipClientTime = true
-	io.WriteString(l, "text")
-	<-uploaded
-	data = make(map[string]interface{})
-	err = json.Unmarshal(jsonbody, &data)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Error(err)
-	}
-	_, ok = data["logtail"]
-	if ok {
-		t.Errorf("skipClientTime: unexpected logtail map present: %v", data)
+	if uploads == 0 {
+		t.Error("no log uploads")
 	}
-
-	// lowMem + long string
-	l.skipClientTime = false
-	l.lowMem = true
-	longStr := strings.Repeat("0", 512)
-	io.WriteString(l, longStr)
-	<-uploaded
-	data = make(map[string]interface{})
-	err = json.Unmarshal(jsonbody, &data)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Error(err)
-	}
-	text, ok := data["text"]
-	if !ok {
-		t.Errorf("lowMem: no text %v", data)
-	}
-	if len(text.(string)) > 300 {
-		t.Errorf("lowMem: got %d chars; want <300 chars", len(text.(string)))
-	}
-
-	l.Shutdown(ctx)
-	cancel()
 }
 
 var sink []byte
@@ -228,52 +75,3 @@ func TestLoggerWriteLength(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("logger.Write wrote %d bytes, expected %d", n, len(inBuf))
 	}
 }
-
-func TestParseAndRemoveLogLevel(t *testing.T) {
-	tests := []struct {
-		log       string
-		wantLevel int
-		wantLog   string
-	}{
-		{
-			"no level",
-			0,
-			"no level",
-		},
-		{
-			"[v1] level 1",
-			1,
-			"level 1",
-		},
-		{
-			"level 1 [v1] ",
-			1,
-			"level 1 ",
-		},
-		{
-			"[v2] level 2",
-			2,
-			"level 2",
-		},
-		{
-			"level [v2] 2",
-			2,
-			"level 2",
-		},
-		{
-			"[v3] no level 3",
-			0,
-			"[v3] no level 3",
-		},
-	}
-
-	for _, tt := range tests {
-		gotLevel, gotLog := parseAndRemoveLogLevel([]byte(tt.log))
-		if gotLevel != tt.wantLevel {
-			t.Errorf("%q: got:%d; want %d", tt.log, gotLevel, tt.wantLevel)
-		}
-		if string(gotLog) != tt.wantLog {
-			t.Errorf("%q: got:%q; want %q", tt.log, gotLog, tt.wantLog)
-		}
-	}
-}