diff --git a/pillar/tests/__init__.py b/pillar/tests/__init__.py
index 329a9556..8090a867 100644
--- a/pillar/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/pillar/tests/__init__.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import logging
 import os
 import sys
 import typing
+import unittest.mock
 
 try:
     from urllib.parse import urlencode
@@ -58,6 +59,16 @@ class PillarTestServer(pillar.PillarServer):
         logging.getLogger('werkzeug').setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
         logging.getLogger('eve').setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
 
+    def _config_celery(self):
+        """Disables Celery by entirely mocking it.
+
+        Without this, actual Celery tasks will be created while the tests are running.
+        """
+
+        from celery import Celery
+
+        self.celery = unittest.mock.MagicMock(Celery)
+
 
 class AbstractPillarTest(TestMinimal):
     pillar_server_class = PillarTestServer