diff --git a/kong/db/init.lua b/kong/db/init.lua
index f4fde3ae78c0..edf44f2ac46d 100644
--- a/kong/db/init.lua
+++ b/kong/db/init.lua
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ function DB.new(kong_config, strategy)
 
   local connector, strategies, err = Strategies.new(kong_config, strategy,
                                                     schemas, errors)
-
   if err then
     return nil, err
   end
diff --git a/spec/02-integration/11-dbless/04-pagination_spec.lua b/spec/02-integration/11-dbless/04-pagination_spec.lua
index 358abf161f5b..179ebc1f1356 100644
--- a/spec/02-integration/11-dbless/04-pagination_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/02-integration/11-dbless/04-pagination_spec.lua
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ local helpers = require "spec.helpers"
 local SERVICE_YML = [[
 - name: my-service-%d
   url: https://example%d.dev
-  plugins:
-  - name: dbless-pagination-test
   routes:
   - name: my-route-%d
     paths:
@@ -14,14 +12,29 @@ local SERVICE_YML = [[
 ]]
 
 
+local POST_FUNC = [[
+plugins:
+  - name: key-auth
+  - name: post-function
+    config:
+      log:
+        - |
+          return function(conf)
+            local db = kong.db
+
+            assert(db.routes.pagination.max_page_size == 2048)
+          end
+]]
+
+
+local COUNT = 1001
+
+
 describe("dbless pagination #off", function()
   lazy_setup(function()
     assert(helpers.start_kong({
-      nginx_conf = "spec/fixtures/custom_nginx.template",
       database = "off",
-      plugins = "bundled,dbless-pagination-test",
     }))
-    print("helpers.start_kong")
   end)
 
   lazy_teardown(function()
@@ -29,10 +42,11 @@ describe("dbless pagination #off", function()
   end)
 
   it("Routes", function()
-    local buffer = {"_format_version: '3.0'", "services:"}
-    for i = 1, 1001 do
+    local buffer = {"_format_version: '3.0'", POST_FUNC, "services:"}
+    for i = 1, COUNT do
       buffer[#buffer + 1] = fmt(SERVICE_YML, i, i, i, i)
     end
+
     local config = table.concat(buffer, "\n")
 
     local admin_client = assert(helpers.admin_client())
@@ -45,5 +59,13 @@ describe("dbless pagination #off", function()
     assert.res_status(201, res)
     admin_client:close()
 
+    assert(helpers.restart_kong({
+        database = "off",
+    }))
+
+    local proxy_client = assert(helpers.proxy_client())
+
+    res = assert(proxy_client:get("/1", { headers = { host = "example1.dev" } }))
+    assert.res_status(401, res)
   end)
 end)
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/custom_plugins/kong/plugins/dbless-pagination-test/handler.lua b/spec/fixtures/custom_plugins/kong/plugins/dbless-pagination-test/handler.lua
deleted file mode 100644
index ef6f25cc3fde..000000000000
--- a/spec/fixtures/custom_plugins/kong/plugins/dbless-pagination-test/handler.lua
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
--- The test case 04-client_ipc_spec.lua will load this plugin and check its
--- generated error logs.
-
-local LmdbPaginationTestHandler = {
-  VERSION = "1.0",
-  PRIORITY = 1000,
-}
-
-
-local function test()
-  local db = kong.db
-
-  assert(db.routes.pagination.max_page_size == 2048)
-end
-
-
-function LmdbPaginationTestHandler:init_worker()
-  ngx.timer.at(0, test)
-end
-
-
-return LmdbPaginationTestHandler
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/custom_plugins/kong/plugins/dbless-pagination-test/schema.lua b/spec/fixtures/custom_plugins/kong/plugins/dbless-pagination-test/schema.lua
deleted file mode 100644
index 8b6c80ad59e7..000000000000
--- a/spec/fixtures/custom_plugins/kong/plugins/dbless-pagination-test/schema.lua
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-return {
-  name = "dns-client-test",
-  fields = {
-    {
-      config = {
-        type = "record",
-        fields = {
-        },
-      },
-    },
-  },
-}