diff --git a/e2e/newenemy/newenemy_test.go b/e2e/newenemy/newenemy_test.go
index b0e12aa0fa..3e305d1088 100644
--- a/e2e/newenemy/newenemy_test.go
+++ b/e2e/newenemy/newenemy_test.go
@@ -145,26 +145,19 @@ func TestNoNewEnemy(t *testing.T) {
 	// seems to make the test converge faster
 	schemaData := generateSchemaData(4000, 500)
 	fillSchema(t, schemaTpl, schemaData, vulnerableSpiceDb[1].Client().V1Alpha1().Schema())
-
-	t.Log("determining a prefix with a leader on the slow node")
 	slowNodeId, err := crdb[1].NodeID(testCtx)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	slowPrefix := prefixForNode(ctx, crdb[1].Conn(), schemaData, slowNodeId)
-	t.Logf("using prefix %s for slow node %d", slowPrefix, slowNodeId)
-
-	t.Log("filling with data to span multiple ranges")
-	fill(t, vulnerableSpiceDb[0].Client().V0().ACL(), slowPrefix, 4000, 1000)
 
 	t.Log("modifying time")
 	require.NoError(t, crdb.TimeDelay(ctx, e2e.MustFile(ctx, t, "timeattack-1.log"), 1, -150*time.Millisecond))
 
-	t.Run("protected from data newenemy", func(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("protected from schema newenemy", func(t *testing.T) {
 		vulnerableFn := func(t *testing.T) int {
 			protected := true
 			var attempts int
 			for protected {
 				// cap attempts at 100, retry with a different prefix
-				protected, attempts = checkDataNoNewEnemy(ctx, t, schemaData, slowNodeId, crdb, vulnerableSpiceDb, 100)
+				protected, attempts = checkSchemaNoNewEnemy(ctx, t, schemaData, slowNodeId, crdb, vulnerableSpiceDb, 100)
 			}
 			require.False(t, protected)
 			t.Logf("determined spicedb vulnerable in %d attempts", attempts+1)
@@ -172,20 +165,20 @@ func TestNoNewEnemy(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		protectedFn := func(t *testing.T, count int) {
 			t.Logf("check spicedb is protected after %d attempts", count)
-			protected, _ := checkDataNoNewEnemy(ctx, t, schemaData, slowNodeId, crdb, protectedSpiceDb, count)
+			protected, attempts := checkSchemaNoNewEnemy(ctx, t, schemaData, slowNodeId, crdb, protectedSpiceDb, count)
+			require.Equal(t, attempts, count)
 			require.True(t, protected, "protection is enabled, but newenemy detected")
-			t.Logf("spicedb is protected after %d attempts", count)
 		}
 		statTest(t, 5, vulnerableFn, protectedFn)
 	})
 
-	t.Run("protected from schema newenemy", func(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("protected from data newenemy", func(t *testing.T) {
 		vulnerableFn := func(t *testing.T) int {
 			protected := true
 			var attempts int
 			for protected {
-				// cap attempts at 1000, retry with a different prefix
-				protected, attempts = checkSchemaNoNewEnemy(ctx, t, schemaData, slowNodeId, crdb, vulnerableSpiceDb, 1000)
+				// cap attempts at 100, retry with a different prefix
+				protected, attempts = checkDataNoNewEnemy(ctx, t, schemaData, slowNodeId, crdb, vulnerableSpiceDb, 100)
 			}
 			require.False(t, protected)
 			t.Logf("determined spicedb vulnerable in %d attempts", attempts+1)
@@ -193,8 +186,10 @@ func TestNoNewEnemy(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		protectedFn := func(t *testing.T, count int) {
 			t.Logf("check spicedb is protected after %d attempts", count)
-			protected, _ := checkSchemaNoNewEnemy(ctx, t, schemaData, slowNodeId, crdb, protectedSpiceDb, count)
+			protected, attempts := checkDataNoNewEnemy(ctx, t, schemaData, slowNodeId, crdb, protectedSpiceDb, count)
+			require.Equal(t, attempts, count)
 			require.True(t, protected, "protection is enabled, but newenemy detected")
+			t.Logf("spicedb is protected after %d attempts", count)
 		}
 		statTest(t, 5, vulnerableFn, protectedFn)
 	})
@@ -259,6 +254,8 @@ func iterationsForHighConfidence(samples []int) (iterations int) {
 //    ensures overlapping transactions are linearizable.
 func checkDataNoNewEnemy(ctx context.Context, t testing.TB, schemaData []SchemaData, slowNodeId int, crdb cockroach.Cluster, spicedb spice.Cluster, maxAttempts int) (bool, int) {
 	prefix := prefixForNode(ctx, crdb[1].Conn(), schemaData, slowNodeId)
+	t.Log("filling with data to span multiple ranges for prefix ", prefix)
+	fill(t, spicedb[0].Client().V0().ACL(), prefix, 4000, 1000)
 
 	for attempts := 0; attempts < maxAttempts; attempts++ {
 		direct, exclude := generateTuple(prefix, objIdGenerator)
@@ -305,11 +302,8 @@ func checkDataNoNewEnemy(ctx context.Context, t testing.TB, schemaData []SchemaD
 
 		if ns1Leader != slowNodeId || ns2Leader != slowNodeId {
 			t.Log("namespace leader changed, pick new prefix and fill")
-			prefix = prefixForNode(ctx, crdb[1].Conn(), schemaData, slowNodeId)
-			// need to fill new prefix
-			t.Log("filling with data to span multiple ranges for prefix ", prefix)
-			fill(t, spicedb[0].Client().V0().ACL(), prefix, 4000, 1000)
-			continue
+			// returning true will re-run with a new prefix
+			return true, attempts
 		}
 
 		if z1.Sub(z2).IsPositive() {
@@ -382,6 +376,11 @@ func checkSchemaNoNewEnemy(ctx context.Context, t testing.TB, schemaData []Schem
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
 		time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+		// write the "excludes" tuple
+		r2, err := spicedb[0].Client().V0().ACL().Write(testCtx, &v0.WriteRequest{
+			Updates: []*v0.RelationTupleUpdate{exclude},
+		})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
 
 		// write the "exclude" schema
 		b.Reset()
@@ -394,13 +393,7 @@ func checkSchemaNoNewEnemy(ctx context.Context, t testing.TB, schemaData []Schem
 			continue
 		}
 
-		// write the "excludes" tuple
-		r2, err := spicedb[0].Client().V0().ACL().Write(testCtx, &v0.WriteRequest{
-			Updates: []*v0.RelationTupleUpdate{exclude},
-		})
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		canHas, err := spicedb[1].Client().V0().ACL().Check(context.Background(), &v0.CheckRequest{
+		canHas, err := spicedb[0].Client().V0().ACL().Check(context.Background(), &v0.CheckRequest{
 			TestUserset: &v0.ObjectAndRelation{
 				Namespace: direct.Tuple.ObjectAndRelation.Namespace,
 				ObjectId:  direct.Tuple.ObjectAndRelation.ObjectId,
diff --git a/internal/datastore/crdb/namespace.go b/internal/datastore/crdb/namespace.go
index 5edab10af2..03d3fa2e7c 100644
--- a/internal/datastore/crdb/namespace.go
+++ b/internal/datastore/crdb/namespace.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func (cds *crdbDatastore) ReadNamespace(
 ) (*v0.NamespaceDefinition, datastore.Revision, error) {
 	ctx = datastore.SeparateContextWithTracing(ctx)
 
-	tx, err := cds.conn.BeginTx(ctx, pgx.TxOptions{AccessMode: pgx.ReadOnly})
+	tx, err := cds.conn.BeginTx(ctx, pgx.TxOptions{})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, datastore.NoRevision, fmt.Errorf(errUnableToReadConfig, err)
 	}