diff --git a/test/functional/apps/discover/_data_grid_doc_navigation.ts b/test/functional/apps/discover/_data_grid_doc_navigation.ts
index cf5532aa6d762..73077dcc9749a 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/discover/_data_grid_doc_navigation.ts
+++ b/test/functional/apps/discover/_data_grid_doc_navigation.ts
@@ -20,9 +20,16 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
   const defaultSettings = { defaultIndex: 'logstash-*', 'doc_table:legacy': false };
 
   describe('discover data grid doc link', function () {
-    beforeEach(async function () {
+    before(async () => {
       await esArchiver.loadIfNeeded('test/functional/fixtures/es_archiver/logstash_functional');
-      await esArchiver.loadIfNeeded('test/functional/fixtures/es_archiver/discover');
+      await kibanaServer.importExport.load('test/functional/fixtures/kbn_archiver/discover');
+    });
+
+    after(async () => {
+      await kibanaServer.importExport.unload('test/functional/fixtures/kbn_archiver/discover');
+    });
+
+    beforeEach(async function () {
       await PageObjects.timePicker.setDefaultAbsoluteRangeViaUiSettings();
       await kibanaServer.uiSettings.update(defaultSettings);
       await PageObjects.common.navigateToApp('discover');
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/discover/_doc_navigation.ts b/test/functional/apps/discover/_doc_navigation.ts
index 8d156cb305586..19f61851ef961 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/discover/_doc_navigation.ts
+++ b/test/functional/apps/discover/_doc_navigation.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
   describe('doc link in discover', function contextSize() {
     before(async () => {
       await esArchiver.loadIfNeeded('test/functional/fixtures/es_archiver/logstash_functional');
-      await esArchiver.loadIfNeeded('test/functional/fixtures/es_archiver/discover');
+      await kibanaServer.importExport.load('test/functional/fixtures/kbn_archiver/discover');
       await PageObjects.timePicker.setDefaultAbsoluteRangeViaUiSettings();
       await kibanaServer.uiSettings.update({
         'doc_table:legacy': true,
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
       });
     });
     after(async () => {
+      await kibanaServer.importExport.unload('test/functional/fixtures/kbn_archiver/discover');
       await kibanaServer.uiSettings.replace({});
     });
 
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/discover/_runtime_fields_editor.ts b/test/functional/apps/discover/_runtime_fields_editor.ts
index a77bc4c77568a..fa42b0ac49617 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/discover/_runtime_fields_editor.ts
+++ b/test/functional/apps/discover/_runtime_fields_editor.ts
@@ -32,13 +32,18 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
 
   describe('discover integration with runtime fields editor', function describeIndexTests() {
     before(async function () {
-      await kibanaServer.importExport.load('test/functional/fixtures/kbn_archiver/discover.json');
       await esArchiver.loadIfNeeded('test/functional/fixtures/es_archiver/logstash_functional');
+      await kibanaServer.importExport.load('test/functional/fixtures/kbn_archiver/discover');
       await kibanaServer.uiSettings.replace(defaultSettings);
       await PageObjects.timePicker.setDefaultAbsoluteRangeViaUiSettings();
       await PageObjects.common.navigateToApp('discover');
     });
 
+    after(async () => {
+      await kibanaServer.importExport.unload('test/functional/fixtures/kbn_archiver/discover');
+      await kibanaServer.savedObjects.clean({ types: ['saved-search'] });
+    });
+
     it('allows adding custom label to existing fields', async function () {
       const customLabel = 'megabytes';
       await PageObjects.discover.editField('bytes');
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/discover/_sidebar.ts b/test/functional/apps/discover/_sidebar.ts
index d8701261126c4..a74f4367e657b 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/discover/_sidebar.ts
+++ b/test/functional/apps/discover/_sidebar.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
   describe('discover sidebar', function describeIndexTests() {
     before(async function () {
       await esArchiver.loadIfNeeded('test/functional/fixtures/es_archiver/logstash_functional');
-      await esArchiver.loadIfNeeded('test/functional/fixtures/es_archiver/discover');
+      await kibanaServer.importExport.load('test/functional/fixtures/kbn_archiver/discover');
       await kibanaServer.uiSettings.replace({
         defaultIndex: 'logstash-*',
       });
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
       await PageObjects.common.navigateToApp('discover');
     });
 
+    after(async () => {
+      await kibanaServer.importExport.unload('test/functional/fixtures/kbn_archiver/discover');
+    });
+
     describe('field filtering', function () {
       it('should reveal and hide the filter form when the toggle is clicked', async function () {
         await PageObjects.discover.openSidebarFieldFilter();