diff --git a/emmet/vasp/builders/tests/test_thermo.py b/emmet/vasp/builders/tests/test_thermo.py
index ed95d778ae..51ae1a60fe 100644
--- a/emmet/vasp/builders/tests/test_thermo.py
+++ b/emmet/vasp/builders/tests/test_thermo.py
@@ -31,11 +31,11 @@ def setUpClass(cls):
 
         vaspdb = VaspCalcDb(database="emmet_test")
         tasks_dir = os.path.join(test_dir, "tasks")
-        for f in glob.glob("{}/*.json.gz".format(tasks_dir)):
-            with zopen(f) as f:
-                data = f.read()
-                task = loads(data)
-                vaspdb.insert_task(task, parse_dos=True, parse_bs=True)
+        
+        raw_tasks = JSONStore(glob.glob(os.path.join(test_dir,"tasks","*.json.gz")))
+        raw_tasks.connect()
+        for task in raw_tasks.query():
+            vaspdb.insert_task(task, parse_dos=True, parse_bs=True)
 
         cls.materials = MongoStore("emmet_test", "materials")