diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 3aefec912..5f2219acd 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ before_install:
   - phantomjs --version
 before_script:
   - bundle exec rake db:create db:migrate db:test:prepare
+  - bundle exec rake assets:precompile
 script:
   - bundle exec rubocop --display-cop-names --rails
   - script/gemfile_check
diff --git a/app/helpers/plantings_helper.rb b/app/helpers/plantings_helper.rb
index e237ae27d..a9cfebf61 100644
--- a/app/helpers/plantings_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/plantings_helper.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ module PlantingsHelper
       0
     elsif !planting.finished_at.nil?
       ((p = planting.finished_at - DateTime.now).to_i) <= 0 ? 0 : p.to_i
-    elsif planting.days_before_maturity.nil?
+    elsif planting.planted_at.nil? || planting.days_before_maturity.nil?
       "unknown"
     else
       ((p = (planting.planted_at + planting.days_before_maturity) - DateTime.now).to_i <= 0) ? 0 : p.to_i
diff --git a/config/environments/test.rb b/config/environments/test.rb
index 35836c90b..dd3a3816c 100644
--- a/config/environments/test.rb
+++ b/config/environments/test.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ Growstuff::Application.configure do
   # preloads Rails for running tests, you may have to set it to true.
   config.eager_load = false
 
+  # Do not compile assets on-demand. On-demand compilation slows down the test
+  # suite and causes random test failures.
+  config.assets.compile = false
+
   # The test environment is used exclusively to run your application's
   # test suite. You never need to work with it otherwise. Remember that
   # your test database is "scratch space" for the test suite and is wiped
diff --git a/lib/tasks/testing.rake b/lib/tasks/testing.rake
index a7908d590..b41172efb 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/testing.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/testing.rake
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ require 'rake'
 begin
   require 'rspec/core/rake_task'
   task(:spec).clear
-  RSpec::Core::RakeTask.new(spec: 'db:test:prepare') do |t|
+  RSpec::Core::RakeTask.new(spec: ['db:create', 'db:test:prepare']) do |t|
     t.verbose = false
   end
 rescue LoadError