diff --git a/spec/TestClient.ts b/spec/TestClient.ts
index 7662b57c6..2192dbce0 100644
--- a/spec/TestClient.ts
+++ b/spec/TestClient.ts
@@ -19,9 +19,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 // `expect` is allowed in helper functions which are called within `test`/`it` blocks
 /* eslint-disable jest/no-standalone-expect */
 
-// load olm before the sdk if possible
-import "./olm-loader";
-
 import MockHttpBackend from "matrix-mock-request";
 
 import type { IDeviceKeys, IOneTimeKey } from "../src/@types/crypto";
diff --git a/spec/integ/crypto/crypto.spec.ts b/spec/integ/crypto/crypto.spec.ts
index f292f9ff4..e1f541a92 100644
--- a/spec/integ/crypto/crypto.spec.ts
+++ b/spec/integ/crypto/crypto.spec.ts
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ import anotherjson from "another-json";
 import fetchMock from "fetch-mock-jest";
 import "fake-indexeddb/auto";
 import { IDBFactory } from "fake-indexeddb";
+import Olm from "@matrix-org/olm";
 
 import type FetchMock from "fetch-mock";
-import type Olm from "@matrix-org/olm";
 import * as testUtils from "../../test-utils/test-utils";
 import {
     emitPromise,
@@ -124,7 +124,6 @@ async function expectSendRoomKey(
     recipientOlmAccount: Olm.Account,
     recipientOlmSession: Olm.Session | null = null,
 ): Promise<Olm.InboundGroupSession> {
-    const Olm = globalThis.Olm;
     const testRecipientKey = JSON.parse(recipientOlmAccount.identity_keys())["curve25519"];
 
     function onSendRoomKey(content: any): Olm.InboundGroupSession {
@@ -207,14 +206,6 @@ async function expectSendMegolmMessage(
 }
 
 describe("crypto", () => {
-    if (!globalThis.Olm) {
-        // currently we use libolm to implement the crypto in the tests, so need it to be present.
-        logger.warn("not running megolm tests: Olm not present");
-        return;
-    }
-
-    const Olm = globalThis.Olm;
-
     let testOlmAccount = {} as unknown as Olm.Account;
     let testSenderKey = "";
 
diff --git a/spec/integ/crypto/olm-utils.ts b/spec/integ/crypto/olm-utils.ts
index 6052e81ac..0491bb37c 100644
--- a/spec/integ/crypto/olm-utils.ts
+++ b/spec/integ/crypto/olm-utils.ts
@@ -93,15 +93,15 @@ export function bootstrapCrossSigningTestOlmAccount(
     deviceId: string,
     keyBackupInfo: KeyBackupInfo[] = [],
 ): Partial<IDownloadKeyResult> {
-    const olmAliceMSK = new globalThis.Olm.PkSigning();
+    const olmAliceMSK = new Olm.PkSigning();
     const masterPrivkey = olmAliceMSK.generate_seed();
     const masterPubkey = olmAliceMSK.init_with_seed(masterPrivkey);
 
-    const olmAliceUSK = new globalThis.Olm.PkSigning();
+    const olmAliceUSK = new Olm.PkSigning();
     const userPrivkey = olmAliceUSK.generate_seed();
     const userPubkey = olmAliceUSK.init_with_seed(userPrivkey);
 
-    const olmAliceSSK = new globalThis.Olm.PkSigning();
+    const olmAliceSSK = new Olm.PkSigning();
     const sskPrivkey = olmAliceSSK.generate_seed();
     const sskPubkey = olmAliceSSK.init_with_seed(sskPrivkey);
 
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ export async function createOlmSession(
     const otkId = Object.keys(keys)[0];
     const otk = keys[otkId];
 
-    const session = new globalThis.Olm.Session();
+    const session = new Olm.Session();
     session.create_outbound(olmAccount, recipientTestClient.getDeviceKey(), otk.key);
     return session;
 }
diff --git a/spec/integ/crypto/verification.spec.ts b/spec/integ/crypto/verification.spec.ts
index 99c646ccd..b48cdc9b6 100644
--- a/spec/integ/crypto/verification.spec.ts
+++ b/spec/integ/crypto/verification.spec.ts
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ jest.useFakeTimers({ doNotFake: ["queueMicrotask"] });
 
 beforeAll(async () => {
     // we use the libolm primitives in the test, so init the Olm library
-    await globalThis.Olm.init();
+    await Olm.init();
 });
 
 // load the rust library. This can take a few seconds on a slow GH worker.
@@ -110,7 +110,6 @@ const TEST_HOMESERVER_URL = "https://alice-server.com";
  * These tests work by intercepting HTTP requests via fetch-mock rather than mocking out bits of the client, so as
  * to provide the most effective integration tests possible.
  */
-// we test with both crypto stacks...
 describe("verification", () => {
     /** the client under test */
     let aliceClient: MatrixClient;
@@ -254,7 +253,7 @@ describe("verification", () => {
 
             // The dummy device makes up a curve25519 keypair and sends the public bit back in an `m.key.verification.key'
             // We use the Curve25519, HMAC and HKDF implementations in libolm, for now
-            const olmSAS = new globalThis.Olm.SAS();
+            const olmSAS = new Olm.SAS();
             returnToDeviceMessageFromSync(buildSasKeyMessage(transactionId, olmSAS.get_pubkey()));
 
             // alice responds with a 'key' ...
@@ -348,7 +347,7 @@ describe("verification", () => {
 
             // The dummy device makes up a curve25519 keypair and uses the hash in an 'm.key.verification.accept'
             // We use the Curve25519, HMAC and HKDF implementations in libolm, for now
-            const olmSAS = new globalThis.Olm.SAS();
+            const olmSAS = new Olm.SAS();
             const commitmentStr = olmSAS.get_pubkey() + anotherjson.stringify(toDeviceMessage);
 
             sendToDevicePromise = expectSendToDeviceMessage("m.key.verification.key");
diff --git a/spec/olm-loader.ts b/spec/olm-loader.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 5f12ca950..000000000
--- a/spec/olm-loader.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-/*
-Copyright 2017 Vector creations Ltd
-Copyright 2019 The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
-
-Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-You may obtain a copy of the License at
-
-    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-
-Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-limitations under the License.
-*/
-
-import { logger } from "../src/logger";
-
-// try to load the olm library.
-try {
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-require-imports
-    globalThis.Olm = require("@matrix-org/olm");
-    logger.log("loaded libolm");
-} catch (e) {
-    logger.warn("unable to run crypto tests: libolm not available", e);
-}
diff --git a/spec/test-utils/test-utils.ts b/spec/test-utils/test-utils.ts
index de45eeef8..d031cdcb8 100644
--- a/spec/test-utils/test-utils.ts
+++ b/spec/test-utils/test-utils.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-// load olm before the sdk if possible
-import "../olm-loader";
-
 // eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-imports
 import type EventEmitter from "events";
 import { logger } from "../../src/logger";