diff --git a/tests/tantivy_test.py b/tests/tantivy_test.py
index d213cfe..2dd2782 100644
--- a/tests/tantivy_test.py
+++ b/tests/tantivy_test.py
@@ -136,34 +136,39 @@ class TestFromDiskClass(object):
         schema = builder.build()
         cls.schema = schema
         cls.index = tantivy.Index(schema)
+        cls.path_to_index = "tests/test_index/"
 
     def test_exists(self):
         # prefer to keep it separate in case anyone deletes this
         # runs from the root directory
-        path_to_index = "tests/test_index/"
-        assert self.index.exists(path_to_index)
+        assert self.index.exists(self.path_to_index)
 
     def test_opens_from_dir(self):
-        path_to_index = "tests/test_index/"
-        tantivy.Index(self.schema, path_to_index)
+        tantivy.Index(self.schema, self.path_to_index)
 
     def test_create_readers(self):
-        path_to_index = "tests/test_index/"
-        idx = tantivy.Index(self.schema, path_to_index)
+        idx = tantivy.Index(self.schema, self.path_to_index)
         reload_policy = "OnCommit"  # or "Manual"
         assert idx.reader(reload_policy, 4)
         assert idx.reader("Manual", 4)
 
     def test_create_writer_and_reader(self):
-        path_to_index = "tests/test_index/"
-        idx = tantivy.Index(self.schema, path_to_index)
+        idx = tantivy.Index(self.schema, self.path_to_index)
         writer = idx.writer()
         reload_policy = "OnCommit"  # or "Manual"
         reader = idx.reader(reload_policy, 4)
 
         # check against the opstamp in the meta file
-        with open("tests/test_index/meta.json") as f:
-            expected_last_opstamp = json.load(f)["opstamp"]
+        meta_fname = "meta.json"
+        with open("{}{}".format(self.path_to_index, meta_fname)) as f:
+            json_file = json.load(f)
+            expected_last_opstamp = json_file["opstamp"]
+            # ASSUMPTION
+            # We haven't had any deletes in the index
+            # so max_doc per index coincides with the value of `num_docs`
+            # summing them in all segments, gives the number of documents
+            expected_num_docs = sum([segment["max_doc"]
+                                     for segment in json_file["segments"]])
         assert writer.commit_opstamp == expected_last_opstamp
 
         q_parser = tantivy.QueryParser.for_index(idx, self.default_args)
@@ -174,3 +179,4 @@ class TestFromDiskClass(object):
         docs = reader.searcher().search(query, top_docs)
         for (_score, doc_addr) in docs:
             print(reader.searcher().doc(doc_addr))
+        assert expected_num_docs == len(docs)