diff --git a/test/iterator-seek-test.js b/test/iterator-seek-test.js
index 2ee3b4b..3bb18cf 100644
--- a/test/iterator-seek-test.js
+++ b/test/iterator-seek-test.js
@@ -41,11 +41,26 @@ exports.sequence = function (test, testCommon) {
 
 exports.seek = function (test, testCommon) {
   const testData = () => [
+    // Note that 'three' sorts before 'two'
     { type: 'put', key: 'one', value: '1' },
     { type: 'put', key: 'two', value: '2' },
     { type: 'put', key: 'three', value: '3' }
   ]
 
+  const bufferTestData = () => [
+    // Note that 'b9' sorts before 'c0'
+    { type: 'put', key: Buffer.from('80', 'hex'), value: '1', keyEncoding: 'buffer' },
+    { type: 'put', key: Buffer.from('c0', 'hex'), value: '2', keyEncoding: 'buffer' },
+    { type: 'put', key: Buffer.from('b9', 'hex'), value: '3', keyEncoding: 'buffer' }
+  ]
+
+  test('prepare byte-aware tests', function (t) {
+    const data = bufferTestData()
+    t.ok(data[0].key.toString() === data[1].key.toString(), 'would be equal when not byte-aware')
+    t.ok(data[0].key.compare(data[1].key) < 0, 'but less than when byte-aware')
+    t.end()
+  })
+
   for (const mode of ['iterator', 'keys', 'values']) {
     const mapEntry = mode === 'iterator' ? e => e : mode === 'keys' ? e => e[0] : e => e[1]
 
@@ -63,15 +78,17 @@ exports.seek = function (test, testCommon) {
     })
 
     if (testCommon.supports.encodings.buffer) {
-      // TODO: make this test meaningful, with bytes outside the utf8 range
       test(`${mode}().seek() to buffer target`, async function (t) {
+        // For this test to be meaningful it must use bytes outside the utf8 range
+        const data = bufferTestData()
         const db = testCommon.factory()
-        await db.batch(testData())
+        await db.batch(data)
         const it = db[mode]({ keyEncoding: 'buffer' })
 
-        it.seek(Buffer.from('two'))
+        // Seek to second key
+        it.seek(data[1].key)
 
-        t.same(await it.next(), mapEntry([Buffer.from('two'), '2']), 'match')
+        t.same(await it.next(), mapEntry([data[1].key, '2']), 'match')
         t.same(await it.next(), undefined, 'end of iterator')
 
         return db.close()
diff --git a/test/self/deferred-iterator-test.js b/test/self/deferred-iterator-test.js
index a578176..2834e51 100644
--- a/test/self/deferred-iterator-test.js
+++ b/test/self/deferred-iterator-test.js
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ for (const mode of ['iterator', 'keys', 'values']) {
   })
 
   // NOTE: adapted from deferred-leveldown
-  test(`deferred ${mode}(): non-deferred operations`, function (t) {
-    t.plan(4)
+  test(`deferred ${mode}(): non-deferred operations`, async function (t) {
+    t.plan(3)
 
     class MockIterator extends RealCtor {
       _seek (target) {
@@ -74,17 +74,14 @@ for (const mode of ['iterator', 'keys', 'values']) {
       }
     })
 
-    // TODO: async/await
-    db.open().then(function () {
-      it.seek(123)
-      it.next().then(function (item) {
-        t.is(item, nextArg)
-        it.close().then(t.pass.bind(t, 'closed'))
-      })
-    })
-
     const it = db[publicMethod]({ gt: 'foo' })
     t.ok(it instanceof DeferredCtor)
+
+    await db.open()
+    it.seek(123)
+    t.is(await it.next(), nextArg)
+
+    return it.close()
   })
 
   // NOTE: adapted from deferred-leveldown
@@ -127,7 +124,7 @@ for (const mode of ['iterator', 'keys', 'values']) {
   })
 
   for (const method of ['next', 'nextv', 'all']) {
-    test(`deferred ${mode}(): closed upon failed open, verified by ${method}()`, function (t) {
+    test(`deferred ${mode}(): closed upon failed open, verified by ${method}()`, async function (t) {
       t.plan(5)
 
       const db = mockLevel({
@@ -152,11 +149,11 @@ for (const mode of ['iterator', 'keys', 'values']) {
         return original.call(this, ...args)
       }
 
-      verifyClosed(t, it, method, () => {})
+      return verifyClosed(t, it, method)
     })
 
-    test(`deferred ${mode}(): deferred and real iterators are closed on db.close(), verified by ${method}()`, function (t) {
-      t.plan(8)
+    test(`deferred ${mode}(): deferred and real iterators are closed on db.close(), verified by ${method}()`, async function (t) {
+      t.plan(7)
 
       class MockIterator extends RealCtor {
         async _close () {
@@ -179,17 +176,16 @@ for (const mode of ['iterator', 'keys', 'values']) {
         return original.call(this, ...args)
       }
 
-      // TODO: async/await
-      db.open().then(() => db.close()).then(function () {
-        verifyClosed(t, it, method, function () {
-          db.open().then(function () {
-            // Should still be closed
-            verifyClosed(t, it, method, function () {
-              db.close().then(t.pass.bind(t))
-            })
-          })
-        })
-      })
+      await db.open()
+      await db.close()
+
+      await verifyClosed(t, it, method)
+      await db.open()
+
+      // Should still be closed
+      await verifyClosed(t, it, method)
+
+      return db.close()
     })
   }
 
@@ -298,18 +294,21 @@ for (const mode of ['iterator', 'keys', 'values']) {
     })
   })
 
-  // TODO: async/await
-  const verifyClosed = function (t, it, method, cb) {
+  const verifyClosed = async function (t, it, method) {
     const requiredArgs = method === 'nextv' ? [10] : []
 
-    it[method](...requiredArgs).then(t.fail.bind(t, 'should not succeed'), function (err) {
-      t.is(err && err.code, 'LEVEL_ITERATOR_NOT_OPEN', `correct error on first ${method}()`)
+    try {
+      await it[method](...requiredArgs)
+      t.fail('should not succeed')
+    } catch (err) {
+      t.is(err.code, 'LEVEL_ITERATOR_NOT_OPEN', `correct error on first ${method}()`)
+    }
 
-      // Should account for userland code that ignores errors
-      it[method](...requiredArgs).then(t.fail.bind(t, 'should not succeed'), function (err) {
-        t.is(err && err.code, 'LEVEL_ITERATOR_NOT_OPEN', `correct error on second ${method}()`)
-        cb()
-      })
-    })
+    try {
+      await it[method](...requiredArgs)
+      t.fail('should not succeed')
+    } catch (err) {
+      t.is(err.code, 'LEVEL_ITERATOR_NOT_OPEN', `correct error on second ${method}()`)
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/self/sublevel-test.js b/test/self/sublevel-test.js
index d4f8063..cb82b43 100644
--- a/test/self/sublevel-test.js
+++ b/test/self/sublevel-test.js
@@ -69,27 +69,25 @@ test('sublevel is extensible', function (t) {
 })
 
 // NOTE: adapted from subleveldown
-test('sublevel prefix and options', function (t) {
-  // TODO: rename "prefix" to "name" where appropriate. E.g. this test should be
-  // called 'empty name' rather than 'empty prefix'.
-  t.test('empty prefix', function (t) {
+test('sublevel name and options', function (t) {
+  t.test('empty name', function (t) {
     const sub = new NoopLevel().sublevel('')
     t.is(sub.prefix, '!!')
     t.same(sub.path(), [''])
     t.end()
   })
 
-  t.test('prefix without options', function (t) {
-    const sub = new NoopLevel().sublevel('prefix')
-    t.is(sub.prefix, '!prefix!')
-    t.same(sub.path(), ['prefix'])
+  t.test('name without options', function (t) {
+    const sub = new NoopLevel().sublevel('name')
+    t.is(sub.prefix, '!name!')
+    t.same(sub.path(), ['name'])
     t.end()
   })
 
-  t.test('prefix and separator option', function (t) {
-    const sub = new NoopLevel().sublevel('prefix', { separator: '%' })
-    t.is(sub.prefix, '%prefix%')
-    t.same(sub.path(), ['prefix'])
+  t.test('name and separator option', function (t) {
+    const sub = new NoopLevel().sublevel('name', { separator: '%' })
+    t.is(sub.prefix, '%name%')
+    t.same(sub.path(), ['name'])
     t.end()
   })
 
@@ -140,22 +138,22 @@ test('sublevel prefix and options', function (t) {
     t.end()
   })
 
-  t.test('separator is trimmed from prefix', function (t) {
-    const sub1 = new NoopLevel().sublevel('!prefix')
-    t.is(sub1.prefix, '!prefix!')
-    t.same(sub1.path(), ['prefix'])
+  t.test('separator is trimmed from name', function (t) {
+    const sub1 = new NoopLevel().sublevel('!name')
+    t.is(sub1.prefix, '!name!')
+    t.same(sub1.path(), ['name'])
 
-    const sub2 = new NoopLevel().sublevel('prefix!')
-    t.is(sub2.prefix, '!prefix!')
-    t.same(sub2.path(), ['prefix'])
+    const sub2 = new NoopLevel().sublevel('name!')
+    t.is(sub2.prefix, '!name!')
+    t.same(sub2.path(), ['name'])
 
-    const sub3 = new NoopLevel().sublevel('!!prefix!!')
-    t.is(sub3.prefix, '!prefix!')
-    t.same(sub3.path(), ['prefix'])
+    const sub3 = new NoopLevel().sublevel('!!name!!')
+    t.is(sub3.prefix, '!name!')
+    t.same(sub3.path(), ['name'])
 
-    const sub4 = new NoopLevel().sublevel('@prefix@', { separator: '@' })
-    t.is(sub4.prefix, '@prefix@')
-    t.same(sub4.path(), ['prefix'])
+    const sub4 = new NoopLevel().sublevel('@name@', { separator: '@' })
+    t.is(sub4.prefix, '@name@')
+    t.same(sub4.path(), ['name'])
 
     const sub5 = new NoopLevel().sublevel(['!!!a', 'b!!!'])
     t.is(sub5.prefix, '!a!!b!')
@@ -615,7 +613,7 @@ test('sublevel operations are prefixed', function (t) {
 
 test('sublevel encodings', function (t) {
   // NOTE: adapted from subleveldown
-  t.test('different sublevels can have different encodings', function (t) {
+  t.test('different sublevels can have different encodings', async function (t) {
     t.plan(6)
 
     const puts = []
@@ -636,41 +634,37 @@ test('sublevel encodings', function (t) {
     const sub1 = db.sublevel('test1', { valueEncoding: 'json' })
     const sub2 = db.sublevel('test2', { keyEncoding: 'buffer', valueEncoding: 'buffer' })
 
-    // TODO: async/await
-    sub1.put('foo', { some: 'json' }).then(function () {
-      t.same(puts, [{
-        key: '!test1!foo',
-        value: '{"some":"json"}',
-        keyEncoding: 'utf8',
-        valueEncoding: 'utf8'
-      }])
-
-      sub1.get('foo').then(function (value) {
-        t.same(value, { some: 'json' })
-        t.same(gets.shift(), {
-          key: '!test1!foo',
-          keyEncoding: 'utf8',
-          valueEncoding: 'utf8'
-        })
+    await sub1.put('foo', { some: 'json' })
 
-        sub2.put(Buffer.from([1, 2]), Buffer.from([3])).then(function () {
-          t.same(puts, [{
-            key: Buffer.from('!test2!\x01\x02'),
-            value: Buffer.from([3]),
-            keyEncoding: 'buffer',
-            valueEncoding: 'buffer'
-          }])
-
-          sub2.get(Buffer.from([1, 2])).then(function (value) {
-            t.same(value, Buffer.from([3]))
-            t.same(gets.shift(), {
-              key: Buffer.from('!test2!\x01\x02'),
-              keyEncoding: 'buffer',
-              valueEncoding: 'buffer'
-            })
-          })
-        })
-      })
+    t.same(puts, [{
+      key: '!test1!foo',
+      value: '{"some":"json"}',
+      keyEncoding: 'utf8',
+      valueEncoding: 'utf8'
+    }])
+
+    t.same(await sub1.get('foo'), { some: 'json' })
+    t.same(gets.shift(), {
+      key: '!test1!foo',
+      keyEncoding: 'utf8',
+      valueEncoding: 'utf8'
+    })
+
+    await sub2.put(Buffer.from([1, 2]), Buffer.from([3]))
+
+    t.same(puts, [{
+      key: Buffer.from('!test2!\x01\x02'),
+      value: Buffer.from([3]),
+      keyEncoding: 'buffer',
+      valueEncoding: 'buffer'
+    }])
+
+    t.same(await sub2.get(Buffer.from([1, 2])), Buffer.from([3]))
+
+    t.same(gets.shift(), {
+      key: Buffer.from('!test2!\x01\x02'),
+      keyEncoding: 'buffer',
+      valueEncoding: 'buffer'
     })
   })