diff --git a/autotests/libs/entitytreemodeltest.cpp b/autotests/libs/entitytreemodeltest.cpp
--- a/autotests/libs/entitytreemodeltest.cpp
+++ b/autotests/libs/entitytreemodeltest.cpp
@@ -137,8 +137,7 @@
         }
         EntityTreeModel *model = new EntityTreeModel(fakeMonitor, this);
 
-        m_modelSpy = new ModelSpy(this);
-        m_modelSpy->setModel(model);
+        m_modelSpy = new ModelSpy{model, this};
 
         FakeServerData *serverData = new FakeServerData(model, m_fakeSession, fakeMonitor);
         QList<FakeAkonadiServerCommand *> initialFetchResponse =  FakeJobResponse::interpret(serverData, serverContent);
@@ -177,8 +176,7 @@
     QList<FakeAkonadiServerCommand *> initialFetchResponse =  FakeJobResponse::interpret(serverData, serverContent1);
     serverData->setCommands(initialFetchResponse);
 
-    m_modelSpy = new ModelSpy(this);
-    m_modelSpy->setModel(model);
+    m_modelSpy = new ModelSpy{model, this};
     m_modelSpy->startSpying();
 
     QList<ExpectedSignal> expectedSignals;
diff --git a/autotests/libs/modelspy.h b/autotests/libs/modelspy.h
--- a/autotests/libs/modelspy.h
+++ b/autotests/libs/modelspy.h
@@ -52,9 +52,7 @@
 {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
-    explicit ModelSpy(QObject *parent);
-
-    void setModel(QAbstractItemModel *model);
+    explicit ModelSpy(QAbstractItemModel *model, QObject *parent = nullptr);
 
     bool isEmpty() const;
 
@@ -83,7 +81,7 @@
     void dataChanged(const QModelIndex &topLeft, const QModelIndex &bottomRight);
 
 private:
-    QAbstractItemModel *m_model = nullptr;
+    QAbstractItemModel *const m_model = nullptr;
     bool m_isSpying;
     QList<ExpectedSignal> m_expectedSignals;
 };
diff --git a/autotests/libs/modelspy.cpp b/autotests/libs/modelspy.cpp
--- a/autotests/libs/modelspy.cpp
+++ b/autotests/libs/modelspy.cpp
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@
 #include <qdebug.h>
 #include <QTest>
 
-ModelSpy::ModelSpy(QObject *parent)
-    : QObject(parent), QList<QVariantList>(), m_isSpying(false)
+ModelSpy::ModelSpy(QAbstractItemModel *model, QObject *parent)
+    : QObject{parent}, m_model{model}, m_isSpying{false}
 {
     qRegisterMetaType<QModelIndex>("QModelIndex");
 }
@@ -33,12 +33,6 @@
     return QList<QVariantList>::isEmpty() && m_expectedSignals.isEmpty();
 }
 
-void ModelSpy::setModel(QAbstractItemModel *model)
-{
-    Q_ASSERT(model);
-    m_model = model;
-}
-
 void ModelSpy::setExpectedSignals(const QList< ExpectedSignal > &expectedSignals)
 {
     m_expectedSignals = expectedSignals;
diff --git a/autotests/libs/tagmodeltest.cpp b/autotests/libs/tagmodeltest.cpp
--- a/autotests/libs/tagmodeltest.cpp
+++ b/autotests/libs/tagmodeltest.cpp
@@ -98,8 +98,7 @@
 
         TagModel *model = new TagModel(fakeMonitor, this);
 
-        m_modelSpy = new ModelSpy(this);
-        m_modelSpy->setModel(model);
+        m_modelSpy = new ModelSpy{model, this};
 
         FakeServerData *serverData = new FakeServerData(model, m_fakeSession, fakeMonitor);
         QList<FakeAkonadiServerCommand *> initialFetchResponse =  FakeJobResponse::interpret(serverData, serverContent);
@@ -137,8 +136,7 @@
     QList<FakeAkonadiServerCommand *> initialFetchResponse =  FakeJobResponse::interpret(serverData, serverContent1);
     serverData->setCommands(initialFetchResponse);
 
-    m_modelSpy = new ModelSpy(this);
-    m_modelSpy->setModel(model);
+    m_modelSpy = new ModelSpy{model, this};
     m_modelSpy->startSpying();
 
     QList<ExpectedSignal> expectedSignals;