diff --git a/src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/camera/picamera.py b/src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/camera/picamera.py
index 7ed77a52..5fd8a2a9 100644
--- a/src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/camera/picamera.py
+++ b/src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/camera/picamera.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ from PIL import Image
 from pydantic import BaseModel, BeforeValidator
 
 import labthings_fastapi as lt
-from labthings_fastapi.exceptions import NotConnectedToServerError
+from labthings_fastapi.exceptions import ServerNotRunningError
 
 from openflexure_microscope_server.background_detect import ChannelBlankError
 from openflexure_microscope_server.ui import (
@@ -160,13 +160,13 @@ class StreamingPiCamera2(BaseCamera):
         # connected to the server if tuning is saved to disk.
         try:
             self.tuning = copy.deepcopy(self.default_tuning)
-        except NotConnectedToServerError:
+        except ServerNotRunningError:
             # This will throw an error after setting as we are not connected to
             # a server. But we know this, so we ignore the error.
             pass
 
         # Also set the colour gains based on the tuning. Set to _colour_gains to not
-        # trigger a NotConnectedToServerError
+        # trigger a ServerNotRunningError
         self._colour_gains = tf_utils.get_colour_gains_from_lst(self.tuning)
 
     stream_resolution: tuple[int, int] = lt.property(default=(820, 616))
diff --git a/tests/test_stage.py b/tests/test_stage.py
index 4a01eaca..359331f7 100644
--- a/tests/test_stage.py
+++ b/tests/test_stage.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ from hypothesis import HealthCheck, given, settings
 from hypothesis import strategies as st
 
 import labthings_fastapi as lt
-from labthings_fastapi.exceptions import NotConnectedToServerError
 from labthings_fastapi.testing import create_thing_without_server
 
 from openflexure_microscope_server.things.stage import (
@@ -86,18 +85,10 @@ def test_override_base_movement():
         create_thing_without_server(BadStage2)
 
 
-def _set_axis_direction(dummy_stage, direction):
-    """Set the axis direction directly even if not connected to server."""
-    try:
-        dummy_stage.axis_inverted = direction
-    except NotConnectedToServerError:
-        pass
-
-
 def test_apply_axis_direction_all_pos(dummy_stage):
     """Test the apply axis direction function behaves as expected when axis +v3."""
     # Directly create a stage not through a ThingServer to access private methods
-    _set_axis_direction(dummy_stage, {"x": False, "y": False, "z": False})
+    dummy_stage.axis_inverted = {"x": False, "y": False, "z": False}
 
     # A list of positions to try
     positions = [
@@ -117,7 +108,7 @@ def test_apply_axis_direction_all_pos(dummy_stage):
 def test_apply_axis_direction_mixed(dummy_stage):
     """Test the apply axis direction function behaves as expected when axis dirs are mixed."""
     # Make x and z negative
-    _set_axis_direction(dummy_stage, {"x": True, "y": False, "z": True})
+    dummy_stage.axis_inverted = {"x": True, "y": False, "z": True}
 
     # A list of (input position, output position) to try
     position_pairs = [
@@ -210,7 +201,7 @@ def _test_move_relative(dummy_stage, axis_inverted, path):
     :param path: The 3d path to move over, generated by hypothesis.
     """
     cancel = MockCancel()
-    _set_axis_direction(dummy_stage, axis_inverted)
+    dummy_stage.axis_inverted = axis_inverted
     # Explicitly do axes calculation here to check logic in main code.
     x_dir = -1 if axis_inverted["x"] else 1
     y_dir = -1 if axis_inverted["y"] else 1
@@ -267,7 +258,7 @@ def _test_move_absolute(dummy_stage, axis_inverted, path):
     :param path: The 3d path to move over, generated by hypothesis.
     """
     cancel = MockCancel()
-    _set_axis_direction(dummy_stage, axis_inverted)
+    dummy_stage.axis_inverted = axis_inverted
     # Explicitly do axes calculation here to check logic in main code.
     x_dir = -1 if axis_inverted["x"] else 1
     y_dir = -1 if axis_inverted["y"] else 1