diff --git a/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/content/CollectionTest.java b/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/content/CollectionTest.java
index 850c3e3338..52c36e1d22 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/content/CollectionTest.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/content/CollectionTest.java
@@ -1961,6 +1961,8 @@ public class CollectionTest extends AbstractDSpaceObjectTest
     {
         //0 by default
         assertTrue("testCountItems 0", itemService.countItems(context, collection) == 0);
+        
+        //NOTE: a more thorough test of item counting is in ITCommunityCollection integration test
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/content/CommunityTest.java b/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/content/CommunityTest.java
index b93d06229e..48d7745412 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/content/CommunityTest.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/content/CommunityTest.java
@@ -1480,7 +1480,9 @@ public class CommunityTest extends AbstractDSpaceObjectTest
     public void testCountItems() throws Exception 
     {
         //0 by default
-        assertTrue("testCountItems 0", communityService.countItems(context, c) == 0);
+        assertTrue("testCountItems 0", itemService.countItems(context, c) == 0);
+        
+        //NOTE: a more thorough test of item counting is in ITCommunityCollection integration test
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/content/ITCommunityCollection.java b/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/content/ITCommunityCollection.java
index 4925ba45e4..418fc2e781 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/content/ITCommunityCollection.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/content/ITCommunityCollection.java
@@ -125,35 +125,46 @@ public class ITCommunityCollection extends AbstractIntegrationTest
 
      /**
       * Tests that count items works as expected
+      * NOTE: Counts are currently expensive (take a while)
       */
     @Test
-    @PerfTest(invocations = 25, threads = 1)
+    @PerfTest(invocations = 10, threads = 1)
     @Required(percentile95 = 2000, average= 1800)
     public void testCountItems() throws SQLException, AuthorizeException, IOException {
-        //make it an even number, not too high to reduce time during testing
-        int totalitems = 4;
+        int items_per_collection = 2;
 
         //we create the structure
         context.turnOffAuthorisationSystem();
-        Community parent = communityService.create(null, context);
-        Community child1 = communityService.create(parent, context);
+        Community parentCom = communityService.create(null, context);
+        Community childCom = communityService.create(parentCom, context);
 
-        Collection col1 = collectionService.create(context, child1);
-        Collection col2 = collectionService.create(context, child1);
+        Collection col1 = collectionService.create(context, childCom);
+        Collection col2 = collectionService.create(context, childCom);
 
-        for(int count = 0; count < totalitems/2; count++)
+        // Add same number of items to each collection
+        for(int count = 0; count < items_per_collection; count++)
         {
-
             Item item1 = installItemService.installItem(context, workspaceItemService.create(context, col1, false));
             Item item2 = installItemService.installItem(context, workspaceItemService.create(context, col2, false));
         }
+        
+        // Finally, let's throw in a small wrench and add a mapped item
+        // Add it to collection 1
+        Item item3 = installItemService.installItem(context, workspaceItemService.create(context, col1, false));
+        // Map it into collection 2
+        collectionService.addItem(context, col2, item3);
+        
+        // Our total number of items should be
+        int totalitems = items_per_collection*2 + 1;
+        // Our collection counts should be
+        int collTotalItems = items_per_collection + 1;
 
         context.restoreAuthSystemState();
 
         //verify it works as expected
-        assertThat("testCountItems 0", itemService.countItems(context, col1), equalTo(totalitems/2));
-        assertThat("testCountItems 1", itemService.countItems(context, col2), equalTo(totalitems/2));
-        assertThat("testCountItems 2", communityService.countItems(context, child1), equalTo(totalitems));
-        assertThat("testCountItems 3", communityService.countItems(context, parent), equalTo(totalitems));
+        assertThat("testCountItems 0", itemService.countItems(context, col1), equalTo(collTotalItems));
+        assertThat("testCountItems 1", itemService.countItems(context, col2), equalTo(collTotalItems));
+        assertThat("testCountItems 2", itemService.countItems(context, childCom), equalTo(totalitems));
+        assertThat("testCountItems 3", itemService.countItems(context, parentCom), equalTo(totalitems));
     }
 }