diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional/apps/spaces/spaces_selection.ts b/x-pack/test/functional/apps/spaces/spaces_selection.ts
index 5a8e852ffb11c..45ae0863de6ab 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/functional/apps/spaces/spaces_selection.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/functional/apps/spaces/spaces_selection.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ export default function spaceSelectorFunctionalTests({
   getService,
   getPageObjects,
 }: FtrProviderContext) {
-  const esArchiver = getService('esArchiver');
   const listingTable = getService('listingTable');
   const PageObjects = getPageObjects([
     'common',
@@ -21,14 +20,20 @@ export default function spaceSelectorFunctionalTests({
     'security',
     'spaceSelector',
   ]);
+  const spacesService = getService('spaces');
 
   describe('Spaces', function () {
+    const testSpacesIds = ['another-space', ...Array.from('123456789', (idx) => `space-${idx}`)];
     before(async () => {
-      await esArchiver.load('x-pack/test/functional/es_archives/spaces/selector');
+      for (const testSpaceId of testSpacesIds) {
+        await spacesService.create({ id: testSpaceId, name: `${testSpaceId} name` });
+      }
+    });
+    after(async () => {
+      for (const testSpaceId of testSpacesIds) {
+        await spacesService.delete(testSpaceId);
+      }
     });
-    after(
-      async () => await esArchiver.unload('x-pack/test/functional/es_archives/spaces/selector')
-    );
 
     this.tags('includeFirefox');
     describe('Space Selector', () => {
@@ -82,8 +87,8 @@ export default function spaceSelectorFunctionalTests({
         await PageObjects.spaceSelector.expectSearchBoxInSpacesSelector();
       });
 
-      it('search for "ce 1" and find one space', async () => {
-        await PageObjects.spaceSelector.setSearchBoxInSpacesSelector('ce 1');
+      it('search for "ce-1 name" and find one space', async () => {
+        await PageObjects.spaceSelector.setSearchBoxInSpacesSelector('ce-1 name');
         await PageObjects.spaceSelector.expectToFindThatManySpace(1);
       });
 
diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional/es_archives/spaces/selector/data.json b/x-pack/test/functional/es_archives/spaces/selector/data.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 43fbca65865b6..0000000000000
--- a/x-pack/test/functional/es_archives/spaces/selector/data.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,179 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "type": "doc",
-  "value": {
-    "id": "config:6.0.0-alpha1",
-    "index": ".kibana",
-    "source": {
-      "config": {
-        "buildNum": 8467,
-        "dateFormat:tz": "UTC"
-      },
-      "type": "config"
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-{
-  "type": "doc",
-  "value": {
-    "id": "space:default",
-    "index": ".kibana",
-    "source": {
-      "space": {
-        "description": "This is the default space!",
-        "name": "Default"
-      },
-      "type": "space"
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-{
-  "type": "doc",
-  "value": {
-    "id": "space:another-space",
-    "index": ".kibana",
-    "source": {
-      "space": {
-        "description": "This is another space",
-        "name": "Another Space"
-      },
-      "type": "space"
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-{
-  "type": "doc",
-  "value": {
-    "id": "space:space-1",
-    "index": ".kibana",
-    "source": {
-      "space": {
-        "description": "This is space I",
-        "name": "Space 1"
-      },
-      "type": "space"
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-{
-  "type": "doc",
-  "value": {
-    "id": "space:space-2",
-    "index": ".kibana",
-    "source": {
-      "space": {
-        "description": "This is space II",
-        "name": "Space 2"
-      },
-      "type": "space"
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-{
-  "type": "doc",
-  "value": {
-    "id": "space:space-3",
-    "index": ".kibana",
-    "source": {
-      "space": {
-        "description": "This is space III",
-        "name": "Space 3"
-      },
-      "type": "space"
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-{
-  "type": "doc",
-  "value": {
-    "id": "space:space-4",
-    "index": ".kibana",
-    "source": {
-      "space": {
-        "description": "This is space IV",
-        "name": "Space 4"
-      },
-      "type": "space"
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-{
-  "type": "doc",
-  "value": {
-    "id": "space:space-5",
-    "index": ".kibana",
-    "source": {
-      "space": {
-        "description": "This is space V",
-        "name": "Space 5"
-      },
-      "type": "space"
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-{
-  "type": "doc",
-  "value": {
-    "id": "space:space-6",
-    "index": ".kibana",
-    "source": {
-      "space": {
-        "description": "This is space VI",
-        "name": "Space 6"
-      },
-      "type": "space"
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-{
-  "type": "doc",
-  "value": {
-    "id": "space:space-7",
-    "index": ".kibana",
-    "source": {
-      "space": {
-        "description": "This is space VII",
-        "name": "Space 7"
-      },
-      "type": "space"
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-{
-  "type": "doc",
-  "value": {
-    "id": "space:space-8",
-    "index": ".kibana",
-    "source": {
-      "space": {
-        "description": "This is space VIII",
-        "name": "Space 8"
-      },
-      "type": "space"
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-{
-  "type": "doc",
-  "value": {
-    "id": "space:space-9",
-    "index": ".kibana",
-    "source": {
-      "space": {
-        "description": "This is space IX",
-        "name": "Space 9"
-      },
-      "type": "space"
-    }
-  }
-}
diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional/es_archives/spaces/selector/mappings.json b/x-pack/test/functional/es_archives/spaces/selector/mappings.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 07dc66dd8ce94..0000000000000
--- a/x-pack/test/functional/es_archives/spaces/selector/mappings.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,245 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "type": "index",
-  "value": {
-    "aliases": {
-      ".kibana": {}
-    },
-    "index": ".kibana_1",
-    "mappings": {
-      "properties": {
-        "config": {
-          "dynamic": "true",
-          "properties": {
-            "buildNum": {
-              "type": "keyword"
-            },
-            "dateFormat:tz": {
-              "fields": {
-                "keyword": {
-                  "ignore_above": 256,
-                  "type": "keyword"
-                }
-              },
-              "type": "text"
-            }
-          }
-        },
-        "dashboard": {
-          "dynamic": "strict",
-          "properties": {
-            "description": {
-              "type": "text"
-            },
-            "hits": {
-              "type": "integer"
-            },
-            "kibanaSavedObjectMeta": {
-              "properties": {
-                "searchSourceJSON": {
-                  "type": "text"
-                }
-              }
-            },
-            "optionsJSON": {
-              "type": "text"
-            },
-            "panelsJSON": {
-              "type": "text"
-            },
-            "refreshInterval": {
-              "properties": {
-                "display": {
-                  "type": "keyword"
-                },
-                "pause": {
-                  "type": "boolean"
-                },
-                "section": {
-                  "type": "integer"
-                },
-                "value": {
-                  "type": "integer"
-                }
-              }
-            },
-            "timeFrom": {
-              "type": "keyword"
-            },
-            "timeRestore": {
-              "type": "boolean"
-            },
-            "timeTo": {
-              "type": "keyword"
-            },
-            "title": {
-              "type": "text"
-            },
-            "uiStateJSON": {
-              "type": "text"
-            },
-            "version": {
-              "type": "integer"
-            }
-          }
-        },
-        "index-pattern": {
-          "dynamic": "strict",
-          "properties": {
-            "fieldFormatMap": {
-              "type": "text"
-            },
-            "fields": {
-              "type": "text"
-            },
-            "intervalName": {
-              "type": "keyword"
-            },
-            "notExpandable": {
-              "type": "boolean"
-            },
-            "sourceFilters": {
-              "type": "text"
-            },
-            "timeFieldName": {
-              "type": "keyword"
-            },
-            "title": {
-              "type": "text"
-            }
-          }
-        },
-        "search": {
-          "dynamic": "strict",
-          "properties": {
-            "columns": {
-              "type": "keyword"
-            },
-            "description": {
-              "type": "text"
-            },
-            "hits": {
-              "type": "integer"
-            },
-            "kibanaSavedObjectMeta": {
-              "properties": {
-                "searchSourceJSON": {
-                  "type": "text"
-                }
-              }
-            },
-            "sort": {
-              "type": "keyword"
-            },
-            "title": {
-              "type": "text"
-            },
-            "version": {
-              "type": "integer"
-            }
-          }
-        },
-        "server": {
-          "dynamic": "strict",
-          "properties": {
-            "uuid": {
-              "type": "keyword"
-            }
-          }
-        },
-        "space": {
-          "properties": {
-            "_reserved": {
-              "type": "boolean"
-            },
-            "color": {
-              "type": "keyword"
-            },
-            "description": {
-              "type": "text"
-            },
-            "disabledFeatures": {
-              "type": "keyword"
-            },
-            "initials": {
-              "type": "keyword"
-            },
-            "name": {
-              "fields": {
-                "keyword": {
-                  "ignore_above": 2048,
-                  "type": "keyword"
-                }
-              },
-              "type": "text"
-            }
-          }
-        },
-        "spaceId": {
-          "type": "keyword"
-        },
-        "type": {
-          "type": "keyword"
-        },
-        "url": {
-          "dynamic": "strict",
-          "properties": {
-            "accessCount": {
-              "type": "long"
-            },
-            "accessDate": {
-              "type": "date"
-            },
-            "createDate": {
-              "type": "date"
-            },
-            "url": {
-              "fields": {
-                "keyword": {
-                  "ignore_above": 2048,
-                  "type": "keyword"
-                }
-              },
-              "type": "text"
-            }
-          }
-        },
-        "visualization": {
-          "dynamic": "strict",
-          "properties": {
-            "description": {
-              "type": "text"
-            },
-            "kibanaSavedObjectMeta": {
-              "properties": {
-                "searchSourceJSON": {
-                  "type": "text"
-                }
-              }
-            },
-            "savedSearchId": {
-              "type": "keyword"
-            },
-            "title": {
-              "type": "text"
-            },
-            "uiStateJSON": {
-              "type": "text"
-            },
-            "version": {
-              "type": "integer"
-            },
-            "visState": {
-              "type": "text"
-            }
-          }
-        }
-      }
-    },
-    "settings": {
-      "index": {
-        "number_of_replicas": "1",
-        "number_of_shards": "1"
-      }
-    }
-  }
-}