diff --git a/src/escalus_ct.erl b/src/escalus_ct.erl
index 4cf4042b..f144d72a 100644
--- a/src/escalus_ct.erl
+++ b/src/escalus_ct.erl
@@ -15,9 +15,6 @@
          get_config/1,
          log_stanza/3]).
 
-%% What about that?
--export([rpc_call/6]).
-
 -define(APPNAME, escalus).
 
 -spec add_log_link(any(), any(), any()) -> ok | false.
@@ -69,24 +66,6 @@ interpret_config_file_path(RelPath) ->
             error({escalus_error, beam_not_loaded})
     end.
 
-rpc_call(Node, Module, Function, Args, TimeOut, Cookie) ->
-    case is_ct_available() of
-        true ->
-            Result = ct_rpc:call(Node, Module, Function, Args, TimeOut, Cookie),
-            case Result of
-                {badrpc, Reason} ->
-                    ct:pal("issue=rpc_call_failed "
-                            "node=~p function=~p:~p reason=~p",
-                           [Node, Module, Function, Reason]);
-                _ ->
-                    ok
-            end,
-            Result;
-        false ->
-            %% TODO: don't error out, should be easy to simulate ct_rpc:call/6
-            error({escalus_error, common_test_unavailable})
-    end.
-
 -spec log_stanza(undefined | binary(), in | out, exml_stream:element()) -> ok.
 log_stanza(undefined, _, _) -> ok;
 log_stanza(Jid, Direction, Stanza) ->
diff --git a/src/escalus_ejabberd.erl b/src/escalus_ejabberd.erl
index d487abc0..099c37bd 100644
--- a/src/escalus_ejabberd.erl
+++ b/src/escalus_ejabberd.erl
@@ -20,13 +20,16 @@
 -module(escalus_ejabberd).
 
 -behaviour(escalus_user_db).
-
-%% escalus_user_db callbacks
 -export([start/1,
          stop/1,
          create_users/2,
          delete_users/2]).
 
+-behaviour(escalus_server).
+-export([pre_story/1,
+         post_story/1,
+         name/0]).
+
 -export([rpc/3,
          remote_display/1,
          remote_format/1,
@@ -55,7 +58,7 @@
 rpc(M, F, A) ->
     Node = escalus_ct:get_config(ejabberd_node),
     Cookie = escalus_ct:get_config(ejabberd_cookie),
-    escalus_ct:rpc_call(Node, M, F, A, 3000, Cookie).
+    escalus_rpc:call(Node, M, F, A, 3000, Cookie).
 
 remote_display(String) ->
     Line = [$\n, [$- || _ <- String], $\n],
@@ -216,6 +219,16 @@ delete_users(Config, Users) ->
                   end, Users),
     Config.
 
+%%--------------------------------------------------------------------
+%% escalus_server callbacks
+%%--------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+pre_story(Config) -> Config.
+
+post_story(Config) -> Config.
+
+name() -> ?MODULE.
+
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------
 %% Helpers
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/escalus_mongooseim.erl b/src/escalus_mongooseim.erl
index e2be413d..4478978c 100644
--- a/src/escalus_mongooseim.erl
+++ b/src/escalus_mongooseim.erl
@@ -140,4 +140,4 @@ check_metric_change({{Metric, Changes}, Before, After}, Acc) when is_list(Change
 check_change(Before, After, Change) when is_atom(Change) ->
     erlang:apply(erlang, Change, [After, Before]);
 check_change(Before, After, Change) when is_integer(Change) ->
-    After == Before + Change.
\ No newline at end of file
+    After == Before + Change.
diff --git a/src/escalus_rpc.erl b/src/escalus_rpc.erl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ab112c4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/escalus_rpc.erl
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+%% @doc This module should not exist as it has nothing to do with XMPP
+%% nor is it needed by Escalus itself.
+%%
+%% The module contains RPC helpers which used to rely on Common Test,
+%% but do not do so anymore.
+-module(escalus_rpc).
+
+%% Public
+-export([call/6]).
+
+%%
+%% Public
+%%
+
+%% @doc Emulate `ct_rpc:call/6' but do not rely on Common Test.
+%% `call/6' takes a `Cookie' as the last parameter,
+%% so that nodes with different cookies can be easily called.
+%% However, this function is not safe (and neither is the original `ct_rpc:call/6')
+%% in a concurrent environment as it gets/sets the cookie
+%% with `erlang:get_cookie/0' and `erlang:set_cookie/1'.
+%% Interleaving these calls in concurrent processes is prone to race conditions.
+call(Node, Module, Function, Args, TimeOut, Cookie) ->
+    call_with_cookie_match(Node, Module, Function, Args, TimeOut, Cookie).
+
+%%
+%% Internal
+%%
+
+%% Copied from ct_rpc and renamed.
+call_with_cookie_match(Node, Module, Function, Args, TimeOut, Cookie) when is_atom(Node) ->
+    Cookie0 = set_the_cookie(Cookie),
+    Result = case rpc:call(Node, Module, Function, Args, TimeOut) of
+                 {badrpc, Reason} ->
+                     error({badrpc, Reason}, [Node, Module, Function, Args, TimeOut, Cookie]);
+                 R ->
+                     R
+             end,
+    _ = set_the_cookie(Cookie0),
+    Result.
+
+%% Copied from ct_rpc.
+set_the_cookie([]) ->
+    [];
+set_the_cookie(Cookie) ->
+    Cookie0 = erlang:get_cookie(),
+    erlang:set_cookie(node(),Cookie),
+    Cookie0.