diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/java/org/apache/asterix/test/common/TestExecutor.java b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/java/org/apache/asterix/test/common/TestExecutor.java
index 8791756..8442162 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/java/org/apache/asterix/test/common/TestExecutor.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/java/org/apache/asterix/test/common/TestExecutor.java
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@
 import org.apache.http.entity.StringEntity;
 import org.apache.http.impl.client.HttpClients;
 import org.apache.http.impl.client.StandardHttpRequestRetryHandler;
+import org.apache.http.protocol.HttpContext;
 import org.apache.http.util.EntityUtils;
 import org.apache.hyracks.util.StorageUtil;
 import org.junit.Assert;
@@ -445,7 +446,7 @@
     protected HttpResponse executeHttpRequest(HttpUriRequest method) throws Exception {
         HttpClient client = HttpClients.custom().setRetryHandler(StandardHttpRequestRetryHandler.INSTANCE).build();
         try {
-            return client.execute(method);
+            return client.execute(method, getHttpContext());
         } catch (Exception e) {
             GlobalConfig.ASTERIX_LOGGER.log(Level.SEVERE, e.getMessage(), e);
             e.printStackTrace();
@@ -453,6 +454,10 @@
         }
     }
 
+    protected HttpContext getHttpContext() {
+        return null;
+    }
+
     protected HttpResponse checkResponse(HttpResponse httpResponse, Predicate<Integer> responseCodeValidator)
             throws Exception {
         if (!responseCodeValidator.test(httpResponse.getStatusLine().getStatusCode())) {
@@ -1441,9 +1446,8 @@
             while (true) {
                 try {
                     final HttpClient client = HttpClients.createDefault();
-
                     final HttpGet get = new HttpGet(getEndpoint(Servlets.CLUSTER_STATE));
-                    final HttpResponse httpResponse = client.execute(get);
+                    final HttpResponse httpResponse = client.execute(get, getHttpContext());
                     final int statusCode = httpResponse.getStatusLine().getStatusCode();
                     final String response = EntityUtils.toString(httpResponse.getEntity());
                     if (statusCode != HttpStatus.SC_OK) {
@@ -1451,7 +1455,7 @@
                     }
                     ObjectMapper om = new ObjectMapper();
                     ObjectNode result = (ObjectNode) om.readTree(response);
-                    if (desiredState.equals(result.get("state").asText())) {
+                    if (result.get("state").asText().matches(desiredState)) {
                         break;
                     }
                 } catch (Exception e) {