diff --git a/src/test/kotlin/org/opensearch/indexmanagement/snapshotmanagement/SnapshotManagementRestTestCase.kt b/src/test/kotlin/org/opensearch/indexmanagement/snapshotmanagement/SnapshotManagementRestTestCase.kt
index d425e9e83..d4078288e 100644
--- a/src/test/kotlin/org/opensearch/indexmanagement/snapshotmanagement/SnapshotManagementRestTestCase.kt
+++ b/src/test/kotlin/org/opensearch/indexmanagement/snapshotmanagement/SnapshotManagementRestTestCase.kt
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ abstract class SnapshotManagementRestTestCase : IndexManagementRestTestCase() {
         val startTimeMillis = desiredStartTimeMillis ?: (now().toEpochMilli() - millis)
         val waitForActiveShards = if (isMultiNode) "all" else "1"
         val response =
-            client().makeRequest(
+            adminClient().makeRequest(
                 "POST", "$INDEX_MANAGEMENT_INDEX/_update/${update.metadataID}?wait_for_active_shards=$waitForActiveShards",
                 StringEntity(
                     """
diff --git a/src/test/kotlin/org/opensearch/indexmanagement/snapshotmanagement/resthandler/RestStartSnapshotManagementIT.kt b/src/test/kotlin/org/opensearch/indexmanagement/snapshotmanagement/resthandler/RestStartSnapshotManagementIT.kt
index 4ec67011a..8f8d0c67c 100644
--- a/src/test/kotlin/org/opensearch/indexmanagement/snapshotmanagement/resthandler/RestStartSnapshotManagementIT.kt
+++ b/src/test/kotlin/org/opensearch/indexmanagement/snapshotmanagement/resthandler/RestStartSnapshotManagementIT.kt
@@ -5,9 +5,11 @@
 
 package org.opensearch.indexmanagement.snapshotmanagement.resthandler
 
+import org.opensearch.client.Request
 import org.opensearch.client.ResponseException
 import org.opensearch.core.rest.RestStatus
 import org.opensearch.indexmanagement.IndexManagementPlugin
+import org.opensearch.indexmanagement.IndexManagementPlugin.Companion.INDEX_MANAGEMENT_INDEX
 import org.opensearch.indexmanagement.makeRequest
 import org.opensearch.indexmanagement.snapshotmanagement.SnapshotManagementRestTestCase
 import org.opensearch.indexmanagement.snapshotmanagement.randomSMPolicy
@@ -59,7 +61,8 @@ class RestStartSnapshotManagementIT : SnapshotManagementRestTestCase() {
 
     fun `test starting a snapshot management policy with no config index fails`() {
         try {
-            deleteIndex(IndexManagementPlugin.INDEX_MANAGEMENT_INDEX)
+            val request = Request("DELETE", "/$INDEX_MANAGEMENT_INDEX")
+            adminClient().performRequest(request)
             client().makeRequest("POST", "${IndexManagementPlugin.SM_POLICIES_URI}/nonexistent_foo/_start")
             fail("expected response exception")
         } catch (e: ResponseException) {