diff --git a/tests-integration/fixtures/kafka/README.md b/tests-integration/fixtures/kafka/README.md
index 1ca33bc36af3..9d49a2289309 100644
--- a/tests-integration/fixtures/kafka/README.md
+++ b/tests-integration/fixtures/kafka/README.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 docker compose -f docker-compose-standalone.yml up kafka -d
 ```
 
-## Lists running containers
+## Lists running services
 ```bash
 docker compose -f docker-compose-standalone.yml ps
 ```
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ docker compose -f docker-compose-standalone.yml ps
 docker compose -f docker-compose-standalone.yml stop kafka 
 ```
 
-## Stops and removes a standalone kafka 
+## Stops and removes the standalone kafka 
 ```bash
 docker compose -f docker-compose-standalone.yml down kafka 
 ```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/runner/src/main.rs b/tests/runner/src/main.rs
index ca499e06d0a4..5fdddbd7149a 100644
--- a/tests/runner/src/main.rs
+++ b/tests/runner/src/main.rs
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ async fn main() {
             broker_endpoints: args
                 .kafka_wal_broker_endpoints
                 .split(',')
-                .map(|s| s.to_string())
+                .map(|s| s.trim().to_string())
                 .collect(),
         },
     };