diff --git a/src/tests/simulation/tests/integration_tests/scale/auto_parallelism.rs b/src/tests/simulation/tests/integration_tests/scale/auto_parallelism.rs
index 982b85d48f4c..beb20ad8c0b2 100644
--- a/src/tests/simulation/tests/integration_tests/scale/auto_parallelism.rs
+++ b/src/tests/simulation/tests/integration_tests/scale/auto_parallelism.rs
@@ -217,7 +217,6 @@ async fn test_active_online() -> Result<()> {
         true,
     );
     let mut cluster = Cluster::start(config.clone()).await?;
-    let mut session = cluster.start_session();
 
     // Keep one worker reserved for adding later.
     cluster
@@ -229,6 +228,8 @@ async fn test_active_online() -> Result<()> {
     ))
     .await;
 
+    let mut session = cluster.start_session();
+
     session.run("create table t (v1 int);").await?;
     session
         .run("create materialized view m as select count(*) from t;")
@@ -303,7 +304,6 @@ async fn test_auto_parallelism_control_with_fixed_and_auto_helper(
         enable_auto_parallelism_control,
     );
     let mut cluster = Cluster::start(config.clone()).await?;
-    let mut session = cluster.start_session();
 
     // Keep one worker reserved for adding later.
     let select_worker = "compute-2";
@@ -316,6 +316,8 @@ async fn test_auto_parallelism_control_with_fixed_and_auto_helper(
     ))
     .await;
 
+    let mut session = cluster.start_session();
+
     session.run("create table t (v1 int);").await?;
 
     session
@@ -490,10 +492,6 @@ async fn test_compatibility_with_low_level() -> Result<()> {
         true,
     );
     let mut cluster = Cluster::start(config.clone()).await?;
-    let mut session = cluster.start_session();
-    session
-        .run("SET streaming_use_arrangement_backfill = false;")
-        .await?;
 
     // Keep one worker reserved for adding later.
     let select_worker = "compute-2";
@@ -506,6 +504,11 @@ async fn test_compatibility_with_low_level() -> Result<()> {
     ))
     .await;
 
+    let mut session = cluster.start_session();
+    session
+        .run("SET streaming_use_arrangement_backfill = false;")
+        .await?;
+
     session.run("create table t(v int);").await?;
 
     // single fragment downstream
@@ -631,7 +634,6 @@ async fn test_compatibility_with_low_level_and_arrangement_backfill() -> Result<
         true,
     );
     let mut cluster = Cluster::start(config.clone()).await?;
-    let mut session = cluster.start_session();
 
     // Keep one worker reserved for adding later.
     let select_worker = "compute-2";
@@ -644,6 +646,8 @@ async fn test_compatibility_with_low_level_and_arrangement_backfill() -> Result<
     ))
     .await;
 
+    let mut session = cluster.start_session();
+
     session.run("create table t(v int);").await?;
 
     // Streaming arrangement backfill