diff --git a/esti/lakectl_test.go b/esti/lakectl_test.go
index bf53f663706..b89cb3da8d8 100644
--- a/esti/lakectl_test.go
+++ b/esti/lakectl_test.go
@@ -738,7 +738,7 @@ func TestLakectlFsUpload_protectedBranch(t *testing.T) {
 	runCmd(t, Lakectl()+" branch-protect add lakefs://"+repoName+"/  '*'", false, false, vars)
 	RunCmdAndVerifyContainsText(t, Lakectl()+" branch-protect list lakefs://"+repoName+"/ ", false, "*", vars)
 
-	vars["FILE_PATH"] = "data/ro/ro_1k.0"
+	vars["FILE_PATH"] = "ro_1k.0"
 	RunCmdAndVerifyFailure(t, Lakectl()+" fs upload lakefs://"+repoName+"/"+mainBranch+"/"+vars["FILE_PATH"]+" -s files/ro_1k", false, "cannot write to protected branch\n403 Forbidden\n", vars)
 }
 func TestLakectlFsRm_protectedBranch(t *testing.T) {
@@ -749,13 +749,13 @@ func TestLakectlFsRm_protectedBranch(t *testing.T) {
 		"STORAGE": storage,
 		"BRANCH":  mainBranch,
 	}
-	RunCmdAndVerifySuccessWithFile(t, Lakectl()+" repo create lakefs://"+repoName+" "+storage, false, "lakectl_repo_create", vars)
-	vars["FILE_PATH"] = "data/ro/ro_1k.0"
-	runCmd(t, Lakectl()+" fs upload lakefs://"+repoName+"/"+mainBranch+"/"+vars["FILE_PATH"]+" -s files/ro_1k", false, false, vars)
-	runCmd(t, Lakectl()+" branch-protect add lakefs://"+repoName+"/  '*'", false, false, vars)
-	RunCmdAndVerifyContainsText(t, Lakectl()+" branch-protect list lakefs://"+repoName+"/ ", false, "*", vars)
-
-	RunCmdAndVerifyFailure(t, Lakectl()+" fs rm lakefs://"+repoName+"/"+mainBranch+"/"+vars["FILE_PATH"], false, "cannot write to protected branch\n403 Forbidden\n", vars)
+	RunCmdAndVerifySuccessWithFile(t, Lakectl()+" repo create lakefs://"+vars["REPO"]+" "+vars["STORAGE"], false, "lakectl_repo_create", vars)
+	vars["FILE_PATH"] = "ro_1k.0"
+	runCmd(t, Lakectl()+" fs upload lakefs://"+vars["REPO"]+"/"+vars["BRANCH"]+"/"+vars["FILE_PATH"]+" -s files/ro_1k", false, false, vars)
+	runCmd(t, Lakectl()+" commit lakefs://"+vars["REPO"]+"/"+vars["BRANCH"]+" --allow-empty-message -m \" \"", false, false, vars)
+	runCmd(t, Lakectl()+" branch-protect add lakefs://"+vars["REPO"]+"/  '*'", false, false, vars)
+	RunCmdAndVerifyContainsText(t, Lakectl()+" branch-protect list lakefs://"+vars["REPO"]+"/ ", false, "*", vars)
+	RunCmdAndVerifyFailure(t, Lakectl()+" fs rm lakefs://"+vars["REPO"]+"/"+vars["BRANCH"]+"/"+vars["FILE_PATH"], false, "cannot write to protected branch\n403 Forbidden\n", vars)
 }
 
 func TestLakectlFsPresign(t *testing.T) {