diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-app/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/app/TestMRApp.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-app/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/app/TestMRApp.java
index eaf107050d7..7e9ec7d4d15 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-app/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/app/TestMRApp.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-app/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/app/TestMRApp.java
@@ -208,7 +208,9 @@ public void testCompletedMapsForReduceSlowstart() throws Exception {
   @Test
   public void testUpdatedNodes() throws Exception {
     int runCount = 0;
-    Dispatcher disp = Mockito.spy(new AsyncDispatcher());
+    AsyncDispatcher dispatcher = new AsyncDispatcher();
+    dispatcher.init(new Configuration());
+    Dispatcher disp = Mockito.spy(dispatcher);
     MRApp app = new MRAppWithHistory(2, 2, false, this.getClass().getName(),
         true, ++runCount, disp);
     Configuration conf = new Configuration();
diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-app/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/app/TestRuntimeEstimators.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-app/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/app/TestRuntimeEstimators.java
index ed70a986976..a846a532e36 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-app/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/app/TestRuntimeEstimators.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-app/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/app/TestRuntimeEstimators.java
@@ -125,6 +125,9 @@ public class TestRuntimeEstimators {
     estimator = testedEstimator;
 	clock = new ControlledClock();
 	dispatcher = new AsyncDispatcher();
+    Configuration conf = new Configuration();
+    dispatcher.init(conf);
+
     myJob = null;
     slotsInUse.set(0);
     completedMaps.set(0);
@@ -134,8 +137,6 @@ public class TestRuntimeEstimators {
 
     clock.tickMsec(1000);
 
-    Configuration conf = new Configuration();
-
     myAppContext = new MyAppContext(MAP_TASKS, REDUCE_TASKS);
     myJob = myAppContext.getAllJobs().values().iterator().next();
 
@@ -162,7 +163,6 @@ public class TestRuntimeEstimators {
 
     dispatcher.register(TaskEventType.class, new SpeculationRequestEventHandler());
 
-    dispatcher.init(conf);
     dispatcher.start();
 
 
diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-app/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/app/job/impl/TestJobImpl.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-app/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/app/job/impl/TestJobImpl.java
index 8592b20dad2..1367ff64c49 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-app/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/app/job/impl/TestJobImpl.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-app/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/app/job/impl/TestJobImpl.java
@@ -499,6 +499,8 @@ public void testKilledDuringKillAbort() throws Exception {
     // not initializing dispatcher to avoid potential race condition between
     // the dispatcher thread & test thread - see MAPREDUCE-6831
     AsyncDispatcher dispatcher = new AsyncDispatcher();
+    dispatcher.init(conf);
+
 
     OutputCommitter committer = new StubbedOutputCommitter() {
       @Override
@@ -959,6 +961,7 @@ protected TaskSplitMetaInfo[] createSplits(JobImpl job, JobId jobId) {
   public void testJobPriorityUpdate() throws Exception {
     Configuration conf = new Configuration();
     AsyncDispatcher dispatcher = new AsyncDispatcher();
+    dispatcher.init(conf);
     Priority submittedPriority = Priority.newInstance(5);
 
     AppContext mockContext = mock(AppContext.class);