diff --git a/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_gamma_testcase.py b/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_gamma_testcase.py
index ab8d652949462..0d86a15bb768d 100644
--- a/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_gamma_testcase.py
+++ b/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_gamma_testcase.py
@@ -130,6 +130,8 @@ def startTestClient(
         # To compensate for this, we double the timeout for GAMMA tests.
         return self._start_test_client(
             server_target,
-            wait_for_active_channel_timeout=datetime.timedelta(minutes=10),
+            wait_for_server_channel_ready_timeout=datetime.timedelta(
+                minutes=10
+            ),
             **kwargs,
         )
diff --git a/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_k8s_testcase.py b/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_k8s_testcase.py
index b3779e3842b4a..55743de13b2e6 100644
--- a/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_k8s_testcase.py
+++ b/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_k8s_testcase.py
@@ -739,6 +739,30 @@ def cleanup(self):
             force=self.force_cleanup, force_namespace=self.force_cleanup
         )
 
+    def _start_test_client(
+        self,
+        server_target: str,
+        *,
+        wait_for_active_ads: bool = True,
+        wait_for_server_channel_ready: bool = True,
+        wait_for_active_ads_timeout: Optional[_timedelta] = None,
+        wait_for_server_channel_ready_timeout: Optional[_timedelta] = None,
+        **kwargs,
+    ) -> XdsTestClient:
+        test_client = self.client_runner.run(
+            server_target=server_target, **kwargs
+        )
+        if wait_for_active_ads:
+            test_client.wait_for_active_xds_channel(
+                xds_server_uri=self.xds_server_uri,
+                timeout=wait_for_active_ads_timeout,
+            )
+        if wait_for_server_channel_ready:
+            test_client.wait_for_server_channel_ready(
+                timeout=wait_for_server_channel_ready_timeout,
+            )
+        return test_client
+
 
 class RegularXdsKubernetesTestCase(IsolatedXdsKubernetesTestCase):
     """Regular test case base class for testing PSM features in isolation."""
@@ -822,26 +846,6 @@ def startTestClient(
     ) -> XdsTestClient:
         return self._start_test_client(test_server.xds_uri, **kwargs)
 
-    def _start_test_client(
-        self,
-        server_target: str,
-        *,
-        wait_for_active_ads_timeout: Optional[_timedelta] = None,
-        wait_for_active_channel_timeout: Optional[_timedelta] = None,
-        **kwargs,
-    ) -> XdsTestClient:
-        test_client = self.client_runner.run(
-            server_target=server_target, **kwargs
-        )
-        test_client.wait_for_active_xds_channel(
-            xds_server_uri=self.xds_server_uri,
-            timeout=wait_for_active_ads_timeout,
-        )
-        test_client.wait_for_server_channel_ready(
-            timeout=wait_for_active_channel_timeout,
-        )
-        return test_client
-
 
 class AppNetXdsKubernetesTestCase(RegularXdsKubernetesTestCase):
     td: TrafficDirectorAppNetManager
@@ -964,12 +968,12 @@ def startSecureTestClient(
         wait_for_server_channel_ready=True,
         **kwargs,
     ) -> XdsTestClient:
-        test_client = self.client_runner.run(
-            server_target=test_server.xds_uri, secure_mode=True, **kwargs
+        return self._start_test_client(
+            server_target=test_server.xds_uri,
+            wait_for_server_channel_ready=wait_for_server_channel_ready,
+            secure_mode=True,
+            **kwargs,
         )
-        if wait_for_server_channel_ready:
-            test_client.wait_for_server_channel_ready()
-        return test_client
 
     def assertTestAppSecurity(
         self,
diff --git a/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_url_map_testcase.py b/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_url_map_testcase.py
index ba07e8e8d4c97..25ef9ee9a6b79 100644
--- a/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_url_map_testcase.py
+++ b/tools/run_tests/xds_k8s_test_driver/framework/xds_url_map_testcase.py
@@ -479,6 +479,9 @@ def run(self, result: unittest.TestResult = None) -> None:
             super().run(result)
 
     def test_client_config(self):
+        self.test_client.wait_for_active_xds_channel(
+            xds_server_uri=GcpResourceManager().xds_server_uri,
+        )
         retryer = retryers.constant_retryer(
             wait_fixed=datetime.timedelta(
                 seconds=_URL_MAP_PROPAGATE_CHECK_INTERVAL_SEC