diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index 7d43abc66..439bc4811 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ updates:
     ignore:
       - dependency-name: "escape-string-regexp"
         versions: [">=5.0"]
-      - dependency-name: "apollo-server-express"
-        versions: [">=3.0"]
       - dependency-name: "eslint"
         versions: [ ">8.57.0" ]
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 38316454c..87c122bf9 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@
     "@wdio/selenium-standalone-service": "8.3.2",
     "@wdio/utils": "9.2.8",
     "@xmldom/xmldom": "0.9.4",
-    "apollo-server-express": "2.25.3",
+    "apollo-server-express": "3.13.0",
     "chai-as-promised": "7.1.2",
     "chai-subset": "1.6.0",
     "cheerio": "^1.0.0",
diff --git a/test/data/graphql/index.js b/test/data/graphql/index.js
index f3d372278..74ebac5a0 100644
--- a/test/data/graphql/index.js
+++ b/test/data/graphql/index.js
@@ -17,8 +17,9 @@ const server = new ApolloServer({
   playground: true,
 });
 
-server.applyMiddleware({ app });
-
-app.use(middleware);
-app.use(router);
-module.exports = app.listen(PORT, () => console.log(`test graphQL server listening on port ${PORT}...`));
+server.start().then(() => {
+  server.applyMiddleware({ app });
+  app.use(middleware);
+  app.use(router);
+  module.exports = app.listen(PORT, () => console.log(`test graphQL server listening on port ${PORT}...`));
+});