diff --git a/test/asynchronous/unified_format.py b/test/asynchronous/unified_format.py
index 10b247d1fa..23707b942f 100644
--- a/test/asynchronous/unified_format.py
+++ b/test/asynchronous/unified_format.py
@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@ async def _create_entity(self, entity_spec, uri=None):
             if uri:
                 kwargs["h"] = uri
             client = await self.test.async_rs_or_single_client(**kwargs)
+            await client.aconnect()
             self[spec["id"]] = client
             return
         elif entity_type == "database":
diff --git a/test/unified_format.py b/test/unified_format.py
index d3da2b3a82..84881800a2 100644
--- a/test/unified_format.py
+++ b/test/unified_format.py
@@ -302,6 +302,7 @@ def _create_entity(self, entity_spec, uri=None):
             if uri:
                 kwargs["h"] = uri
             client = self.test.rs_or_single_client(**kwargs)
+            client._connect()
             self[spec["id"]] = client
             return
         elif entity_type == "database":