diff --git a/src/test/regress/citus_tests/common.py b/src/test/regress/citus_tests/common.py
index d751bad5a..489edb6b5 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/citus_tests/common.py
+++ b/src/test/regress/citus_tests/common.py
@@ -272,9 +272,7 @@ def stop_metadata_to_workers(pg_path, worker_ports, coordinator_port):
 
 
 def add_coordinator_to_metadata(pg_path, coordinator_port):
-    command = "SELECT citus_add_node('localhost', {}, groupId := 0)".format(
-        coordinator_port
-    )
+    command = "SELECT citus_set_coordinator_host('localhost');"
     utils.psql(pg_path, coordinator_port, command)
 
 
@@ -339,11 +337,12 @@ def initialize_citus_cluster(bindir, datadir, settings, config):
         bindir, datadir, config.node_name_to_ports, config.name, config.env_variables
     )
     create_citus_extension(bindir, config.node_name_to_ports.values())
+
+    add_coordinator_to_metadata(bindir, config.coordinator_port())
+
     add_workers(bindir, config.worker_ports, config.coordinator_port())
     if not config.is_mx:
         stop_metadata_to_workers(bindir, config.worker_ports, config.coordinator_port())
-    if config.add_coordinator_to_metadata:
-        add_coordinator_to_metadata(bindir, config.coordinator_port())
     config.setup_steps()