diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/multi_colocation_utils.out b/src/test/regress/expected/multi_colocation_utils.out
index c9f441af6..a76f67ab8 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/multi_colocation_utils.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/multi_colocation_utils.out
@@ -970,31 +970,22 @@ SELECT update_distributed_table_colocation('table1_group_none', colocate_with =>
 
 (1 row)
 
--- sync metadata to get rid of inconsistencies in pg_dist tables
-select stop_metadata_sync_to_node('localhost', :worker_1_port);
-NOTICE:  dropping metadata on the node (localhost,57637)
- stop_metadata_sync_to_node
+-- activate nodes to get rid of inconsistencies in pg_dist tables
+INSERT INTO citus.pg_dist_object(classid, objid, objsubid) values('pg_class'::regclass::oid, 'table1_group1'::regclass::oid, 0);
+INSERT INTO citus.pg_dist_object(classid, objid, objsubid) values('pg_class'::regclass::oid, 'table2_group1'::regclass::oid, 0);
+INSERT INTO citus.pg_dist_object(classid, objid, objsubid) values('pg_class'::regclass::oid, 'table3_group2'::regclass::oid, 0);
+INSERT INTO citus.pg_dist_object(classid, objid, objsubid) values('pg_class'::regclass::oid, 'table4_group2'::regclass::oid, 0);
+INSERT INTO citus.pg_dist_object(classid, objid, objsubid) values('pg_class'::regclass::oid, 'table5_groupX'::regclass::oid, 0);
+select 1 from citus_activate_node('localhost', :worker_1_port);
+ ?column?
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
+        1
 (1 row)
 
-select stop_metadata_sync_to_node('localhost', :worker_2_port);
-NOTICE:  dropping metadata on the node (localhost,57638)
- stop_metadata_sync_to_node
+select 1 from citus_activate_node('localhost', :worker_2_port);
+ ?column?
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-(1 row)
-
-select start_metadata_sync_to_node('localhost', :worker_1_port);
- start_metadata_sync_to_node
----------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-(1 row)
-
-select start_metadata_sync_to_node('localhost', :worker_2_port);
- start_metadata_sync_to_node
----------------------------------------------------------------------
-
+        1
 (1 row)
 
 -- move a table with a colocation id which is already not in pg_dist_colocation
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/multi_colocation_utils.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/multi_colocation_utils.sql
index b45f8b39e..a2c0d8041 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/multi_colocation_utils.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/multi_colocation_utils.sql
@@ -410,9 +410,14 @@ SELECT update_distributed_table_colocation('table1_group_none', colocate_with =>
 SELECT update_distributed_table_colocation('table1_group_none', colocate_with => 'table2_groupE');
 SELECT update_distributed_table_colocation('table1_group_none', colocate_with => 'table3_groupE');
 
--- activate node to get rid of inconsistencies in pg_dist tables
-select citus_activate_node('localhost', :worker_1_port);
-select citus_activate_node('localhost', :worker_2_port);
+-- activate nodes to get rid of inconsistencies in pg_dist tables
+INSERT INTO citus.pg_dist_object(classid, objid, objsubid) values('pg_class'::regclass::oid, 'table1_group1'::regclass::oid, 0);
+INSERT INTO citus.pg_dist_object(classid, objid, objsubid) values('pg_class'::regclass::oid, 'table2_group1'::regclass::oid, 0);
+INSERT INTO citus.pg_dist_object(classid, objid, objsubid) values('pg_class'::regclass::oid, 'table3_group2'::regclass::oid, 0);
+INSERT INTO citus.pg_dist_object(classid, objid, objsubid) values('pg_class'::regclass::oid, 'table4_group2'::regclass::oid, 0);
+INSERT INTO citus.pg_dist_object(classid, objid, objsubid) values('pg_class'::regclass::oid, 'table5_groupX'::regclass::oid, 0);
+select 1 from citus_activate_node('localhost', :worker_1_port);
+select 1 from citus_activate_node('localhost', :worker_2_port);
 
 -- move a table with a colocation id which is already not in pg_dist_colocation
 SELECT update_distributed_table_colocation('table1_group_none', colocate_with => 'table2_group_none');