diff --git a/tests/cts/hostside/app/src/com/android/cts/net/hostside/AbstractAppIdleTestCase.java b/tests/cts/hostside/app/src/com/android/cts/net/hostside/AbstractAppIdleTestCase.java
index 5fe4573847..219cc3da32 100644
--- a/tests/cts/hostside/app/src/com/android/cts/net/hostside/AbstractAppIdleTestCase.java
+++ b/tests/cts/hostside/app/src/com/android/cts/net/hostside/AbstractAppIdleTestCase.java
@@ -89,14 +89,19 @@ abstract class AbstractAppIdleTestCase extends AbstractRestrictBackgroundNetwork
         assertAppIdle(false); // Sanity check - not idle anymore, since whitelisted
         assertBackgroundNetworkAccess(true);
 
+        setAppIdleNoAssert(true);
+        assertAppIdle(false); // app is still whitelisted
         removePowerSaveModeWhitelist(TEST_APP2_PKG);
         assertAppIdle(true); // Sanity check - idle again, once whitelisted was removed
         assertBackgroundNetworkAccess(false);
 
+        setAppIdle(true);
         addPowerSaveModeExceptIdleWhitelist(TEST_APP2_PKG);
         assertAppIdle(false); // Sanity check - not idle anymore, since whitelisted
         assertBackgroundNetworkAccess(true);
 
+        setAppIdleNoAssert(true);
+        assertAppIdle(false); // app is still whitelisted
         removePowerSaveModeExceptIdleWhitelist(TEST_APP2_PKG);
         assertAppIdle(true); // Sanity check - idle again, once whitelisted was removed
         assertBackgroundNetworkAccess(false);
diff --git a/tests/cts/hostside/app/src/com/android/cts/net/hostside/AbstractRestrictBackgroundNetworkTestCase.java b/tests/cts/hostside/app/src/com/android/cts/net/hostside/AbstractRestrictBackgroundNetworkTestCase.java
index 2072db3376..e5fd149aec 100644
--- a/tests/cts/hostside/app/src/com/android/cts/net/hostside/AbstractRestrictBackgroundNetworkTestCase.java
+++ b/tests/cts/hostside/app/src/com/android/cts/net/hostside/AbstractRestrictBackgroundNetworkTestCase.java
@@ -662,6 +662,11 @@ public abstract class AbstractRestrictBackgroundNetworkTestCase {
         assertAppIdle(enabled); // Sanity check
     }
 
+    protected void setAppIdleNoAssert(boolean enabled) throws Exception {
+        Log.i(TAG, "Setting app idle to " + enabled);
+        executeSilentShellCommand("am set-inactive " + TEST_APP2_PKG + " " + enabled );
+    }
+
     protected void assertAppIdle(boolean enabled) throws Exception {
         try {
             assertDelayedShellCommand("am get-inactive " + TEST_APP2_PKG, 15, 2, "Idle=" + enabled);