diff --git a/src/test/utils/CordContainer.py b/src/test/utils/CordContainer.py
index 4d0c5bb..fb71403 100644
--- a/src/test/utils/CordContainer.py
+++ b/src/test/utils/CordContainer.py
@@ -430,7 +430,6 @@
             started = onos_log.search_log_pattern('ApplicationManager .* Started')
             num_tries += 1
 
-        onos_log.close()
         if not started:
             print('ONOS did not start')
         else:
diff --git a/src/test/utils/OnosLog.py b/src/test/utils/OnosLog.py
index 6bdef9f..5baa6f1 100644
--- a/src/test/utils/OnosLog.py
+++ b/src/test/utils/OnosLog.py
@@ -15,10 +15,6 @@
         if not OnosLog.last_snapshot_map.has_key(host):
             OnosLog.last_snapshot_map[host] = []
 
-    #should be the last function to call for tearing down the log session
-    def close(self):
-        self.ssh_agent.client.close()
-
     @classmethod
     def get_last_snapshot(cls, host):
         if cls.last_snapshot_map.has_key(host):
@@ -83,7 +79,6 @@
     print('Checking for ERROR and INFO')
     st, output = onos_log.get_log(('ERROR', 'INFO'))
     print(st, output)
-    onos_log.close()
     pat = onos_log.search_log_pattern('ApplicationManager .* Started')
     if pat:
         print(pat)
diff --git a/src/test/utils/SSHTestAgent.py b/src/test/utils/SSHTestAgent.py
index 4cd7666..82f20ad 100644
--- a/src/test/utils/SSHTestAgent.py
+++ b/src/test/utils/SSHTestAgent.py
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@
         host_remove = 'ssh-keygen -f "%s" -R [%s]:8101' %(self.hosts_file, self.host)
         try:
             os.system(host_remove)
+        except: pass
+
+        try:
             self.client.connect(self.host, username = self.user, password = self.password,
                                 key_filename = self.key_file, timeout=timeout, port = self.port)
         except:
@@ -45,6 +48,7 @@
                 else:
                     break
         channel.close()
+        self.client.close()
         return st, output
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':