diff --git a/internal/idle/idle_e2e_test.go b/internal/idle/idle_e2e_test.go
index 12d8e5e24409..fd902f4c0af4 100644
--- a/internal/idle/idle_e2e_test.go
+++ b/internal/idle/idle_e2e_test.go
@@ -136,19 +136,16 @@ func (s) TestChannelIdleness_Disabled_NoActivity(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("grpc.NewClient() failed: %v", err)
 	}
 	defer cc.Close()
+	cc.Connect()
 
 	// Start a test backend and push an address update via the resolver.
 	backend := stubserver.StartTestService(t, nil)
 	defer backend.Stop()
-	r.InitialState(resolver.State{Addresses: []resolver.Address{{Addr: backend.Address}}})
+	r.UpdateState(resolver.State{Addresses: []resolver.Address{{Addr: backend.Address}}})
 
-	// Trigger the resolver by initiating an RPC.
+	// Verify that the ClientConn moves to READY.
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), defaultTestTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
-	go func() {
-		_ = cc.Invoke(ctx, "/test/method", nil, nil)
-	}()
-	// Verify that the ClientConn moves to READY.
 	testutils.AwaitState(ctx, t, cc, connectivity.Ready)
 
 	// Verify that the ClientConn stays in READY.
@@ -186,20 +183,16 @@ func (s) TestChannelIdleness_Enabled_NoActivity(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("grpc.NewClient() failed: %v", err)
 	}
 	defer cc.Close()
-
+	cc.Connect()
 	// Start a test backend and push an address update via the resolver.
 	lis := testutils.NewListenerWrapper(t, nil)
 	backend := stubserver.StartTestService(t, &stubserver.StubServer{Listener: lis})
 	defer backend.Stop()
-	r.InitialState(resolver.State{Addresses: []resolver.Address{{Addr: backend.Address}}})
+	r.UpdateState(resolver.State{Addresses: []resolver.Address{{Addr: backend.Address}}})
 
-	// Verify that the ClientConn moves to READY and trigger the resolver by
-	//  initiating an RPC.
+	// Verify that the ClientConn moves to READY.
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), defaultTestTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
-	go func() {
-		_ = cc.Invoke(ctx, "/test/method", nil, nil)
-	}()
 	testutils.AwaitState(ctx, t, cc, connectivity.Ready)
 
 	// Retrieve the wrapped conn from the listener.
@@ -278,7 +271,7 @@ func (s) TestChannelIdleness_Enabled_OngoingCall(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Fatalf("grpc.NewClient() failed: %v", err)
 			}
 			defer cc.Close()
-
+			cc.Connect()
 			// Start a test backend that keeps the RPC call active by blocking
 			// on a channel that is closed by the test later on.
 			blockCh := make(chan struct{})
@@ -299,15 +292,11 @@ func (s) TestChannelIdleness_Enabled_OngoingCall(t *testing.T) {
 
 			// Push an address update containing the address of the above
 			// backend via the manual resolver.
-			r.InitialState(resolver.State{Addresses: []resolver.Address{{Addr: backend.Address}}})
+			r.UpdateState(resolver.State{Addresses: []resolver.Address{{Addr: backend.Address}}})
 
-			// Verify that the ClientConn moves to READY and trigger the resolver by
-			//  initiating an RPC.
+			// Verify that the ClientConn moves to READY.
 			ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), defaultTestTimeout)
 			defer cancel()
-			go func() {
-				_ = cc.Invoke(ctx, "/test/method", nil, nil)
-			}()
 			testutils.AwaitState(ctx, t, cc, connectivity.Ready)
 
 			// Spawn a goroutine to check for expected behavior while a blocking
@@ -371,19 +360,15 @@ func (s) TestChannelIdleness_Enabled_ActiveSinceLastCheck(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("grpc.NewClient() failed: %v", err)
 	}
 	defer cc.Close()
-
+	cc.Connect()
 	// Start a test backend and push an address update via the resolver.
 	backend := stubserver.StartTestService(t, nil)
 	defer backend.Stop()
-	r.InitialState(resolver.State{Addresses: []resolver.Address{{Addr: backend.Address}}})
+	r.UpdateState(resolver.State{Addresses: []resolver.Address{{Addr: backend.Address}}})
 
-	// Verify that the ClientConn moves to READY and trigger the resolver by
-	//  initiating an RPC.
+	// Verify that the ClientConn moves to READY.
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), defaultTestTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
-	go func() {
-		_ = cc.Invoke(ctx, "/test/method", nil, nil)
-	}()
 	testutils.AwaitState(ctx, t, cc, connectivity.Ready)
 
 	// For a duration of three times the configured idle timeout, making RPCs
@@ -444,15 +429,10 @@ func (s) TestChannelIdleness_Enabled_ExitIdleOnRPC(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("grpc.NewClient() failed: %v", err)
 	}
 	defer cc.Close()
-
-	// Verify that the ClientConn moves to READY and trigger the resolver by
-	// initiating an RPC.
+	cc.Connect()
+	// Verify that the ClientConn moves to READY.
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), defaultTestTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
-	go func() {
-		_ = cc.Invoke(ctx, "/test/method", nil, nil)
-	}()
-
 	testutils.AwaitState(ctx, t, cc, connectivity.Ready)
 
 	// Verify that the ClientConn moves to IDLE as there is no activity.
diff --git a/orca/producer_test.go b/orca/producer_test.go
index 103329837f2f..adf030cc145b 100644
--- a/orca/producer_test.go
+++ b/orca/producer_test.go
@@ -153,7 +153,12 @@ func (s) TestProducer(t *testing.T) {
 	li := &listenerInfo{scChan: make(chan balancer.SubConn, 1), listener: oobLis, opts: lisOpts}
 	addr := setListenerInfo(resolver.Address{Addr: lis.Addr().String()}, li)
 	r.InitialState(resolver.State{Addresses: []resolver.Address{addr}})
-	cc, err := grpc.NewClient("whatever:///whatever", grpc.WithDefaultServiceConfig(`{"loadBalancingConfig": [{"customLB":{}}]}`), grpc.WithResolvers(r), grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()))
+	dopts := []grpc.DialOption{
+		grpc.WithDefaultServiceConfig(`{"loadBalancingConfig": [{"customLB":{}}]}`),
+		grpc.WithResolvers(r),
+		grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()),
+	}
+	cc, err := grpc.NewClient("whatever:///whatever", dopts...)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("grpc.NewClient() failed: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -319,7 +324,12 @@ func (s) TestProducerBackoff(t *testing.T) {
 	lisOpts := orca.OOBListenerOptions{ReportInterval: reportInterval}
 	li := &listenerInfo{scChan: make(chan balancer.SubConn, 1), listener: oobLis, opts: lisOpts}
 	r.InitialState(resolver.State{Addresses: []resolver.Address{setListenerInfo(resolver.Address{Addr: lis.Addr().String()}, li)}})
-	cc, err := grpc.NewClient("whatever:///whatever", grpc.WithDefaultServiceConfig(`{"loadBalancingConfig": [{"customLB":{}}]}`), grpc.WithResolvers(r), grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()))
+	dopts := []grpc.DialOption{
+		grpc.WithDefaultServiceConfig(`{"loadBalancingConfig": [{"customLB":{}}]}`),
+		grpc.WithResolvers(r),
+		grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()),
+	}
+	cc, err := grpc.NewClient("whatever:///whatever", dopts...)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("grpc.NewClient failed: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/resolver/manual/manual_test.go b/resolver/manual/manual_test.go
index b4882d3d229d..2d089268b778 100644
--- a/resolver/manual/manual_test.go
+++ b/resolver/manual/manual_test.go
@@ -59,9 +59,6 @@ func TestResolver(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 	t.Run("happy_path", func(t *testing.T) {
-		r.InitialState(resolver.State{Addresses: []resolver.Address{
-			{Addr: "ok"},
-		}})
 		cc, err := grpc.NewClient("whatever://localhost",
 			grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()),
 			grpc.WithResolvers(r))
@@ -70,6 +67,9 @@ func TestResolver(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		defer cc.Close()
 		cc.Connect()
+		r.UpdateState(resolver.State{Addresses: []resolver.Address{
+			{Addr: "ok"},
+		}})
 		r.ReportError(errors.New("example"))
 	})
 }
diff --git a/test/authority_test.go b/test/authority_test.go
index 04d7ed021e2b..302376409c86 100644
--- a/test/authority_test.go
+++ b/test/authority_test.go
@@ -194,12 +194,7 @@ func (s) TestColonPortAuthority(t *testing.T) {
 	//
 	// Append "localhost" before calling net.Dial, in case net.Dial on certain
 	// platforms doesn't work well for address without the IP.
-	cc, err := grpc.NewClient(":"+port, grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()), grpc.WithContextDialer(func(ctx context.Context, addr string) (net.Conn, error) {
-		if len(addr) > 0 && addr[0] == ':' {
-			addr = "localhost" + addr
-		}
-		return (&net.Dialer{}).DialContext(ctx, "tcp", addr)
-	}))
+	cc, err := grpc.NewClient(":"+port, grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("grpc.NewClient(%q) = %v", ss.Target, err)
 	}
diff --git a/test/roundrobin_test.go b/test/roundrobin_test.go
index e27e8d33b834..815e244946fe 100644
--- a/test/roundrobin_test.go
+++ b/test/roundrobin_test.go
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ func (s) TestRoundRobin_UpdateAddressAttributes(t *testing.T) {
 		grpc.WithResolvers(r),
 		grpc.WithDefaultServiceConfig(rrServiceConfig),
 	}
-	// Send a resolver update with no address attributes.
+	// Set an initial resolver update with no address attributes.
 	addr := resolver.Address{Addr: backend.Address}
 	r.InitialState(resolver.State{Addresses: []resolver.Address{addr}})
 	cc, err := grpc.NewClient(r.Scheme()+":///test.server", dopts...)