diff --git a/nav2_system_tests/src/planning/planner_tester.cpp b/nav2_system_tests/src/planning/planner_tester.cpp
index 5c7732b1fc5fdb8cc1de8fbab6bad7ae1422ebc3..2c753b3d37b6b83f4281397d5b5c0a8e95ffb1a1 100644
--- a/nav2_system_tests/src/planning/planner_tester.cpp
+++ b/nav2_system_tests/src/planning/planner_tester.cpp
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ void PlannerTester::activate()
       executor_.remove_node(this->get_node_base_interface());
     });
 
+  // We start with a 10x10 grid with no obstacles
+  loadSimpleCostmap(TestCostmap::open_space);
+
   startRobotTransform();
 
   // The navfn wrapper
@@ -72,9 +75,6 @@ void PlannerTester::activate()
 
   // For visualization, we'll publish the map
   map_pub_ = this->create_publisher<nav_msgs::msg::OccupancyGrid>("map");
-
-  // We start with a 10x10 grid with no obstacles
-  loadSimpleCostmap(TestCostmap::open_space);
 }
 
 void PlannerTester::deactivate()
diff --git a/nav2_system_tests/src/planning/test_planner_costmaps_node.cpp b/nav2_system_tests/src/planning/test_planner_costmaps_node.cpp
index f989766fe8785249fe87cb6485d42d667b5c7901..6d43a1c58c561272d97c93d2e4ea9ec53c9a074b 100644
--- a/nav2_system_tests/src/planning/test_planner_costmaps_node.cpp
+++ b/nav2_system_tests/src/planning/test_planner_costmaps_node.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ RclCppFixture g_rclcppfixture;
 
 TEST_F(PlannerTester, testSimpleCostmaps)
 {
+  activate();
+
   std::vector<TestCostmap> costmaps = {
     TestCostmap::open_space,
     TestCostmap::bounded,
diff --git a/nav2_system_tests/src/planning/test_planner_random_node.cpp b/nav2_system_tests/src/planning/test_planner_random_node.cpp
index a119bc01ba37bc17da5f4c91daabd14bbe7f80a8..615892b0cf1776a24b9a6ebf72949d50653abff4 100644
--- a/nav2_system_tests/src/planning/test_planner_random_node.cpp
+++ b/nav2_system_tests/src/planning/test_planner_random_node.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ RclCppFixture g_rclcppfixture;
 
 TEST_F(PlannerTester, testWithHundredRandomEndPoints)
 {
+  activate();
   loadDefaultMap();
   EXPECT_EQ(true, defaultPlannerRandomTests(100, 0.1));
 }