diff --git a/intact-bioactiveentities-update/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/dbupdate/bioactiveentity/importer/BioActiveEntityServiceImplTest.java b/intact-bioactiveentities-update/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/dbupdate/bioactiveentity/importer/BioActiveEntityServiceImplTest.java
index 5995c8ad..af0afc9a 100644
--- a/intact-bioactiveentities-update/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/dbupdate/bioactiveentity/importer/BioActiveEntityServiceImplTest.java
+++ b/intact-bioactiveentities-update/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/dbupdate/bioactiveentity/importer/BioActiveEntityServiceImplTest.java
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 import org.junit.After;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
+import org.springframework.test.context.TestPropertySource;
+import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;
 import uk.ac.ebi.intact.core.unit.IntactMockBuilder;
 import uk.ac.ebi.intact.dbupdate.bioactiveentity.utils.BioActiveEntityUtils;
 import uk.ac.ebi.intact.model.*;
@@ -16,6 +20,12 @@
  * Date: 24/05/2013
  * Time: 10:44
  */
+@RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
+@TestPropertySource(locations="classpath:/retry.properties")
+@ContextConfiguration(locations = {
+        "classpath*:/META-INF/intact.spring.xml",
+        "classpath*:/META-INF/standalone/*-standalone.spring.xml"
+})
 public class BioActiveEntityServiceImplTest {
 
     private BioActiveEntityService bioActiveEntityService;
diff --git a/intact-bioactiveentities-update/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/dbupdate/bioactiveentity/utils/BioActiveEntityUtilsTest.java b/intact-bioactiveentities-update/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/dbupdate/bioactiveentity/utils/BioActiveEntityUtilsTest.java
index 64854137..b0973acf 100644
--- a/intact-bioactiveentities-update/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/dbupdate/bioactiveentity/utils/BioActiveEntityUtilsTest.java
+++ b/intact-bioactiveentities-update/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/dbupdate/bioactiveentity/utils/BioActiveEntityUtilsTest.java
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 import junit.framework.Assert;
 import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
+import org.springframework.test.context.TestPropertySource;
+import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;
 import uk.ac.ebi.intact.model.*;
 
 /**
@@ -10,7 +14,12 @@
  * Date: 24/05/2013
  * Time: 11:18
  */
-
+@RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
+@TestPropertySource(locations="classpath:/retry.properties")
+@ContextConfiguration(locations = {
+        "classpath*:/META-INF/intact.spring.xml",
+        "classpath*:/META-INF/standalone/*-standalone.spring.xml"
+})
 public class BioActiveEntityUtilsTest {
     @Test
     public void testGetInstitution() throws Exception {
diff --git a/intact-cv-update/src/test/resources/META-INF/cv-update.properties b/intact-cv-update/src/test/resources/META-INF/cv-update.properties
index 8bd12a92..a321aa09 100644
--- a/intact-cv-update/src/test/resources/META-INF/cv-update.properties
+++ b/intact-cv-update/src/test/resources/META-INF/cv-update.properties
@@ -1 +1,5 @@
 update.report=reports
+
+retry.maxAttempts=5
+retry.multiplier=2
+retry.maxDelay=5000
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/intact-genes-update/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/dbupdate/gene/importer/GeneServiceImplTest.java b/intact-genes-update/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/dbupdate/gene/importer/GeneServiceImplTest.java
index 91f2f230..53fe3fca 100644
--- a/intact-genes-update/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/dbupdate/gene/importer/GeneServiceImplTest.java
+++ b/intact-genes-update/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/dbupdate/gene/importer/GeneServiceImplTest.java
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 import org.junit.After;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
+import org.springframework.test.context.TestPropertySource;
+import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;
 import uk.ac.ebi.intact.model.Interactor;
 
 import java.util.List;
@@ -15,6 +19,12 @@
  * Time: 17:15
  * To change this template use File | Settings | File Templates.
  */
+@RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
+@TestPropertySource(locations="classpath:/retry.properties")
+@ContextConfiguration(locations = {
+        "classpath*:/META-INF/intact.spring.xml",
+        "classpath*:/META-INF/standalone/*-standalone.spring.xml"
+})
 public class GeneServiceImplTest {
 
     private GeneServiceImpl geneService;
diff --git a/intact-genes-update/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/dbupdate/gene/utils/GeneUtilsTest.java b/intact-genes-update/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/dbupdate/gene/utils/GeneUtilsTest.java
index 46cbe540..786a62f4 100644
--- a/intact-genes-update/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/dbupdate/gene/utils/GeneUtilsTest.java
+++ b/intact-genes-update/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/dbupdate/gene/utils/GeneUtilsTest.java
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 import junit.framework.Assert;
 import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
+import org.springframework.test.context.TestPropertySource;
+import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;
 import uk.ac.ebi.intact.model.*;
 
 /**
@@ -11,6 +15,12 @@
  * Time: 11:16
  * To change this template use File | Settings | File Templates.
  */
+@RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
+@TestPropertySource(locations="classpath:/retry.properties")
+@ContextConfiguration(locations = {
+        "classpath*:/META-INF/intact.spring.xml",
+        "classpath*:/META-INF/standalone/*-standalone.spring.xml"
+})
 public class GeneUtilsTest {
 
     @Test
diff --git a/intact-update-model/src/main/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/update/model/unit/UpdateBasicTestCase.java b/intact-update-model/src/main/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/update/model/unit/UpdateBasicTestCase.java
index aa14ec48..f90eeb87 100644
--- a/intact-update-model/src/main/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/update/model/unit/UpdateBasicTestCase.java
+++ b/intact-update-model/src/main/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/update/model/unit/UpdateBasicTestCase.java
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
+import org.springframework.test.context.TestPropertySource;
 import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;
 import org.springframework.transaction.annotation.Transactional;
 import uk.ac.ebi.intact.update.persistence.dao.UpdateDaoFactory;
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@
  * @since <pre>20-May-2010</pre>
  */
 @RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
+@TestPropertySource(locations="classpath:/retry.properties")
 @ContextConfiguration(locations = {
         "classpath*:/META-INF/update-jpa.spring.xml",
         "classpath*:/META-INF/standalone/*-standalone.spring.xml"
diff --git a/intact-update-model/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/update/utils/SchemaUtilsTest.java b/intact-update-model/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/update/utils/SchemaUtilsTest.java
index 28351ff6..2813c05e 100644
--- a/intact-update-model/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/update/utils/SchemaUtilsTest.java
+++ b/intact-update-model/src/test/java/uk/ac/ebi/intact/update/utils/SchemaUtilsTest.java
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Qualifier;
 import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
+import org.springframework.test.context.TestPropertySource;
 import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;
 
 import javax.sql.DataSource;
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@
         "classpath*:/META-INF/db-update-test.spring.xml",
         "classpath*:/META-INF/intact.spring.xml"
 })
+@TestPropertySource(locations="classpath:/retry.properties")
 public class SchemaUtilsTest {
 
     @Autowired