diff --git a/pass-notification-service/src/main/resources/application.properties b/pass-notification-service/src/main/resources/application.properties
index 54240d1e..68d1cfd5 100644
--- a/pass-notification-service/src/main/resources/application.properties
+++ b/pass-notification-service/src/main/resources/application.properties
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ spring.jms.listener.auto-startup=true
 spring.jms.cache.enabled=false
 
 spring.mail.protocol=${SPRING_MAIL_PROTOCOL:smtp}
-spring.mail.host=${SPRING_MAIL_HOST:localhost}
-spring.mail.port=${SPRING_MAIL_PORT:587}
+spring.mail.host=${SPRING_MAIL_HOST}
+spring.mail.port=${SPRING_MAIL_PORT}
 spring.mail.username=${SPRING_MAIL_USERNAME}
 spring.mail.password=${SPRING_MAIL_PASSWORD}
 spring.mail.properties.mail.smtp.starttls.enable=true
@@ -32,14 +32,14 @@ spring.mail.properties.mail.smtp.connectiontimeout=5000
 spring.mail.properties.mail.smtp.timeout=3000
 spring.mail.properties.mail.smtp.writetimeout=5000
 
-pass.client.url=${PASS_CORE_URL:localhost:8080}
-pass.client.user=${PASS_CORE_USER:fakeuser}
-pass.client.password=${PASS_CORE_PASSWORD:fakepassword}
+pass.client.url=${PASS_CORE_URL}
+pass.client.user=${PASS_CORE_USER}
+pass.client.password=${PASS_CORE_PASSWORD}
 
 pass.jms.queue.submission.event.name=${PASS_JMS_QUEUE_SUBMISSION_EVENT_NAME:event}
 
 pass.notification.mode=${PASS_NOTIFICATION_MODE:DEMO}
 pass.notification.configuration=${PASS_NOTIFICATION_CONFIGURATION:classpath:/notification.json}
 pass.link.scheme=${PASS_LINK_SCHEME:https}
-pass.link.host=${PASS_LINK_HOST:passreplacethis.foo}
-pass.app.domain=${PASS_APP_DOMAIN:passreplacethis.foo}
+pass.link.host=${PASS_LINK_HOST}
+pass.app.domain=${PASS_APP_DOMAIN}
diff --git a/pass-notification-service/src/test/java/org/eclipse/pass/notification/config/AwsParamStoreConfigTest.java b/pass-notification-service/src/test/java/org/eclipse/pass/notification/config/AwsParamStoreConfigTest.java
index 0fd757d6..c25439b1 100644
--- a/pass-notification-service/src/test/java/org/eclipse/pass/notification/config/AwsParamStoreConfigTest.java
+++ b/pass-notification-service/src/test/java/org/eclipse/pass/notification/config/AwsParamStoreConfigTest.java
@@ -39,7 +39,15 @@
         "spring.cloud.aws.credentials.access-key=noop",
         "spring.cloud.aws.credentials.secret-key=noop",
         "spring.cloud.aws.region.static=us-east-1",
-        "spring.jms.listener.auto-startup=false"
+        "spring.jms.listener.auto-startup=false",
+        "spring.mail.host=${SPRING_MAIL_HOST:test-mail-host}",
+        "spring.mail.port=${SPRING_MAIL_PORT:999}",
+        "spring.mail.username=${SPRING_MAIL_USERNAME:test-mail-user}",
+        "spring.mail.password=${SPRING_MAIL_PASSWORD:test-mail-pw}",
+        "pass.client.url=http://localhost:8080/",
+        "pass.client.user=${PASS_CORE_USER:test}",
+        "pass.client.password=${PASS_CORE_PASSWORD:test-pw}",
+        "pass.app.domain=testing-pass-app-domain",
     })
 @ContextConfiguration(initializers = ConfigDataApplicationContextInitializer.class)
 @Testcontainers
@@ -77,7 +85,7 @@ static void beforeAll() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
     @Test
     public void testLoadPropFromParamStore() {
         String mailHostNameProp = environment.getProperty("spring.mail.host");
-        assertEquals("localhost", mailHostNameProp);
+        assertEquals("test-mail-host", mailHostNameProp);
         String userPwProp = environment.getProperty("spring.mail.password");
         assertEquals("aws-param-store-notif-pw", userPwProp);
         String passClientPwProp = environment.getProperty("pass.client.password");
diff --git a/pass-notification-service/src/test/resources/test-application.properties b/pass-notification-service/src/test/resources/test-application.properties
index c6b4f2f7..8c8e6d9e 100644
--- a/pass-notification-service/src/test/resources/test-application.properties
+++ b/pass-notification-service/src/test/resources/test-application.properties
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@
 #
 spring.jms.listener.auto-startup=false
 
+pass.client.url=http://localhost:8080/
+pass.client.user=backend
+pass.client.password=backend
+
 spring.mail.protocol=smtp
 spring.mail.host=localhost
 spring.mail.port=3025