diff --git a/.github/workflows/JAPIPRBuildAction.yml b/.github/workflows/JAPIPRBuildAction.yml
index 56d2121c0..169a0df05 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/JAPIPRBuildAction.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/JAPIPRBuildAction.yml
@@ -12,12 +12,6 @@ jobs:
       with:
         ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
         fetch-depth: 0
-    - name: Rebase
-      run: |
-        git config user.email 'hpccsystems@lexisnexisrisk.com'
-        git config user.name 'hpccsystems development'
-        git rebase origin/${{ github.event.pull_request.base.ref }}
-        git log --pretty=one -n 15
 
     - name: Set up JDK 11
       uses: actions/setup-java@v1
@@ -34,3 +28,7 @@ jobs:
 
     - name: Build with Maven
       run: mvn -B package --file pom.xml
+
+    # Expect a failure here, verifying that the test suite fails early on init issues
+    - name: Test Suite Verification
+      run: ! mvn test --activate-profiles jenkins-on-demand -Dhpccconn=https://bad_host:8010
diff --git a/wsclient/src/test/java/org/hpccsystems/ws/client/BaseRemoteInitTest.java b/wsclient/src/test/java/org/hpccsystems/ws/client/BaseRemoteInitTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..abca7b7ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wsclient/src/test/java/org/hpccsystems/ws/client/BaseRemoteInitTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+/*##############################################################################
+
+    HPCC SYSTEMS software Copyright (C) 2024 HPCC Systems®.
+
+    Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+    you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+    You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+    Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+    distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+    WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+    See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+    limitations under the License.
+############################################################################## */
+
+package org.hpccsystems.ws.client;
+
+import org.junit.Assert;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.experimental.categories.Category;
+
+@Category(org.hpccsystems.commons.annotations.RemoteTests.class)
+public class BaseRemoteInitTest
+{
+    @Test
+    public void initTest() throws Exception
+    {
+        String exceptionMessage = "";
+        if (BaseRemoteTest.initializationException != null)
+        {
+            exceptionMessage = BaseRemoteTest.initializationException.getMessage();
+        }
+
+        Assert.assertTrue("Error initializing test suite: " + exceptionMessage, BaseRemoteTest.initializationException == null);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/wsclient/src/test/java/org/hpccsystems/ws/client/BaseRemoteTest.java b/wsclient/src/test/java/org/hpccsystems/ws/client/BaseRemoteTest.java
index 04bcb5312..08716ab48 100644
--- a/wsclient/src/test/java/org/hpccsystems/ws/client/BaseRemoteTest.java
+++ b/wsclient/src/test/java/org/hpccsystems/ws/client/BaseRemoteTest.java
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ HPCC SYSTEMS software Copyright (C) 2019 HPCC Systems®.
 @Category(org.hpccsystems.commons.annotations.RemoteTests.class)
 public abstract class BaseRemoteTest
 {
-    protected static Exception initializationException = null;
+    public static Exception initializationException = null;
     protected static Platform platform;
     protected static HPCCWsClient wsclient;
 
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ public static void initCheck()
             initializationException.printStackTrace();
         }
 
-        Assert.assertNull("Error initializing test suite: " + exceptionMessage, initializationException);
+        Assume.assumeTrue("Error initializing test suite: " + exceptionMessage, initializationException == null);
     }
 
     public static void initialize() throws Exception