diff --git a/backend/pkg/api/api_integration_test.go b/backend/pkg/api/api_integration_test.go
index b881d5d16..b7dbd0e60 100644
--- a/backend/pkg/api/api_integration_test.go
+++ b/backend/pkg/api/api_integration_test.go
@@ -181,6 +181,12 @@ type assertHooks struct {
 }
 
 func (a *assertHooks) isCallAllowed(topicName string) bool {
+	// The target system may have created internal topics, which
+	// use an underscore prefix by convention. The calls to such topics
+	// are expected and therefore are allowed.
+	if strings.HasPrefix(topicName, "_") {
+		return true
+	}
 	pc, _, _, _ := runtime.Caller(1)
 	fnName := runtime.FuncForPC(pc).Name()
 	parts := strings.Split(fnName, ".")
@@ -212,6 +218,7 @@ func (a *assertHooks) getCallReturnValue(topicName string) assertCallReturnValue
 
 func newAssertHooks(t *testing.T, returnValues map[string]map[string]assertCallReturnValue) *Hooks {
 	h := &assertHooks{
+		t:            t,
 		allowedCalls: map[string]map[string]bool{},
 		returnValues: map[string]map[string]assertCallReturnValue{},
 	}
diff --git a/backend/pkg/api/handle_topics_integration_test.go b/backend/pkg/api/handle_topics_integration_test.go
index 50b262fd2..caa04fd5c 100644
--- a/backend/pkg/api/handle_topics_integration_test.go
+++ b/backend/pkg/api/handle_topics_integration_test.go
@@ -77,10 +77,16 @@ func (s *APIIntegrationTestSuite) TestHandleGetTopics() {
 		err := json.Unmarshal(body, &getRes)
 		require.NoError(err)
 
-		require.Len(getRes.Topics, 3)
-		assert.Equal(testutil.TopicNameForTest("get_topics_0"), getRes.Topics[0].TopicName)
-		assert.Equal(testutil.TopicNameForTest("get_topics_1"), getRes.Topics[1].TopicName)
-		assert.Equal(testutil.TopicNameForTest("get_topics_2"), getRes.Topics[2].TopicName)
+		// There may be internal topics, thus we need to check GTE
+		require.GreaterOrEqual(len(getRes.Topics), 3)
+		topicNames := make([]string, len(getRes.Topics))
+		for i, topicDetails := range getRes.Topics {
+			topicNames[i] = topicDetails.TopicName
+		}
+
+		assert.Contains(topicNames, testutil.TopicNameForTest("get_topics_0"))
+		assert.Contains(topicNames, testutil.TopicNameForTest("get_topics_1"))
+		assert.Contains(topicNames, testutil.TopicNameForTest("get_topics_2"))
 	})
 
 	t.Run("no see permission", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -108,12 +114,12 @@ func (s *APIIntegrationTestSuite) TestHandleGetTopics() {
 			}
 		}()
 
-		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 10*time.Second)
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 1000*time.Second)
 		defer cancel()
 
 		res, body := s.apiRequest(ctx, http.MethodGet, "/api/topics", nil)
 
-		assert.Equal(200, res.StatusCode)
+		require.Equal(200, res.StatusCode)
 
 		type response struct {
 			Topics []*console.TopicSummary `json:"topics"`