diff --git a/e2e-tests/cypress.config.js b/e2e-tests/cypress.config.js
index eb1e82c7e..ce6efca4f 100644
--- a/e2e-tests/cypress.config.js
+++ b/e2e-tests/cypress.config.js
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 const { defineConfig } = require('cypress');
+const killPort = require('kill-port');
 const { clearDataWithBackup } = require('./e2eTestTools');
+const waitOn = require('wait-on');
+const { exec } = require('child_process');
 
 module.exports = defineConfig({
   e2e: {
@@ -7,8 +10,19 @@ module.exports = defineConfig({
       // implement node event listeners here
 
       on('before:spec', async details => {
-        clearDataWithBackup();
-        // await axios.default.post('http://localhost:3000/connections/reload-connection-list', {});
+        await clearDataWithBackup();
+        
+        if (config.isInteractive) {
+          await killPort(3000);
+          serverProcess = exec('yarn start');
+          await waitOn({ resources: ['http://localhost:3000'] });
+          serverProcess.stdout.on('data', data => {
+            console.log(data.toString());
+          });
+          serverProcess.stderr.on('data', data => {
+            console.error(data.toString());
+          });
+        }
       });
     },
   },
diff --git a/e2e-tests/cypress/e2e/connect.cy.js b/e2e-tests/cypress/e2e/connect.cy.js
index b03266038..f6db25863 100644
--- a/e2e-tests/cypress/e2e/connect.cy.js
+++ b/e2e-tests/cypress/e2e/connect.cy.js
@@ -5,13 +5,15 @@ describe('Initialization', () => {
   });
 
   it('adds connection', () => {
+    const runOnCI = Cypress.env('runOnCI');
+
     cy.visit('http://localhost:3000');
     // cy.get('[data-testid=ConnectionList_buttonNewConnection]').click();
     cy.get('[data-testid=ConnectionDriverFields_connectionType]').select('MySQL');
     cy.get('[data-testid=ConnectionDriverFields_user]').clear().type('root');
     cy.get('[data-testid=ConnectionDriverFields_password]').clear().type('Pwd2020Db');
     cy.get('[data-testid=ConnectionDriverFields_port]').clear().type('16004');
-    if (process.env.CI) {
+    if (runOnCI) {
       cy.get('[data-testid=ConnectionDriverFields_server]').clear().type('mysql');
     } 
     cy.get('[data-testid=ConnectionDriverFields_displayName]').clear().type('test-mysql-1');
diff --git a/e2e-tests/package.json b/e2e-tests/package.json
index 8e3b6b655..0f5eff1b0 100644
--- a/e2e-tests/package.json
+++ b/e2e-tests/package.json
@@ -7,12 +7,13 @@
     "axios": "^1.7.9",
     "cross-env": "^7.0.3",
     "cypress": "^13.16.1",
+    "kill-port": "^2.0.1",
     "start-server-and-test": "^2.0.8"
   },
   "scripts": {
     "cy:open": "cypress open --config experimentalInteractiveRunEvents=true",
     "cy:run": "cypress run",
-    "cy:run:ci": "cross-env CI=true cypress run",
+    "cy:run:ci": "cypress run --env runOnCI=true",
     "start": "cd .. && node packer/build/bundle.js --listen-api --run-e2e-tests",
     "test:ci": "start-server-and-test start http://localhost:3000 cy:run:ci",
     "test": "start-server-and-test start http://localhost:3000 cy:run"
diff --git a/e2e-tests/yarn.lock b/e2e-tests/yarn.lock
index 4c8821e33..1a31e6637 100644
--- a/e2e-tests/yarn.lock
+++ b/e2e-tests/yarn.lock
@@ -653,6 +653,11 @@ get-stream@^6.0.0:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/get-stream/-/get-stream-6.0.1.tgz#a262d8eef67aced57c2852ad6167526a43cbf7b7"
   integrity sha512-ts6Wi+2j3jQjqi70w5AlN8DFnkSwC+MqmxEzdEALB2qXZYV3X/b1CTfgPLGJNMeAWxdPfU8FO1ms3NUfaHCPYg==
 
+get-them-args@1.3.2:
+  version "1.3.2"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/get-them-args/-/get-them-args-1.3.2.tgz#74a20ba8a4abece5ae199ad03f2bcc68fdfc9ba5"
+  integrity sha512-LRn8Jlk+DwZE4GTlDbT3Hikd1wSHgLMme/+7ddlqKd7ldwR6LjJgTVWzBnR01wnYGe4KgrXjg287RaI22UHmAw==
+
 getos@^3.2.1:
   version "3.2.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/getos/-/getos-3.2.1.tgz#0134d1f4e00eb46144c5a9c0ac4dc087cbb27dc5"
@@ -837,6 +842,14 @@ jsprim@^2.0.2:
     json-schema "0.4.0"
     verror "1.10.0"
 
+kill-port@^2.0.1:
+  version "2.0.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/kill-port/-/kill-port-2.0.1.tgz#e5e18e2706b13d54320938be42cb7d40609b15cf"
+  integrity sha512-e0SVOV5jFo0mx8r7bS29maVWp17qGqLBZ5ricNSajON6//kmb7qqqNnml4twNE8Dtj97UQD+gNFOaipS/q1zzQ==
+  dependencies:
+    get-them-args "1.3.2"
+    shell-exec "1.0.2"
+
 lazy-ass@1.6.0, lazy-ass@^1.6.0:
   version "1.6.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lazy-ass/-/lazy-ass-1.6.0.tgz#7999655e8646c17f089fdd187d150d3324d54513"
@@ -1094,6 +1107,11 @@ shebang-regex@^3.0.0:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/shebang-regex/-/shebang-regex-3.0.0.tgz#ae16f1644d873ecad843b0307b143362d4c42172"
   integrity sha512-7++dFhtcx3353uBaq8DDR4NuxBetBzC7ZQOhmTQInHEd6bSrXdiEyzCvG07Z44UYdLShWUyXt5M/yhz8ekcb1A==
 
+shell-exec@1.0.2:
+  version "1.0.2"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/shell-exec/-/shell-exec-1.0.2.tgz#2e9361b0fde1d73f476c4b6671fa17785f696756"
+  integrity sha512-jyVd+kU2X+mWKMmGhx4fpWbPsjvD53k9ivqetutVW/BQ+WIZoDoP4d8vUMGezV6saZsiNoW2f9GIhg9Dondohg==
+
 side-channel@^1.0.6:
   version "1.0.6"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/side-channel/-/side-channel-1.0.6.tgz#abd25fb7cd24baf45466406b1096b7831c9215f2"
diff --git a/packages/api/src/controllers/auth.js b/packages/api/src/controllers/auth.js
index 187cc0130..509d4c9c1 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/controllers/auth.js
+++ b/packages/api/src/controllers/auth.js
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ function authMiddleware(req, res, next) {
     '/connections/dblogin-app',
     '/connections/dblogin-auth',
     '/connections/dblogin-auth-token',
-    '/connections/reload-connection-list',
   ];
 
   // console.log('********************* getAuthProvider()', getAuthProvider());