diff --git a/groups/core_all b/groups/core_all
index f838862..cc33872 100644
--- a/groups/core_all
+++ b/groups/core_all
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ location_upgrade
 node_repair_big
 node_repair_nval
 verify_build_cluster
+verify_build_cluster_caps_race
 verify_claimant
 verify_dynamic_ring
 verify_leave
diff --git a/src/rt.erl b/src/rt.erl
index 0cc2869..0739e29 100644
--- a/src/rt.erl
+++ b/src/rt.erl
@@ -2706,14 +2706,16 @@ make_multi_backend_config(Other) ->
 get_backends() ->
     Backends = ?HARNESS:get_backends(),
     case Backends of
-        [riak_kv_bitcask_backend] -> bitcask;
-        [riak_kv_eleveldb_backend] -> eleveldb;
-        [riak_kv_memory_backend] -> memory;
-        [riak_kv_leveled_backend] -> leveled;
-        [Other] -> Other;
-        MoreThanOne -> MoreThanOne
+        [Single] -> known_backend(Single);
+        MoreThanOne -> [known_backend(A) || A <- MoreThanOne]
     end.
 
+known_backend(riak_kv_bitcask_backend) -> bitcask;
+known_backend(riak_kv_eleveldb_backend) -> eleveldb;
+known_backend(riak_kv_memory_backend) -> memory;
+known_backend(riak_kv_leveled_backend) -> leveled;
+known_backend(X) -> X.
+
 -spec get_backend(rtt:app_config()) -> rtt:backend() | error.
 get_backend(AppConfigProplist) ->
     case kvc:path('riak_kv.storage_backend', AppConfigProplist) of
@@ -3402,4 +3404,4 @@ product_test_() ->
             ?_test(verify_product([kernel], unknown))
         ]}.
 
--endif.
\ No newline at end of file
+-endif.
diff --git a/tests/verify_basic_upgrade.erl b/tests/verify_basic_upgrade.erl
index 1d932af..7d60fbd 100644
--- a/tests/verify_basic_upgrade.erl
+++ b/tests/verify_basic_upgrade.erl
@@ -111,8 +111,8 @@
 
 confirm() ->
 
+    KVBackend = get_backend(),
     TestMetaData = riak_test_runner:metadata(),
-    KVBackend = proplists:get_value(backend, TestMetaData),
     OldVsn = proplists:get_value(upgrade_version, TestMetaData, previous),
 
     ?LOG_INFO("*****************************"),
@@ -181,8 +181,7 @@ upgrade(Node, NewVsn) ->
     ok.
 
 backend_size(Node) ->
-    TestMetaData = riak_test_runner:metadata(),
-    KVBackend = proplists:get_value(backend, TestMetaData),
+    KVBackend = get_backend(),
     {ok, DataDir} =
         rpc:call(Node, application, get_env, [riak_core, platform_data_dir]),
     BackendDir = filename:join(DataDir, base_dir_for_backend(KVBackend)),
@@ -192,6 +191,13 @@ backend_size(Node) ->
         re:run(SzTxt, "(?<SzOnly>[0-9]+)M.*", [{capture, all_names, list}]),
     list_to_integer(SzOnly).
 
+get_backend() ->
+    case rt:get_backends() of
+        [B1|_] ->
+            B1;
+        B -> B
+    end.
+
 base_dir_for_backend(leveled) ->
     "leveled";
 base_dir_for_backend(bitcask) ->
@@ -227,4 +233,4 @@ validate_value(Node, Bucket, StartKey, EndKey, Value, CheckPerc) ->
 value_matches(<<N:32/integer, CommonValBin/binary>>, N, CommonValBin) ->
     true;
 value_matches(_WrongVal, _N, _CommonValBin) ->
-    false.
\ No newline at end of file
+    false.
diff --git a/tests/verify_dt_upgrade.erl b/tests/verify_dt_upgrade.erl
index 4bddbc0..a67a005 100644
--- a/tests/verify_dt_upgrade.erl
+++ b/tests/verify_dt_upgrade.erl
@@ -69,7 +69,9 @@ populate_counters(Node) ->
 verify_counters(Node) ->
     ?LOG_INFO("Verifying counters on ~0p", [Node]),
     RHC = rt:httpc(Node),
-    ?assertMatch({ok, 4}, rhc:counter_val(RHC, ?COUNTER_BUCKET, <<"pbkey">>)),
+    PBKey = <<"pbkey">>,
+    rt:wait_until(not_503(RHC, PBKey)),
+    ?assertMatch({ok, 4}, rhc:counter_val(RHC, ?COUNTER_BUCKET, PBKey)),
 
     PBC = rt:pbc(Node),
     ?assertEqual({ok, 2}, riakc_pb_socket:counter_val(PBC, ?COUNTER_BUCKET, <<"httpkey">>)),
@@ -83,6 +85,19 @@ verify_counters(Node) ->
     end,
     ok.
 
+not_503(Client, Key) ->
+    fun() ->
+            Res = rhc:counter_val(Client, ?COUNTER_BUCKET, Key),
+            case Res of
+                %% expect 503 for a brief while
+                {error, {ok, "503", _Headers, <<"Counters are not supported.">>}} ->
+                    ?LOG_INFO("\"Counters are not supported\" pending caps negotiation post upgrade", []),
+                    false;
+                _ ->
+                    true
+            end
+    end.
+
 upgrade(Node, NewVsn) ->
     ?LOG_INFO("Upgrading ~0p to ~0p", [Node, NewVsn]),
     rt:upgrade(Node, NewVsn),