diff --git a/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/hazelcast/HZClient.java b/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/hazelcast/HZClient.java
index f45483c..2b319a1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/hazelcast/HZClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/hazelcast/HZClient.java
@@ -82,6 +82,13 @@
             String server = System.getProperty("net.onrc.onos.core.datastore.hazelcast.client.server", "localhost");
             clientConfig.addAddress(server + ":" + port);
 
+            // client mode connection limit.
+            // set to 0 for fast fall back to Instance mode.
+            String sAttempts = System.getProperty("net.onrc.onos.core.datastore.hazelcast.client.attemptLimit");
+            if (sAttempts != null) {
+                clientConfig.setConnectionAttemptLimit(Integer.valueOf(sAttempts).intValue());
+            }
+
             // copy group config from base Hazelcast configuration
             clientConfig.getGroupConfig().setName(baseHzConfig.getGroupConfig().getName());
             clientConfig.getGroupConfig().setPassword(baseHzConfig.getGroupConfig().getPassword());
diff --git a/src/test/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/AtomicCounterTest.java b/src/test/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/AtomicCounterTest.java
index 9d451dc..439dd53 100644
--- a/src/test/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/AtomicCounterTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/AtomicCounterTest.java
@@ -26,14 +26,20 @@
 
 public class AtomicCounterTest {
 
+    static {
+        // configuration to quickly fall back to instance mode for faster test run
+        System.setProperty("net.onrc.onos.core.datastore.hazelcast.client.attemptLimit", "0");
+    }
+
     private static final String TEST_COUNTER = "TestCounter";
     private static final byte[] LONG_ZERO = {0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}; // 0L
-    private static final IKVTableID counterID = DataStoreClient.getClient().getTable(TEST_COUNTER).getTableId();
+    private IKVTableID counterID;
 
-    @After
     @Before
+    @After
     public void resetCounter() {
         IKVClient client = DataStoreClient.getClient();
+        counterID = client.getTable(TEST_COUNTER).getTableId();
         client.setCounter(counterID, LONG_ZERO, 0L);
         client.destroyCounter(counterID, LONG_ZERO);
     }
diff --git a/src/test/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/hazelcast/HZTableTest.java b/src/test/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/hazelcast/HZTableTest.java
index 913012d..dd600d6 100644
--- a/src/test/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/hazelcast/HZTableTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/hazelcast/HZTableTest.java
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@
     @Rule
     public TestName name = new TestName();
 
+    static {
+        // configuration to quickly fall back to instance mode for faster test run
+        System.setProperty("net.onrc.onos.core.datastore.hazelcast.client.attemptLimit", "0");
+    }
+
     static final String TEST_TABLE_NAME = "TableForUnitTest";
     HZTable table;
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/topology/KVSwitchTest.java b/src/test/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/topology/KVSwitchTest.java
index a789f1c..e8927ae 100644
--- a/src/test/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/topology/KVSwitchTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/topology/KVSwitchTest.java
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 public class KVSwitchTest {
+
+    static {
+        // configuration to quickly fall back to instance mode for faster test run
+        System.setProperty("net.onrc.onos.core.datastore.hazelcast.client.attemptLimit", "0");
+    }
+
     IKVTable switchTable;
     static final Long dpid1 = 0x1L;
     KVSwitch sw1;
diff --git a/src/test/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/topology/KVTopologyTest.java b/src/test/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/topology/KVTopologyTest.java
index ce647a4..de71490 100644
--- a/src/test/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/topology/KVTopologyTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/net/onrc/onos/core/datastore/topology/KVTopologyTest.java
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@
 
 public class KVTopologyTest {
 
+    static {
+        // configuration to quickly fall back to instance mode for faster test run
+        System.setProperty("net.onrc.onos.core.datastore.hazelcast.client.attemptLimit", "0");
+    }
+
     static final long VERSION_NONEXISTENT = DataStoreClient.getClient().getVersionNonexistant();
 
     private static final byte[] DEVICE2_MAC_SW2P2 = new byte[]{6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0};