diff --git a/e2e-tests/playwright/e2e/configuration-test/config-map.spec.ts b/e2e-tests/playwright/e2e/configuration-test/config-map.spec.ts
index 45ed55e946..58f57654b1 100644
--- a/e2e-tests/playwright/e2e/configuration-test/config-map.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e-tests/playwright/e2e/configuration-test/config-map.spec.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ test.describe("Change app-config at e2e test runtime", () => {
     test.setTimeout(300000); // Increasing to 5 minutes
 
     const configMapName = "app-config-rhdh";
-    const namespace = process.env.NAME_SPACE;
+    const namespace = process.env.NAME_SPACE || "showcase-ci-nightly";
     const deploymentName = "rhdh-backstage";
 
     const kubeUtils = new KubeClient();
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ test.describe("Change app-config at e2e test runtime", () => {
       await kubeUtils.restartDeployment(deploymentName, namespace);
 
       const common = new Common(page);
+      await page.context().clearCookies();
+      await page.context().clearPermissions();
+      await page.reload({ waitUntil: "domcontentloaded" });
       await common.loginAsGuest();
       await new UIhelper(page).openSidebar("Home");
       await uiHelper.verifyHeading("Welcome back!");
diff --git a/e2e-tests/playwright/utils/kube-client.ts b/e2e-tests/playwright/utils/kube-client.ts
index f1523a9d3d..2bac334e24 100644
--- a/e2e-tests/playwright/utils/kube-client.ts
+++ b/e2e-tests/playwright/utils/kube-client.ts
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export class KubeClient {
         namespace,
       );
     } catch (e) {
-      LOGGER.error(e.body.message);
+      LOGGER.error(e.body?.message);
       throw e;
     }
   }
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ export class KubeClient {
     patch: object,
   ) {
     try {
+      console.log("updateConfigMap called");
+      console.log("Namespace: ", namespace);
+      console.log("ConfigMap: ", configmapName);
       const options = {
         headers: { "Content-type": k8s.PatchUtils.PATCH_FORMAT_JSON_PATCH },
       };
@@ -321,6 +324,7 @@ export class KubeClient {
   async restartDeployment(deploymentName: string, namespace: string) {
     try {
       console.log(`Scaling down deployment ${deploymentName} to 0 replicas.`);
+      console.log(`Deployment: ${deploymentName}, Namespace: ${namespace}`);
       await this.logPodConditions(namespace);
       await this.scaleDeployment(deploymentName, namespace, 0);