diff --git a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/S3AFileSystem.java b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/S3AFileSystem.java
index f2cd2cd517..a02947b015 100644
--- a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/S3AFileSystem.java
+++ b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/S3AFileSystem.java
@@ -4954,6 +4954,15 @@ public MarkerToolOperations createMarkerToolOperations() {
     return new MarkerToolOperationsImpl(operationCallbacks);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * This is purely for testing, as it force initializes all static
+   * initializers. See HADOOP-17385 for details.
+   */
+  @InterfaceAudience.Private
+  public static void initializeClass() {
+    LOG.debug("Initialize S3A class");
+  }
+
   /**
    * The implementation of context accessors.
    */
diff --git a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/contract/s3a/S3AContract.java b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/contract/s3a/S3AContract.java
index 13110201b7..0d3dd4c2f6 100644
--- a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/contract/s3a/S3AContract.java
+++ b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/contract/s3a/S3AContract.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 import org.apache.hadoop.conf.Configuration;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.Path;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.contract.AbstractBondedFSContract;
+import org.apache.hadoop.fs.s3a.S3AFileSystem;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.s3a.S3ATestUtils;
 
 /**
@@ -53,6 +54,9 @@ public S3AContract(Configuration conf) {
    */
   public S3AContract(Configuration conf, boolean addContractResource) {
     super(conf);
+    // Force deprecated key load through the
+    // static initializers. See: HADOOP-17385
+    S3AFileSystem.initializeClass();
     //insert the base features
     if (addContractResource) {
       addConfResource(CONTRACT_XML);
diff --git a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/AbstractS3ATestBase.java b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/AbstractS3ATestBase.java
index da679cdeca..73a503ace4 100644
--- a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/AbstractS3ATestBase.java
+++ b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/AbstractS3ATestBase.java
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ public void setup() throws Exception {
     // filesystems which add default configuration resources to do it before
     // our tests start adding/removing options. See HADOOP-16626.
     FileSystem.getLocal(new Configuration());
+    // Force deprecated key load through the
+    // static initializers. See: HADOOP-17385
+    S3AFileSystem.initializeClass();
     super.setup();
   }
 
diff --git a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/performance/AbstractS3ACostTest.java b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/performance/AbstractS3ACostTest.java
index d7e277fdc9..2b2fb7c9ca 100644
--- a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/performance/AbstractS3ACostTest.java
+++ b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/performance/AbstractS3ACostTest.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.s3a.S3AFileSystem;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.s3a.Statistic;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.s3a.Tristate;
+import org.apache.hadoop.fs.s3a.impl.DirectoryPolicy;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.s3a.impl.StatusProbeEnum;
 
 import static org.apache.hadoop.fs.s3a.Constants.*;
@@ -141,6 +142,14 @@ public void setup() throws Exception {
 
     isDeleting = !isKeeping;
 
+    // check that the FS has the expected state
+    DirectoryPolicy markerPolicy = fs.getDirectoryMarkerPolicy();
+    Assertions.assertThat(markerPolicy.getMarkerPolicy())
+        .describedAs("Marker policy for filesystem %s", fs)
+        .isEqualTo(isKeepingMarkers()
+            ? DirectoryPolicy.MarkerPolicy.Keep
+            : DirectoryPolicy.MarkerPolicy.Delete);
+
     // insert new metrics so as to keep the list sorted
     costValidator = OperationCostValidator.builder(getFileSystem())
         .withMetrics(
diff --git a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/performance/ITestS3ADeleteCost.java b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/performance/ITestS3ADeleteCost.java
index 618b491920..0b5afc6178 100644
--- a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/performance/ITestS3ADeleteCost.java
+++ b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/performance/ITestS3ADeleteCost.java
@@ -267,6 +267,7 @@ public void testDirMarkersFileCreation() throws Throwable {
 
     verifyMetrics(() -> {
       file(new Path(srcDir, "source.txt"));
+      LOG.info("Metrics: {}\n{}", getMetricSummary(), getFileSystem());
       return "after touch(fs, srcFilePath) " + getMetricSummary();
     },
         with(DIRECTORIES_CREATED, 0),