diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/log4j2/Log4j2FileXmlTests.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/log4j2/Log4j2FileXmlTests.java
index d0fed17a85a..43632017e1b 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/log4j2/Log4j2FileXmlTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/log4j2/Log4j2FileXmlTests.java
@@ -18,10 +18,8 @@ package org.springframework.boot.logging.log4j2;
 
 import java.io.File;
 
-import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.Configuration;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.layout.PatternLayout;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
-import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.io.TempDir;
 
@@ -39,13 +37,6 @@ class Log4j2FileXmlTests extends Log4j2XmlTests {
 	@TempDir
 	File temp;
 
-	@Override
-	@BeforeEach
-	void prepareConfiguration() {
-		System.setProperty(LoggingSystemProperties.LOG_FILE, new File(this.temp, "test.log").getAbsolutePath());
-		super.prepareConfiguration();
-	}
-
 	@Override
 	@AfterEach
 	void stopConfiguration() {
@@ -91,9 +82,15 @@ class Log4j2FileXmlTests extends Log4j2XmlTests {
 		return "log4j2-file.xml";
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	protected void prepareConfiguration() {
+		System.setProperty(LoggingSystemProperties.LOG_FILE, new File(this.temp, "test.log").getAbsolutePath());
+		super.prepareConfiguration();
+	}
+
 	private String fileAppenderPattern() {
-		Configuration configuration = initializeConfiguration();
-		return ((PatternLayout) configuration.getAppender("File").getLayout()).getConversionPattern();
+		prepareConfiguration();
+		return ((PatternLayout) this.configuration.getAppender("File").getLayout()).getConversionPattern();
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/log4j2/Log4j2XmlTests.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/log4j2/Log4j2XmlTests.java
index 28ee9da47fd..98102c696e7 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/log4j2/Log4j2XmlTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/log4j2/Log4j2XmlTests.java
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.ConfigurationFactory;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.ConfigurationSource;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.layout.PatternLayout;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
-import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
 import org.springframework.boot.logging.LoggingSystemProperties;
@@ -39,12 +38,7 @@ import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
  */
 class Log4j2XmlTests {
 
-	private Configuration configuration;
-
-	@BeforeEach
-	void prepareConfiguration() {
-		this.configuration = initializeConfiguration();
-	}
+	protected Configuration configuration;
 
 	@AfterEach
 	void stopConfiguration() {
@@ -96,8 +90,13 @@ class Log4j2XmlTests {
 	}
 
 	private String consolePattern() {
-		Configuration configuration = initializeConfiguration();
-		return ((PatternLayout) configuration.getAppender("Console").getLayout()).getConversionPattern();
+		prepareConfiguration();
+		return ((PatternLayout) this.configuration.getAppender("Console").getLayout()).getConversionPattern();
+	}
+
+	protected void prepareConfiguration() {
+		this.configuration = initializeConfiguration();
+		this.configuration.start();
 	}
 
 	protected Configuration initializeConfiguration() {