diff --git a/tests/cts/hostside/app/src/com/android/cts/net/hostside/AbstractRestrictBackgroundNetworkTestCase.java b/tests/cts/hostside/app/src/com/android/cts/net/hostside/AbstractRestrictBackgroundNetworkTestCase.java
index 6b21dac..1c99722 100644
--- a/tests/cts/hostside/app/src/com/android/cts/net/hostside/AbstractRestrictBackgroundNetworkTestCase.java
+++ b/tests/cts/hostside/app/src/com/android/cts/net/hostside/AbstractRestrictBackgroundNetworkTestCase.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 import static com.android.cts.net.hostside.NetworkPolicyTestUtils.isBatterySaverSupported;
 import static com.android.cts.net.hostside.NetworkPolicyTestUtils.isDozeModeSupported;
 import static com.android.cts.net.hostside.NetworkPolicyTestUtils.restrictBackgroundValueToString;
+import static com.android.cts.net.hostside.NetworkPolicyTestUtils.setRestrictBackgroundInternal;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
@@ -52,9 +53,9 @@
 import android.os.BatteryManager;
 import android.os.Binder;
 import android.os.Bundle;
+import android.os.PowerManager;
 import android.os.RemoteCallback;
 import android.os.SystemClock;
-import android.os.PowerManager;
 import android.provider.DeviceConfig;
 import android.service.notification.NotificationListenerService;
 import android.util.Log;
@@ -180,6 +181,12 @@
         mServiceClient.bind();
         mPowerManager = mContext.getSystemService(PowerManager.class);
         executeShellCommand("cmd netpolicy start-watching " + mUid);
+        // Some of the test cases assume that Data saver mode is initially disabled, which might not
+        // always be the case. Therefore, explicitly disable it before running the tests.
+        // Invoke setRestrictBackgroundInternal() directly instead of going through
+        // setRestrictBackground(), as some devices do not fully support the Data saver mode but
+        // still have certain parts of it enabled by default.
+        setRestrictBackgroundInternal(false);
         setAppIdle(false);
         mLock = mPowerManager.newWakeLock(PowerManager.PARTIAL_WAKE_LOCK, TAG);
 
diff --git a/tests/cts/hostside/app/src/com/android/cts/net/hostside/NetworkPolicyTestUtils.java b/tests/cts/hostside/app/src/com/android/cts/net/hostside/NetworkPolicyTestUtils.java
index deca6a2..8c38b44 100644
--- a/tests/cts/hostside/app/src/com/android/cts/net/hostside/NetworkPolicyTestUtils.java
+++ b/tests/cts/hostside/app/src/com/android/cts/net/hostside/NetworkPolicyTestUtils.java
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@
         setRestrictBackgroundInternal(enabled);
     }
 
-    private static void setRestrictBackgroundInternal(boolean enabled) {
+    static void setRestrictBackgroundInternal(boolean enabled) {
         executeShellCommand("cmd netpolicy set restrict-background " + enabled);
         final String output = executeShellCommand("cmd netpolicy get restrict-background");
         final String expectedSuffix = enabled ? "enabled" : "disabled";