diff --git a/tests/interop/run_tests.sh b/tests/interop/run_tests.sh
index 44ac727b0..d0dafa4fb 100755
--- a/tests/interop/run_tests.sh
+++ b/tests/interop/run_tests.sh
@@ -37,11 +37,7 @@ pytest -lv --disable-warnings test_check_logging_hub.py --kubeconfig $KUBECONFIG
 
 KUBECONFIG=$KUBECONFIG_EDGE pytest -lv --disable-warnings test_check_logging_edge.py --kubeconfig $KUBECONFIG_EDGE --junit-xml $WORKSPACE/test_check_logging_edge.xml
 
-# We need a few things from the hub cluster before working on the edge cluster
-export GITEA_PASS=$(oc --kubeconfig $KUBECONFIG extract -n vp-gitea secret/gitea-admin-secret --to=- --keys=password 2>/dev/null)
-export GITEA_USER=$(oc --kubeconfig $KUBECONFIG extract -n vp-gitea secret/gitea-admin-secret --to=- --keys=username 2>/dev/null)
-export GITEA_ROUTE=$(oc --kubeconfig $KUBECONFIG get routes -n vp-gitea gitea-route -o jsonpath='{.spec.host}')
-KUBECONFIG=$KUBECONFIG_EDGE pytest -lv --disable-warnings test_toggle_machine_sensor.py --kubeconfig $KUBECONFIG_EDGE --junit-xml $WORKSPACE/test_toggle_machine_sensor.xml
+KUBECONFIG_HUB=$KUBECONFIG KUBECONFIG=$KUBECONFIG_EDGE pytest -lv --disable-warnings test_toggle_machine_sensor.py --kubeconfig $KUBECONFIG_EDGE --junit-xml $WORKSPACE/test_toggle_machine_sensor.xml
 
 pytest -lv --disable-warnings test_pipeline_build_check.py --kubeconfig $KUBECONFIG --junit-xml $WORKSPACE/test_pipeline_build_check.xml
 
diff --git a/tests/interop/test_toggle_machine_sensor.py b/tests/interop/test_toggle_machine_sensor.py
index 49a8a2dba..ef9f84350 100644
--- a/tests/interop/test_toggle_machine_sensor.py
+++ b/tests/interop/test_toggle_machine_sensor.py
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 import subprocess
 import time
 
+import kubernetes
 import pytest
 from ocp_resources.config_map import ConfigMap
+from ocp_resources.route import Route
+from ocp_resources.secret import Secret
+from openshift.dynamic import DynamicClient
 from openshift.dynamic.exceptions import NotFoundError
 from validatedpatterns_tests.interop.edge_util import modify_file_content
 
@@ -16,6 +20,40 @@
 oc = os.environ["HOME"] + "/oc_client/oc"
 
 
+# returns (user, pass, route) tuple
+def get_gitea_info():
+    kubefile = os.getenv("KUBECONFIG_HUB")
+    kexp = os.path.expandvars(kubefile)
+    ocp_hub = DynamicClient(
+        client=kubernetes.config.new_client_from_config(config_file=kexp)
+    )
+    logger.info("Getting HUB gitea info")
+    try:
+        gitea_secret_obj = Secret.get(
+            dyn_client=ocp_hub, namespace="vp-gitea", name="gitea-admin-secret"
+        )
+        gitea_secret = next(gitea_secret_obj)
+    except NotFoundError:
+        err_msg = "The gitea-admin-secret was not found in ns vp-gitea"
+        logger.error(f"FAIL: {err_msg}")
+        assert False, err_msg
+    username = gitea_secret.instance.data.username
+    password = gitea_secret.instance.data.password
+
+    try:
+        gitea_route_obj = Route.get(
+            dyn_client=ocp_hub, namespace="vp-gitea", name="gitea-route"
+        )
+        gitea_route = next(gitea_route_obj)
+    except NotFoundError:
+        err_msg = "The gitea-route was not found in ns vp-gitea"
+        logger.error(f"FAIL: {err_msg}")
+        assert False, err_msg
+    route = gitea_route.instance.spec.host
+
+    return (username, password, route)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.toggle_machine_sensor
 def test_toggle_machine_sensor(openshift_dyn_client):
     logger.info("Testing machine-sensor config change")
@@ -72,9 +110,7 @@ def test_toggle_machine_sensor(openshift_dyn_client):
         orig_content=orig_content,
         new_content=new_content,
     )
-    gitea_pass = os.getenv("GITEA_PASS")
-    gitea_user = os.getenv("GITEA_USER")
-    gitea_route = os.getenv("GITEA_ROUTE")
+    (gitea_user, gitea_pass, gitea_route) = get_gitea_info()
     gitea_url = (
         f"https://{gitea_user}:{gitea_pass}@{gitea_route}/{gitea_user}/industrial-edge"
     )