diff --git a/src/test/java/io/vertx/cassandra/tests/CassandraClientTestBase.java b/src/test/java/io/vertx/cassandra/tests/CassandraClientTestBase.java
index 4f59b70..1242b78 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vertx/cassandra/tests/CassandraClientTestBase.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vertx/cassandra/tests/CassandraClientTestBase.java
@@ -144,6 +144,11 @@ protected static void getCassandraReleaseVersion(CassandraClient client, Handler
     });
   }
 
+  protected static Future<String> getCassandraReleaseVersion(CassandraClient client) {
+    return client.executeWithFullFetch("select release_version from system.local")
+      .map(result -> result.iterator().next().getString("release_version"));
+  }
+
   protected static String randomClientName() {
     return CassandraClient.class.getSimpleName() + "-" + UUID.randomUUID();
   }
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/vertx/cassandra/tests/VerticleWithCassandraClient.java b/src/test/java/io/vertx/cassandra/tests/VerticleWithCassandraClient.java
index d34e956..c5f7cbd 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vertx/cassandra/tests/VerticleWithCassandraClient.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vertx/cassandra/tests/VerticleWithCassandraClient.java
@@ -18,10 +18,10 @@
 
 import io.vertx.cassandra.CassandraClient;
 import io.vertx.cassandra.CassandraClientOptions;
-import io.vertx.core.AbstractVerticle;
-import io.vertx.core.Promise;
+import io.vertx.core.Future;
+import io.vertx.core.VerticleBase;
 
-public class VerticleWithCassandraClient extends AbstractVerticle {
+public class VerticleWithCassandraClient extends VerticleBase {
 
   private final CassandraClientOptions options;
   private final String clientName;
@@ -38,27 +38,21 @@ public VerticleWithCassandraClient(CassandraClientOptions options, String client
   }
 
   @Override
-  public void start(Promise<Void> startFuture) {
+  public Future<?> start() throws Exception {
     client = CassandraClient.createShared(vertx, clientName, options);
     if (executeRequestOnStart) {
-      CassandraClientTestBase.getCassandraReleaseVersion(client, ar -> {
-        if (ar.succeeded()) {
-          startFuture.complete();
-        } else {
-          startFuture.fail(ar.cause());
-        }
-      });
+      return CassandraClientTestBase.getCassandraReleaseVersion(client);
     } else {
-      startFuture.complete();
+      return super.start();
     }
   }
 
   @Override
-  public void stop(Promise<Void> stopFuture) {
+  public Future<?> stop() throws Exception {
     if (closeOnStop && client != null) {
-      client.close().onComplete(stopFuture);
+      return client.close();
     } else {
-      stopFuture.complete();
+      return super.stop();
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/vertx/cassandra/tests/impl/SessionHolderMapCleaningTest.java b/src/test/java/io/vertx/cassandra/tests/impl/SessionHolderMapCleaningTest.java
index 4362216..528e245 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vertx/cassandra/tests/impl/SessionHolderMapCleaningTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vertx/cassandra/tests/impl/SessionHolderMapCleaningTest.java
@@ -19,9 +19,7 @@
 import io.vertx.cassandra.CassandraClient;
 import io.vertx.cassandra.impl.CassandraClientImpl;
 import io.vertx.cassandra.impl.SessionHolder;
-import io.vertx.core.AbstractVerticle;
-import io.vertx.core.DeploymentOptions;
-import io.vertx.core.Vertx;
+import io.vertx.core.*;
 import io.vertx.core.shareddata.LocalMap;
 import io.vertx.ext.unit.junit.VertxUnitRunner;
 import org.junit.After;
@@ -61,13 +59,14 @@ public void testMapCleaned() throws Exception {
     assertEquals(0, holders.size());
   }
 
-  private static class SampleVerticle extends AbstractVerticle {
+  private static class SampleVerticle extends VerticleBase {
 
     CassandraClient shared;
 
     @Override
-    public void start() {
+    public Future<?> start() throws Exception {
       shared = CassandraClient.createShared(vertx, CLIENT_NAME);
+      return super.start();
     }
   }
 }