diff --git a/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/javaagent/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/LettuceSyncClientTest.java b/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/javaagent/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/LettuceSyncClientTest.java
index 35f85db08317..417de8c61d62 100644
--- a/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/javaagent/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/LettuceSyncClientTest.java
+++ b/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/javaagent/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/LettuceSyncClientTest.java
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@
 
 class LettuceSyncClientTest extends AbstractLettuceSyncClientTest {
   @RegisterExtension
-  static final InstrumentationExtension agentTesting = AgentInstrumentationExtension.create();
+  static final InstrumentationExtension testing = AgentInstrumentationExtension.create();
 
   @Override
   public InstrumentationExtension getInstrumentationExtension() {
-    return agentTesting;
+    return testing;
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/library/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/LettuceSyncClientTest.java b/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/library/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/LettuceSyncClientTest.java
index a211963a10fa..7bfb8e452769 100644
--- a/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/library/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/LettuceSyncClientTest.java
+++ b/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/library/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/LettuceSyncClientTest.java
@@ -12,13 +12,12 @@
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.extension.RegisterExtension;
 
 class LettuceSyncClientTest extends AbstractLettuceSyncClientTest {
-
   @RegisterExtension
-  static final InstrumentationExtension agentTesting = LibraryInstrumentationExtension.create();
+  static final InstrumentationExtension testing = LibraryInstrumentationExtension.create();
 
   @Override
   public InstrumentationExtension getInstrumentationExtension() {
-    return agentTesting;
+    return testing;
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/testing/build.gradle.kts b/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/testing/build.gradle.kts
index e8780d1fa018..fae109de6c07 100644
--- a/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/testing/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/testing/build.gradle.kts
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ plugins {
 dependencies {
   api(project(":testing-common"))
 
-  api("io.lettuce:lettuce-core:5.1.0.RELEASE")
+  // 6.0+ added protocolVersion access which allows forcing RESP2 for consistency in tests
+  compileOnly("io.lettuce:lettuce-core:6.0.0.RELEASE")
 
   implementation("org.testcontainers:testcontainers")
   implementation("com.google.guava:guava")
diff --git a/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/testing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/AbstractLettuceClientTest.java b/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/testing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/AbstractLettuceClientTest.java
index e029bc258f04..4e465d1fd91d 100644
--- a/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/testing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/AbstractLettuceClientTest.java
+++ b/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/testing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/AbstractLettuceClientTest.java
@@ -23,11 +23,10 @@ abstract class AbstractLettuceClientTest {
   protected static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(AbstractLettuceClientTest.class);
 
   @RegisterExtension
-  protected static final InstrumentationExtension agentTesting =
-      AgentInstrumentationExtension.create();
+  protected static final InstrumentationExtension testing = AgentInstrumentationExtension.create();
 
   public InstrumentationExtension getInstrumentationExtension() {
-    return agentTesting;
+    return testing;
   }
 
   @RegisterExtension static final AutoCleanupExtension cleanup = AutoCleanupExtension.create();
@@ -68,11 +67,6 @@ protected ContainerConnection newContainerConnection() {
     StatefulRedisConnection<String, String> statefulConnection = client.connect();
     cleanup.deferCleanup(statefulConnection);
 
-    if (Boolean.getBoolean("testLatestDeps")) {
-      // 1 HELLO (in lettuce 6+)
-      getInstrumentationExtension().waitForTraces(1);
-    }
-    getInstrumentationExtension().clearData();
     return new ContainerConnection(statefulConnection, serverPort);
   }
 
diff --git a/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/testing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/AbstractLettuceSyncClientTest.java b/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/testing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/AbstractLettuceSyncClientTest.java
index ac83291714d1..47f1c94840c1 100644
--- a/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/testing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/AbstractLettuceSyncClientTest.java
+++ b/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/testing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/AbstractLettuceSyncClientTest.java
@@ -64,13 +64,8 @@ void setUp() {
     syncCommands.set("TESTKEY", "TESTVAL");
     syncCommands.hmset("TESTHM", testHashMap);
 
-    if (Boolean.getBoolean("testLatestDeps")) {
-      // 1 HELLO (in lettuce 6+) and 2 sets
-      getInstrumentationExtension().waitForTraces(3);
-    } else {
-      // 2 sets
-      getInstrumentationExtension().waitForTraces(2);
-    }
+    // 2 sets
+    getInstrumentationExtension().waitForTraces(2);
     getInstrumentationExtension().clearData();
   }
 
@@ -138,12 +133,6 @@ void testSetCommandLocalhost() {
     StatefulRedisConnection<String, String> testConnection = testConnectionClient.connect();
     cleanup.deferCleanup(testConnection);
 
-    if (Boolean.getBoolean("testLatestDeps")) {
-      // 1 HELLO (in lettuce 6+)
-      getInstrumentationExtension().waitForTraces(1);
-      getInstrumentationExtension().clearData();
-    }
-
     String res = testConnection.sync().set("TESTSETKEY", "TESTSETVAL");
     assertThat(res).isEqualTo("OK");
 
@@ -244,7 +233,7 @@ void testCommandWithNoArguments() {
 
   @Test
   void testListCommand() {
-    // Needs its own container or inconsistent command count
+    // Needs its own container or flaky from inconsistent command count
     ContainerConnection containerConnection = newContainerConnection();
     RedisCommands<String, String> commands = containerConnection.connection.sync();
 
diff --git a/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/testing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/LettuceTestClientUtil.java b/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/testing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/LettuceTestClientUtil.java
index e04c436c707c..b77684609183 100644
--- a/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/testing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/LettuceTestClientUtil.java
+++ b/instrumentation/lettuce/lettuce-5.1/testing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/lettuce/v5_1/LettuceTestClientUtil.java
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 package io.opentelemetry.instrumentation.lettuce.v5_1;
 
 import io.lettuce.core.ClientOptions;
+import io.lettuce.core.protocol.ProtocolVersion;
 
 final class LettuceTestClientUtil {
   static final ClientOptions CLIENT_OPTIONS;
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@ final class LettuceTestClientUtil {
             .autoReconnect(false);
     if (Boolean.getBoolean("testLatestDeps")) {
       // Force RESP2 on 6+ for consistency in tests
-      options.pingBeforeActivateConnection(false);
+      options.pingBeforeActivateConnection(false).protocolVersion(ProtocolVersion.RESP2);
     }
     CLIENT_OPTIONS = options.build();
   }