diff --git a/tests/kafkatest/services/kafka/kafka.py b/tests/kafkatest/services/kafka/kafka.py
index c80197c3a5a1a..dead53dce118e 100644
--- a/tests/kafkatest/services/kafka/kafka.py
+++ b/tests/kafkatest/services/kafka/kafka.py
@@ -1213,12 +1213,9 @@ def create_topic(self, topic_cfg, node=None):
         self.logger.info("Creating topic %s with settings %s",
                          topic_cfg["topic"], topic_cfg)
 
-        force_use_zk_connection = not self.all_nodes_topic_command_supports_bootstrap_server() or\
-                            (topic_cfg.get('if-not-exists', False) and not self.all_nodes_topic_command_supports_if_not_exists_with_bootstrap_server())
-
         cmd = fix_opts_for_new_jvm(node)
         cmd += "%(kafka_topics_cmd)s --create --topic %(topic)s " % {
-            'kafka_topics_cmd': self.kafka_topics_cmd_with_optional_security_settings(node, force_use_zk_connection),
+            'kafka_topics_cmd': self.kafka_topics_cmd_with_optional_security_settings(DEV_BRANCH,force_use_zk_connection=False),
             'topic': topic_cfg.get("topic"),
         }
         if 'replica-assignment' in topic_cfg:
@@ -1252,11 +1249,9 @@ def delete_topic(self, topic, node=None):
             node = self.nodes[0]
         self.logger.info("Deleting topic %s" % topic)
 
-        force_use_zk_connection = not self.all_nodes_topic_command_supports_bootstrap_server()
-
         cmd = fix_opts_for_new_jvm(node)
         cmd += "%s --topic %s --delete" % \
-               (self.kafka_topics_cmd_with_optional_security_settings(node, force_use_zk_connection), topic)
+               (self.kafka_topics_cmd_with_optional_security_settings(DEV_BRANCH, force_use_zk_connection=False), topic)
         self.logger.info("Running topic delete command...\n%s" % cmd)
         node.account.ssh(cmd)
 
@@ -1287,11 +1282,10 @@ def describe_under_replicated_partitions(self):
         """
 
         node = self.nodes[0]
-        force_use_zk_connection = not node.version.topic_command_supports_bootstrap_server()
 
         cmd = fix_opts_for_new_jvm(node)
         cmd += "%s --describe --under-replicated-partitions" % \
-            self.kafka_topics_cmd_with_optional_security_settings(node, force_use_zk_connection)
+            self.kafka_topics_cmd_with_optional_security_settings(DEV_BRANCH, force_use_zk_connection=False)
 
         self.logger.debug("Running topic command to describe under-replicated partitions\n%s" % cmd)
         output = ""
@@ -1307,11 +1301,10 @@ def describe_topic(self, topic, node=None, offline_nodes=[]):
         if node is None:
             node = self.nodes[0]
 
-        force_use_zk_connection = not self.all_nodes_topic_command_supports_bootstrap_server()
 
         cmd = fix_opts_for_new_jvm(node)
         cmd += "%s --topic %s --describe" % \
-               (self.kafka_topics_cmd_with_optional_security_settings(node, force_use_zk_connection, offline_nodes=offline_nodes), topic)
+               (self.kafka_topics_cmd_with_optional_security_settings(DEV_BRANCH, force_use_zk_connection=False, offline_nodes=offline_nodes), topic)
 
         self.logger.info("Running topic describe command...\n%s" % cmd)
         output = ""
@@ -1323,10 +1316,8 @@ def list_topics(self, node=None):
         if node is None:
             node = self.nodes[0]
 
-        force_use_zk_connection = not self.all_nodes_topic_command_supports_bootstrap_server()
-
         cmd = fix_opts_for_new_jvm(node)
-        cmd += "%s --list" % (self.kafka_topics_cmd_with_optional_security_settings(node, force_use_zk_connection))
+        cmd += "%s --list" % (self.kafka_topics_cmd_with_optional_security_settings(DEV_BRANCH, force_use_zk_connection=False))
         for line in node.account.ssh_capture(cmd):
             if not line.startswith("SLF4J"):
                 yield line.rstrip()
@@ -1674,11 +1665,9 @@ def topic_id(self, topic):
         if self.all_nodes_support_topic_ids():
             node = self.nodes[0]
 
-            force_use_zk_connection = not self.all_nodes_topic_command_supports_bootstrap_server()
-
             cmd = fix_opts_for_new_jvm(node)
             cmd += "%s --topic %s --describe" % \
-               (self.kafka_topics_cmd_with_optional_security_settings(node, force_use_zk_connection), topic)
+               (self.kafka_topics_cmd_with_optional_security_settings(DEV_BRANCH, force_use_zk_connection=False), topic)
 
             self.logger.debug(
                 "Querying topic ID by using describe topic command ...\n%s" % cmd