diff --git a/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/network/BaseNetworkTest.java b/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/network/BaseNetworkTest.java
index e5cd967..1615914 100644
--- a/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/network/BaseNetworkTest.java
+++ b/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/network/BaseNetworkTest.java
@@ -53,10 +53,17 @@
     }
 
     protected void doTearDown() throws Exception {
-        localConnection.close();
-        remoteConnection.close();
-        localBroker.stop();
-        remoteBroker.stop();
+        if(localConnection != null)
+            localConnection.close();
+
+        if(remoteConnection != null)
+            remoteConnection.close();
+
+        if(localBroker != null)
+            localBroker.stop();
+
+        if(remoteBroker != null)
+            remoteBroker.stop();
     }
 
     protected void doSetUp(boolean deleteAllMessages) throws Exception {
diff --git a/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/network/CompositeNetworkBridgeListener.java b/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/network/CompositeNetworkBridgeListener.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e9fdfcf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/network/CompositeNetworkBridgeListener.java
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package org.apache.activemq.network;
+
+import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.apache.activemq.command.Message;
+
+public class CompositeNetworkBridgeListener implements NetworkBridgeListener {
+    private final List<NetworkBridgeListener> listeners;
+
+    public CompositeNetworkBridgeListener(NetworkBridgeListener... wrapped) {
+        this.listeners = Arrays.asList(wrapped);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void bridgeFailed() {
+        for (NetworkBridgeListener listener : listeners) {
+            listener.bridgeFailed();
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void onStart(NetworkBridge bridge) {
+        for (NetworkBridgeListener listener : listeners) {
+            listener.onStart(bridge);
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void onStop(NetworkBridge bridge) {
+        for (NetworkBridgeListener listener : listeners) {
+            listener.onStop(bridge);
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void onOutboundMessage(NetworkBridge bridge, Message message) {
+        for (NetworkBridgeListener listener : listeners) {
+            listener.onOutboundMessage(bridge, message);
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void onInboundMessage(NetworkBridge bridge, Message message) {
+        for (NetworkBridgeListener listener : listeners) {
+            listener.onInboundMessage(bridge, message);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/network/CustomBridgeFactoryTest.java b/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/network/CustomBridgeFactoryTest.java
index c142253..79dedab 100644
--- a/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/network/CustomBridgeFactoryTest.java
+++ b/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/network/CustomBridgeFactoryTest.java
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@
 /**
  * Basic test which verify if custom bridge factory receives any interactions when configured.
  */
-@Ignore // AMQ-8977 -- can't find class due to xbean or mockito upgrade
 public class CustomBridgeFactoryTest extends BaseNetworkTest {
 
     private ActiveMQQueue outgoing = new ActiveMQQueue("outgoing");
@@ -50,7 +49,7 @@
     /**
      * Verification of outgoing communication - from local broker (with customized bridge configured) to remote one.
      */
-    @Test(timeout = 60000)
+    @Test(timeout = 10000)
     public void verifyOutgoingCommunication() throws JMSException {
         CustomNetworkBridgeFactory bridgeFactory = getCustomNetworkBridgeFactory();
         NetworkBridgeListener listener = bridgeFactory.getListener();
@@ -68,7 +67,7 @@
     /**
      * Additional test which makes sure that custom bridge receives notification about broker shutdown.
      */
-    @Test(timeout = 60000)
+    @Test(timeout = 10000)
     public void verifyBrokerShutdown() {
         shutdownTest(() -> {
             try {
@@ -83,7 +82,7 @@
     /**
      * Verification of network connector shutdown.
      */
-    @Test(timeout = 60000)
+    @Test(timeout = 10000)
     public void verifyConnectorShutdown() {
         shutdownTest(() -> {
             try {
@@ -145,75 +144,4 @@
     protected String getLocalBrokerURI() {
         return "org/apache/activemq/network/localBroker-custom-factory.xml";
     }
-
-    // test classes
-    static class CustomNetworkBridgeFactory implements BridgeFactory {
-
-        private final NetworkBridgeListener listener;
-
-        CustomNetworkBridgeFactory() {
-            this(Mockito.mock(NetworkBridgeListener.class));
-        }
-
-        CustomNetworkBridgeFactory(NetworkBridgeListener listener) {
-            this.listener = listener;
-        }
-
-        public NetworkBridgeListener getListener() {
-            return listener;
-        }
-
-        @Override
-        public DemandForwardingBridge createNetworkBridge(NetworkBridgeConfiguration configuration, Transport localTransport, Transport remoteTransport, NetworkBridgeListener listener) {
-            DemandForwardingBridge bridge = new DemandForwardingBridge(configuration, localTransport, remoteTransport);
-            bridge.setNetworkBridgeListener(new CompositeNetworkBridgeListener(this.listener, listener));
-            return bridge;
-        }
-
-    }
-
-    static class CompositeNetworkBridgeListener implements NetworkBridgeListener {
-
-        private final List<NetworkBridgeListener> listeners;
-
-        public CompositeNetworkBridgeListener(NetworkBridgeListener ... wrapped) {
-            this.listeners = Arrays.asList(wrapped);
-        }
-
-        @Override
-        public void bridgeFailed() {
-            for (NetworkBridgeListener listener : listeners) {
-                listener.bridgeFailed();
-            }
-        }
-
-        @Override
-        public void onStart(NetworkBridge bridge) {
-            for (NetworkBridgeListener listener : listeners) {
-                listener.onStart(bridge);
-            }
-        }
-
-        @Override
-        public void onStop(NetworkBridge bridge) {
-            for (NetworkBridgeListener listener : listeners) {
-                listener.onStop(bridge);
-            }
-        }
-
-        @Override
-        public void onOutboundMessage(NetworkBridge bridge, Message message) {
-            for (NetworkBridgeListener listener : listeners) {
-                listener.onOutboundMessage(bridge, message);
-            }
-        }
-
-        @Override
-        public void onInboundMessage(NetworkBridge bridge, Message message) {
-            for (NetworkBridgeListener listener : listeners) {
-                listener.onInboundMessage(bridge, message);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
 }
diff --git a/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/network/CustomNetworkBridgeFactory.java b/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/network/CustomNetworkBridgeFactory.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eecefe1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/network/CustomNetworkBridgeFactory.java
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+package org.apache.activemq.network;
+
+import org.apache.activemq.transport.Transport;
+import org.mockito.Mockito;
+
+public class CustomNetworkBridgeFactory implements BridgeFactory { 
+
+    private final NetworkBridgeListener listener;
+
+    public CustomNetworkBridgeFactory() {
+        this(Mockito.mock(NetworkBridgeListener.class));
+    }
+
+    public CustomNetworkBridgeFactory(NetworkBridgeListener listener) {
+        this.listener = listener;
+    }
+
+    public NetworkBridgeListener getListener() {
+        return listener;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public DemandForwardingBridge createNetworkBridge(NetworkBridgeConfiguration configuration, Transport localTransport, Transport remoteTransport, NetworkBridgeListener listener) {
+        DemandForwardingBridge bridge = new DemandForwardingBridge(configuration, localTransport, remoteTransport);
+        bridge.setNetworkBridgeListener(new CompositeNetworkBridgeListener(this.listener, listener));
+        return bridge;
+    }
+
+ }
diff --git a/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/resources/org/apache/activemq/network/localBroker-custom-factory.xml b/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/resources/org/apache/activemq/network/localBroker-custom-factory.xml
index 9dc8c61..d8f30fe 100644
--- a/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/resources/org/apache/activemq/network/localBroker-custom-factory.xml
+++ b/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/resources/org/apache/activemq/network/localBroker-custom-factory.xml
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
     <networkConnectors>
       <networkConnector uri="static:(tcp://localhost:61617)" name="networkConnector">
           <bridgeFactory>
-              <bean xmlns="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans" class="org.apache.activemq.network.CustomBridgeFactoryTest.CustomNetworkBridgeFactory" />
+              <bean xmlns="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans" class="org.apache.activemq.network.CustomNetworkBridgeFactory" />
           </bridgeFactory>
       </networkConnector>
     </networkConnectors>