diff --git a/contrib/pinot-druid-benchmark/src/main/java/org/apache/pinotdruidbenchmark/PinotThroughput.java b/contrib/pinot-druid-benchmark/src/main/java/org/apache/pinotdruidbenchmark/PinotThroughput.java
index 1ac1bf255ba3..3d7c3ee8c038 100644
--- a/contrib/pinot-druid-benchmark/src/main/java/org/apache/pinotdruidbenchmark/PinotThroughput.java
+++ b/contrib/pinot-druid-benchmark/src/main/java/org/apache/pinotdruidbenchmark/PinotThroughput.java
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 import org.apache.http.entity.StringEntity;
 import org.apache.http.impl.client.CloseableHttpClient;
 import org.apache.http.impl.client.HttpClients;
-
+import org.apache.http.util.EntityUtils;
 
 /**
  * Test throughput for Pinot.
@@ -90,8 +90,9 @@ public void run() {
           try (CloseableHttpClient httpClient = HttpClients.createDefault()) {
             while (System.currentTimeMillis() < endTime) {
               long startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
-              CloseableHttpResponse httpResponse = httpClient.execute(httpPosts[RANDOM.nextInt(numQueries)]);
-              httpResponse.close();
+              try (CloseableHttpResponse httpResponse = httpClient.execute(httpPosts[RANDOM.nextInt(numQueries)])) {
+                EntityUtils.consume(httpResponse.getEntity());
+              }
               long responseTime = System.currentTimeMillis() - startTime;
               counter.getAndIncrement();
               totalResponseTime.getAndAdd(responseTime);
diff --git a/pinot-controller/src/main/java/org/apache/pinot/controller/helix/core/PinotHelixResourceManager.java b/pinot-controller/src/main/java/org/apache/pinot/controller/helix/core/PinotHelixResourceManager.java
index 5bff3ee83cac..584c68eedbd3 100644
--- a/pinot-controller/src/main/java/org/apache/pinot/controller/helix/core/PinotHelixResourceManager.java
+++ b/pinot-controller/src/main/java/org/apache/pinot/controller/helix/core/PinotHelixResourceManager.java
@@ -263,8 +263,8 @@ public ZkHelixPropertyStore<ZNRecord> getPropertyStore() {
    */
   private void addInstanceGroupTagIfNeeded() {
     InstanceConfig instanceConfig = getHelixInstanceConfig(_instanceId);
-    assert instanceConfig != null;
-    if (!instanceConfig.containsTag(Helix.CONTROLLER_INSTANCE)) {
+    // The instanceConfig can be null when connecting as a participant while running from PerfBenchmarkRunner
+    if (instanceConfig != null && !instanceConfig.containsTag(Helix.CONTROLLER_INSTANCE)) {
       LOGGER.info("Controller: {} doesn't contain group tag: {}. Adding one.", _instanceId, Helix.CONTROLLER_INSTANCE);
       instanceConfig.addTag(Helix.CONTROLLER_INSTANCE);
       HelixDataAccessor accessor = _helixZkManager.getHelixDataAccessor();
diff --git a/pinot-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pinot/tools/perf/PerfBenchmarkDriver.java b/pinot-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pinot/tools/perf/PerfBenchmarkDriver.java
index 4240e7cb0056..a1b493bdc831 100644
--- a/pinot-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pinot/tools/perf/PerfBenchmarkDriver.java
+++ b/pinot-tools/src/main/java/org/apache/pinot/tools/perf/PerfBenchmarkDriver.java
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ private void startServer()
     if (_segmentFormatVersion != null) {
       serverConfiguration.setProperty(CommonConstants.Server.CONFIG_OF_SEGMENT_FORMAT_VERSION, _segmentFormatVersion);
     }
-    serverConfiguration.setProperty(CommonConstants.Helix.Instance.INSTANCE_ID_KEY, _serverInstanceName);
+    serverConfiguration.setProperty(CommonConstants.Server.CONFIG_OF_INSTANCE_ID, _serverInstanceName);
     LOGGER.info("Starting server instance: {}", _serverInstanceName);
     new HelixServerStarter(_clusterName, _zkAddress, serverConfiguration);
   }