diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-backend.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-backend.yml
index a7db2976dff..70047a54905 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-backend.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-backend.yml
@@ -155,7 +155,9 @@ jobs:
                   fetch-depth: 1
 
             - name: Start stack with Docker Compose
-              run: docker-compose -f ee/docker-compose.ch.yml up -d ${{ matrix.foss && 'db' || 'db clickhouse zookeeper kafka' }}
+              run: |
+                  docker-compose -f ee/docker-compose.ch.yml down
+                  docker-compose -f ee/docker-compose.ch.yml up -d ${{ matrix.foss && 'db' || 'db clickhouse zookeeper kafka' }}
 
             - name: Set up Python
               uses: actions/setup-python@v2
@@ -275,7 +277,9 @@ jobs:
                   cat multi_tenancy_settings.py >> deploy/posthog/settings.py
                   cat requirements.txt >> deploy/requirements.txt
             - name: Start stack with Docker Compose
-              run: docker-compose -f deploy/ee/docker-compose.ch.yml up -d db clickhouse zookeeper kafka
+              run: |
+                  docker-compose -f deploy/ee/docker-compose.ch.yml down
+                  docker-compose -f deploy/ee/docker-compose.ch.yml up -d db clickhouse zookeeper kafka
             - name: Set up Python 3.8
               uses: actions/setup-python@v2
               with:
diff --git a/ee/clickhouse/client.py b/ee/clickhouse/client.py
index cee660c51df..1d69b86d3fb 100644
--- a/ee/clickhouse/client.py
+++ b/ee/clickhouse/client.py
@@ -47,6 +47,21 @@ QUERY_TIMEOUT_THREAD = get_timer_thread("ee.clickhouse.client", SLOW_QUERY_THRES
 _request_information: Optional[Dict] = None
 
 
+def default_client():
+    """
+    Return a bare bones client for use in places where we are only interested in general ClickHouse state
+    DO NOT USE THIS FOR QUERYING DATA
+    """
+    return SyncClient(
+        host=CLICKHOUSE_HOST,
+        secure=CLICKHOUSE_SECURE,
+        user=CLICKHOUSE_USER,
+        password=CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD,
+        ca_certs=CLICKHOUSE_CA,
+        verify=CLICKHOUSE_VERIFY,
+    )
+
+
 def make_ch_pool(**overrides) -> ChPool:
     kwargs = {
         "host": CLICKHOUSE_HOST,
diff --git a/posthog/version_requirement.py b/posthog/version_requirement.py
index 4f71c6cfcf3..dd7ed1b8a78 100644
--- a/posthog/version_requirement.py
+++ b/posthog/version_requirement.py
@@ -48,9 +48,10 @@ class ServiceVersionRequirement:
         return self.version_string_to_semver(version)
 
     def get_clickhouse_version(self):
-        from ee.clickhouse.client import sync_execute
+        from ee.clickhouse.client import default_client
 
-        rows = sync_execute("SELECT version()")
+        client = default_client()
+        rows = client.execute("SELECT version()")
         version = rows[0][0]
 
         return self.version_string_to_semver(version)