diff --git a/src/py/flwr/client/middleware/utils_test.py b/src/py/flwr/client/middleware/utils_test.py
index 6a588f3d02eb..88a1121eaf13 100644
--- a/src/py/flwr/client/middleware/utils_test.py
+++ b/src/py/flwr/client/middleware/utils_test.py
@@ -18,12 +18,10 @@
 import unittest
 from typing import List
 
-from flwr.client.run_state import RunState
-from flwr.client.typing import Bwd, FlowerCallable, Fwd, Layer
+from flwr.client.typing import FlowerCallable, Layer
 from flwr.common.configsrecord import ConfigsRecord
 from flwr.common.flowercontext import FlowerContext, Metadata
 from flwr.common.recordset import RecordSet
-from flwr.proto.task_pb2 import TaskIns, TaskRes  # pylint: disable=E0611
 
 from .utils import make_ffn
 
@@ -33,9 +31,11 @@ def make_mock_middleware(name: str, footprint: List[str]) -> Layer:
 
     def middleware(context: FlowerContext, app: FlowerCallable) -> FlowerContext:
         footprint.append(name)
+        # add empty ConfigRegcord to in_message for this middleware layer
         context.in_message.set_configs(name=name, record=ConfigsRecord())
         ctx: FlowerContext = app(context)
         footprint.append(name)
+        # add empty ConfigRegcord to out_message for this middleware layer
         ctx.out_message.set_configs(name=name, record=ConfigsRecord())
         return ctx
 
@@ -54,6 +54,15 @@ def app(context: FlowerContext) -> FlowerContext:
     return app
 
 
+def _get_dummy_flower_context() -> FlowerContext:
+    return FlowerContext(
+        in_message=RecordSet(),
+        out_message=RecordSet(),
+        local=RecordSet(),
+        metadata=Metadata(run_id=0, task_id="", group_id="", ttl="", task_type="mock"),
+    )
+
+
 class TestMakeApp(unittest.TestCase):
     """Tests for the `make_app` function."""
 
@@ -67,14 +76,7 @@ def test_multiple_middlewares(self) -> None:
             make_mock_middleware(name, footprint) for name in mock_middleware_names
         ]
 
-        context = FlowerContext(
-            in_message=RecordSet(),
-            out_message=RecordSet(),
-            local=RecordSet(),
-            metadata=Metadata(
-                run_id=0, task_id="", group_id="", ttl="", task_type="mock"
-            ),
-        )
+        context = _get_dummy_flower_context()
 
         # Execute
         wrapped_app = make_ffn(mock_app, mock_middleware_layers)
@@ -94,20 +96,21 @@ def test_filter(self) -> None:
         # Prepare
         footprint: List[str] = []
         mock_app = make_mock_app("app", footprint)
-        task_ins = TaskIns()
+        context = _get_dummy_flower_context()
 
-        def filter_layer(fwd: Fwd, _: FlowerCallable) -> Bwd:
+        def filter_layer(context: FlowerContext, _: FlowerCallable) -> FlowerContext:
             footprint.append("filter")
-            fwd.task_ins.task_id += "filter"
+            context.in_message.set_configs(name="filter", record=ConfigsRecord())
+            context.out_message.set_configs(name="filter", record=ConfigsRecord())
             # Skip calling app
-            return Bwd(task_res=TaskRes(task_id="filter"), state=RunState({}))
+            return context
 
         # Execute
         wrapped_app = make_ffn(mock_app, [filter_layer])
-        task_res = wrapped_app(Fwd(task_ins=task_ins, state=RunState({}))).task_res
+        context_ = wrapped_app(context)
 
         # Assert
         self.assertEqual(footprint, ["filter"])
         # pylint: disable-next=no-member
-        self.assertEqual(task_ins.task_id, "filter")
-        self.assertEqual(task_res.task_id, "filter")
+        self.assertEqual(list(context_.in_message.configs.keys())[0], "filter")
+        self.assertEqual(list(context_.out_message.configs.keys())[0], "filter")