diff --git a/google/cloud/spanner_v1/_helpers.py b/google/cloud/spanner_v1/_helpers.py
index 62d7a26e02..1f4bf5b174 100644
--- a/google/cloud/spanner_v1/_helpers.py
+++ b/google/cloud/spanner_v1/_helpers.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 from google.cloud.spanner_v1 import TypeCode
 from google.cloud.spanner_v1 import ExecuteSqlRequest
 from google.cloud.spanner_v1 import JsonObject
+from google.cloud.spanner_v1.request_id_header import with_request_id
 
 # Validation error messages
 NUMERIC_MAX_SCALE_ERR_MSG = (
diff --git a/google/cloud/spanner_v1/request_id_header.py b/google/cloud/spanner_v1/request_id_header.py
index 6e4e0e3fd8..8376778273 100644
--- a/google/cloud/spanner_v1/request_id_header.py
+++ b/google/cloud/spanner_v1/request_id_header.py
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 import os
-import threading
 
 REQ_ID_VERSION = 1  # The version of the x-goog-spanner-request-id spec.
 REQ_ID_HEADER_KEY = "x-goog-spanner-request-id"
@@ -38,5 +37,6 @@ def generate_rand_uint64():
 
 def with_request_id(client_id, channel_id, nth_request, attempt, other_metadata=[]):
     req_id = f"{REQ_ID_VERSION}.{REQ_RAND_PROCESS_ID}.{client_id}.{channel_id}.{nth_request}.{attempt}"
-    other_metadata.append((REQ_ID_HEADER_KEY, req_id))
-    return other_metadata
+    all_metadata = other_metadata.copy()
+    all_metadata.append((REQ_ID_HEADER_KEY, req_id))
+    return all_metadata
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_atomic_counter.py b/tests/unit/test_atomic_counter.py
index fe50e61587..e4c41de200 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_atomic_counter.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_atomic_counter.py
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ def do_work():
         random.shuffle(threads)
         for th in threads:
             th.join()
-            assert th.is_alive() == False
+            assert not th.is_alive()
 
         # Finally the result should be n*m
         assert ac.value == n * m