diff --git a/test/functional/page_objects/common_page.ts b/test/functional/page_objects/common_page.ts
index 4c71693dd4125..2c5b8bff30d47 100644
--- a/test/functional/page_objects/common_page.ts
+++ b/test/functional/page_objects/common_page.ts
@@ -417,18 +417,9 @@ export class CommonPageObject extends FtrService {
    * Clicks cancel button on modal
    * @param overlayWillStay pass in true if your test will show multiple modals in succession
    */
-  async clickCancelOnModal(overlayWillStay = true, ignorePageLeaveWarning = false) {
+  async clickCancelOnModal(overlayWillStay = true) {
     this.log.debug('Clicking modal cancel');
-    await this.testSubjects.exists('confirmModalTitleText');
-
-    await this.retry.try(async () => {
-      const warning = await this.testSubjects.exists('confirmModalTitleText');
-      if (warning) {
-        await this.testSubjects.click(
-          ignorePageLeaveWarning ? 'confirmModalConfirmButton' : 'confirmModalCancelButton'
-        );
-      }
-    });
+    await this.testSubjects.click('confirmModalCancelButton');
     if (!overlayWillStay) {
       await this.ensureModalOverlayHidden();
     }
diff --git a/test/functional/services/common/browser.ts b/test/functional/services/common/browser.ts
index 0a1798442f360..4172e7087ea36 100644
--- a/test/functional/services/common/browser.ts
+++ b/test/functional/services/common/browser.ts
@@ -6,18 +6,23 @@
  * Side Public License, v 1.
  */
 
+import Url from 'url';
 import { setTimeout as setTimeoutAsync } from 'timers/promises';
 import { cloneDeepWith, isString } from 'lodash';
-import { Key, Origin, WebDriver } from 'selenium-webdriver';
+import { Key, Origin, type WebDriver } from 'selenium-webdriver';
 import { Driver as ChromiumWebDriver } from 'selenium-webdriver/chrome';
 import { modifyUrl } from '@kbn/std';
 
 import sharp from 'sharp';
 import { NoSuchSessionError } from 'selenium-webdriver/lib/error';
 import { WebElementWrapper } from '../lib/web_element_wrapper';
-import { FtrProviderContext, FtrService } from '../../ftr_provider_context';
+import { type FtrProviderContext, FtrService } from '../../ftr_provider_context';
 import { Browsers } from '../remote/browsers';
-import { NetworkOptions, NetworkProfile, NETWORK_PROFILES } from '../remote/network_profiles';
+import {
+  type NetworkOptions,
+  type NetworkProfile,
+  NETWORK_PROFILES,
+} from '../remote/network_profiles';
 
 export type Browser = BrowserService;
 
@@ -164,17 +169,53 @@ class BrowserService extends FtrService {
   /**
    * Gets the URL that is loaded in the focused window/frame.
    * https://seleniumhq.github.io/selenium/docs/api/javascript/module/selenium-webdriver/lib/webdriver_exports_WebDriver.html#getCurrentUrl
-   *
+   * @param relativeUrl (optional) set to true to return the relative URL (without the hostname and protocol)
    * @return {Promise<string>}
    */
-  public async getCurrentUrl() {
+  public async getCurrentUrl(relativeUrl: boolean = false): Promise<string> {
     // strip _t=Date query param when url is read
     const current = await this.driver.getCurrentUrl();
     const currentWithoutTime = modifyUrl(current, (parsed) => {
       delete (parsed.query as any)._t;
       return void 0;
     });
-    return currentWithoutTime;
+
+    if (relativeUrl) {
+      const { path } = Url.parse(currentWithoutTime);
+      return path!; // this property includes query params and anchors
+    } else {
+      return currentWithoutTime;
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Uses the 'retry' service and waits for the current browser URL to match the provided path.
+   * NB the provided path can contain query params as well as hash anchors.
+   * Using retry logic makes URL assertions less flaky
+   * @param expectedPath The relative path that we are expecting the browser to be on
+   * @returns a Promise that will reject if the browser URL does not match the expected one
+   */
+  public async waitForUrlToBe(expectedPath: string) {
+    const retry = await this.ctx.getService('retry');
+    const log = this.ctx.getService('log');
+
+    await retry.waitForWithTimeout(`URL to be ${expectedPath}`, 5000, async () => {
+      const currentPath = await this.getCurrentUrl(true);
+
+      if (currentPath !== expectedPath) {
+        log.debug(`Expected URL to be ${expectedPath}, got ${currentPath}`);
+      }
+      return currentPath === expectedPath;
+    });
+
+    // wait some time before checking the URL again
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 1000));
+
+    // ensure the URL stays the same and we did not go through any redirects
+    const currentPath = await this.getCurrentUrl(true);
+    if (currentPath !== expectedPath) {
+      throw new Error(`Expected URL to continue to be ${expectedPath}, got ${currentPath}`);
+    }
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/test/plugin_functional/test_suites/core_plugins/application_deep_links.ts b/test/plugin_functional/test_suites/core_plugins/application_deep_links.ts
index e4973b05bd955..1d326bcdfef82 100644
--- a/test/plugin_functional/test_suites/core_plugins/application_deep_links.ts
+++ b/test/plugin_functional/test_suites/core_plugins/application_deep_links.ts
@@ -6,16 +6,14 @@
  * Side Public License, v 1.
  */
 
-import url from 'url';
 import expect from '@kbn/expect';
 import type { PluginFunctionalProviderContext } from '../../services';
 
-export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: PluginFunctionalProviderContext) {
-  const PageObjects = getPageObjects(['common']);
+export default function ({ getService, getPageObject }: PluginFunctionalProviderContext) {
+  const common = getPageObject('common');
   const browser = getService('browser');
   const appsMenu = getService('appsMenu');
   const testSubjects = getService('testSubjects');
-  const retry = getService('retry');
   const esArchiver = getService('esArchiver');
   const log = getService('log');
 
@@ -27,25 +25,6 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: PluginFunctionalProvide
     await testSubjects.click(appLink);
   };
 
-  const getKibanaUrl = (pathname?: string, search?: string) =>
-    url.format({
-      protocol: 'http:',
-      hostname: process.env.TEST_KIBANA_HOST || 'localhost',
-      port: process.env.TEST_KIBANA_PORT || '5620',
-      pathname,
-      search,
-    });
-
-  /** Use retry logic to make URL assertions less flaky */
-  const waitForUrlToBe = (pathname?: string, search?: string) => {
-    const expectedUrl = getKibanaUrl(pathname, search);
-    return retry.waitFor(`Url to be ${expectedUrl}`, async () => {
-      const currentUrl = await browser.getCurrentUrl();
-      log?.debug(`waiting for currentUrl ${currentUrl} to be expectedUrl ${expectedUrl}`);
-      return currentUrl === expectedUrl;
-    });
-  };
-
   const loadingScreenNotShown = async () =>
     expect(await testSubjects.exists('kbnLoadingMessage')).to.be(false);
 
@@ -57,7 +36,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: PluginFunctionalProvide
   describe('application deep links navigation', function describeDeepLinksTests() {
     before(async () => {
       await esArchiver.emptyKibanaIndex();
-      await PageObjects.common.navigateToApp('dl');
+      await common.navigateToApp('dl');
     });
 
     it('should start on home page', async () => {
@@ -66,42 +45,42 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: PluginFunctionalProvide
 
     it('should navigate to page A when navlink is clicked', async () => {
       await clickAppLink('PageA');
-      await waitForUrlToBe('/app/dl/page-a');
+      await browser.waitForUrlToBe('/app/dl/page-a');
       await loadingScreenNotShown();
       await checkAppVisible('PageA');
     });
 
     it('should be able to use the back button to navigate back to previous deep link', async () => {
       await browser.goBack();
-      await waitForUrlToBe('/app/dl/home');
+      await browser.waitForUrlToBe('/app/dl/home');
       await loadingScreenNotShown();
       await checkAppVisible('Home');
     });
 
     it('should navigate to nested page B when navlink is clicked', async () => {
       await clickAppLink('DeepPageB');
-      await waitForUrlToBe('/app/dl/page-b');
+      await browser.waitForUrlToBe('/app/dl/page-b');
       await loadingScreenNotShown();
       await checkAppVisible('PageB');
     });
 
     it('should navigate to Home when navlink is clicked inside the defined category group', async () => {
       await clickAppLink('Home');
-      await waitForUrlToBe('/app/dl/home');
+      await browser.waitForUrlToBe('/app/dl/home');
       await loadingScreenNotShown();
       await checkAppVisible('Home');
     });
 
     it('should navigate to nested page B using navigateToApp path', async () => {
       await clickAppLink('DeepPageB');
-      await waitForUrlToBe('/app/dl/page-b');
+      await browser.waitForUrlToBe('/app/dl/page-b');
       await loadingScreenNotShown();
       await checkAppVisible('PageB');
     });
 
     it('should navigate to nested page A using navigateToApp deepLinkId', async () => {
       await clickAppLink('DeepPageAById');
-      await waitForUrlToBe('/app/dl/page-a');
+      await browser.waitForUrlToBe('/app/dl/page-a');
       await loadingScreenNotShown();
       await checkAppVisible('PageA');
     });
diff --git a/test/plugin_functional/test_suites/core_plugins/application_leave_confirm.ts b/test/plugin_functional/test_suites/core_plugins/application_leave_confirm.ts
index 4d0f837108b73..5ec44365f7a64 100644
--- a/test/plugin_functional/test_suites/core_plugins/application_leave_confirm.ts
+++ b/test/plugin_functional/test_suites/core_plugins/application_leave_confirm.ts
@@ -6,110 +6,34 @@
  * Side Public License, v 1.
  */
 
-import expect from '@kbn/expect';
-import url from 'url';
-import { PluginFunctionalProviderContext } from '../../services';
+import type { PluginFunctionalProviderContext } from '../../services';
 
-const getKibanaUrl = (pathname?: string, search?: string) =>
-  url.format({
-    protocol: 'http:',
-    hostname: process.env.TEST_KIBANA_HOST || 'localhost',
-    port: process.env.TEST_KIBANA_PORT || '5620',
-    pathname,
-    search,
-  });
-
-export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: PluginFunctionalProviderContext) {
-  const PageObjects = getPageObjects(['common', 'header']);
+export default function ({ getService, getPageObject }: PluginFunctionalProviderContext) {
+  const common = getPageObject('common');
   const browser = getService('browser');
   const appsMenu = getService('appsMenu');
-  const log = getService('log');
-  const retry = getService('retry');
   const testSubjects = getService('testSubjects');
-  const config = getService('config');
-
-  const waitForUrlToBe = async (pathname?: string, search?: string) => {
-    const expectedUrl = getKibanaUrl(pathname, search);
-    return await retry.waitFor(`Url to be ${expectedUrl}`, async () => {
-      const currentUrl = await browser.getCurrentUrl();
-      log.debug(`waiting for currentUrl ${currentUrl} to be expectedUrl ${expectedUrl}`);
-      return currentUrl === expectedUrl;
-    });
-  };
-
-  const ensureModalOpen = async (
-    defaultTryTimeout: number,
-    attempts: number,
-    timeMultiplier: number,
-    action: 'cancel' | 'confirm',
-    linkText: string = 'home'
-  ): Promise<void> => {
-    let isConfirmCancelModalOpenState = false;
-
-    await retry.tryForTime(defaultTryTimeout * timeMultiplier, async () => {
-      await appsMenu.clickLink(linkText);
-      isConfirmCancelModalOpenState = await testSubjects.exists('confirmModalTitleText', {
-        allowHidden: true,
-        timeout: defaultTryTimeout * timeMultiplier,
-      });
-    });
-    if (isConfirmCancelModalOpenState) {
-      log.debug(`defaultTryTimeout * ${timeMultiplier} is long enough`);
-      return action === 'cancel'
-        ? await PageObjects.common.clickCancelOnModal(true, false)
-        : await PageObjects.common.clickConfirmOnModal();
-    } else {
-      log.debug(`defaultTryTimeout * ${timeMultiplier} is not long enough`);
-      return await ensureModalOpen(
-        defaultTryTimeout,
-        (attempts = attempts > 0 ? attempts - 1 : 0),
-        (timeMultiplier = timeMultiplier < 10 ? timeMultiplier + 1 : 10),
-        action,
-        linkText
-      );
-    }
-  };
 
   describe('application using leave confirmation', () => {
-    const defaultTryTimeout = config.get('timeouts.try');
-    const attempts = 5;
     describe('when navigating to another app', () => {
-      const timeMultiplier = 10;
-      beforeEach(async () => {
-        await PageObjects.common.navigateToApp('home');
-      });
       it('prevents navigation if user click cancel on the confirmation dialog', async () => {
-        await PageObjects.common.navigateToApp('appleave1');
-        await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
-        await waitForUrlToBe('/app/appleave1');
+        await common.navigateToApp('appleave1');
+        await browser.waitForUrlToBe('/app/appleave1');
 
-        await ensureModalOpen(defaultTryTimeout, attempts, timeMultiplier, 'cancel', 'AppLeave 2');
-        await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
-        await retry.waitFor('navigate to appleave1', async () => {
-          const currentUrl = await browser.getCurrentUrl();
-          log.debug(`currentUrl ${currentUrl}`);
-          return currentUrl.includes('appleave1');
-        });
-        const currentUrl = await browser.getCurrentUrl();
-        expect(currentUrl).to.contain('appleave1');
-        await PageObjects.common.navigateToApp('home');
+        await appsMenu.clickLink('AppLeave 2', { category: 'kibana' });
+        await testSubjects.existOrFail('appLeaveConfirmModal');
+        await common.clickCancelOnModal(false);
+        await browser.waitForUrlToBe('/app/appleave1');
       });
 
       it('allows navigation if user click confirm on the confirmation dialog', async () => {
-        await PageObjects.common.navigateToApp('appleave1');
-        await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
-        await waitForUrlToBe('/app/appleave1');
+        await common.navigateToApp('appleave1');
+        await browser.waitForUrlToBe('/app/appleave1');
 
-        await ensureModalOpen(defaultTryTimeout, attempts, timeMultiplier, 'confirm', 'AppLeave 2');
-        await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
-        await retry.waitFor('navigate to appleave1', async () => {
-          const currentUrl = await browser.getCurrentUrl();
-          log.debug(`currentUrl ${currentUrl}`);
-          return currentUrl.includes('appleave2');
-        });
-        const currentUrl = await browser.getCurrentUrl();
-        expect(currentUrl).to.contain('appleave2');
-        await PageObjects.common.navigateToApp('home');
+        await appsMenu.clickLink('AppLeave 2', { category: 'kibana' });
+        await testSubjects.existOrFail('appLeaveConfirmModal');
+        await common.clickConfirmOnModal();
+        await browser.waitForUrlToBe('/app/appleave2');
       });
     });
   });
diff --git a/test/plugin_functional/test_suites/core_plugins/applications.ts b/test/plugin_functional/test_suites/core_plugins/applications.ts
index b780ef125b71b..862cb6acfb6df 100644
--- a/test/plugin_functional/test_suites/core_plugins/applications.ts
+++ b/test/plugin_functional/test_suites/core_plugins/applications.ts
@@ -6,24 +6,17 @@
  * Side Public License, v 1.
  */
 
-import url from 'url';
 import expect from '@kbn/expect';
 import { PluginFunctionalProviderContext } from '../../services';
 
-export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: PluginFunctionalProviderContext) {
-  const PageObjects = getPageObjects(['common', 'header']);
+export default function ({ getService, getPageObject }: PluginFunctionalProviderContext) {
+  const common = getPageObject('common');
   const browser = getService('browser');
   const appsMenu = getService('appsMenu');
   const testSubjects = getService('testSubjects');
   const find = getService('find');
-  const retry = getService('retry');
   const deployment = getService('deployment');
   const esArchiver = getService('esArchiver');
-  const log = getService('log');
-
-  function waitUntilLoadingIsDone() {
-    return PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
-  }
 
   const loadingScreenNotShown = async () =>
     expect(await testSubjects.exists('kbnLoadingMessage')).to.be(false);
@@ -33,33 +26,6 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: PluginFunctionalProvide
     return (await wrapper.getSize()).height;
   };
 
-  const getKibanaUrl = (pathname?: string, search?: string) =>
-    url.format({
-      protocol: 'http:',
-      hostname: process.env.TEST_KIBANA_HOST || 'localhost',
-      port: process.env.TEST_KIBANA_PORT || '5620',
-      pathname,
-      search,
-    });
-
-  async function navigateToAppFromAppsMenu(title: string) {
-    await retry.try(async () => {
-      await appsMenu.clickLink(title);
-      await waitUntilLoadingIsDone();
-    });
-  }
-
-  /** Use retry logic to make URL assertions less flaky */
-  const waitForUrlToBe = (pathname?: string, search?: string) => {
-    const expectedUrl = getKibanaUrl(pathname, search);
-    return retry.waitFor(`Url to be ${expectedUrl}`, async () => {
-      const currentUrl = await browser.getCurrentUrl();
-      if (currentUrl !== expectedUrl)
-        log.debug(`expected url to be ${expectedUrl}, got ${currentUrl}`);
-      return currentUrl === expectedUrl;
-    });
-  };
-
   const navigateTo = async (path: string) =>
     await browser.navigateTo(`${deployment.getHostPort()}${path}`);
 
@@ -67,8 +33,8 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: PluginFunctionalProvide
   describe.skip('ui applications', function describeIndexTests() {
     before(async () => {
       await esArchiver.emptyKibanaIndex();
-      await PageObjects.common.navigateToApp('foo');
-      await PageObjects.common.dismissBanner();
+      await common.navigateToApp('foo');
+      await common.dismissBanner();
     });
 
     it('starts on home page', async () => {
@@ -77,40 +43,37 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: PluginFunctionalProvide
 
     it('redirects and renders correctly regardless of trailing slash', async () => {
       await navigateTo(`/app/foo`);
-      await waitForUrlToBe('/app/foo/home');
+      await browser.waitForUrlToBe('/app/foo/home');
       await testSubjects.existOrFail('fooAppHome');
       await navigateTo(`/app/foo/`);
-      await waitForUrlToBe('/app/foo/home');
+      await browser.waitForUrlToBe('/app/foo/home');
       await testSubjects.existOrFail('fooAppHome');
     });
 
     it('navigates to its own pages', async () => {
       // Go to page A
       await testSubjects.click('fooNavPageA');
-      await waitForUrlToBe('/app/foo/page-a');
+      await browser.waitForUrlToBe('/app/foo/page-a');
       await loadingScreenNotShown();
       await testSubjects.existOrFail('fooAppPageA');
 
       // Go to home page
       await testSubjects.click('fooNavHome');
-      await waitForUrlToBe('/app/foo/home');
+      await browser.waitForUrlToBe('/app/foo/home');
       await loadingScreenNotShown();
       await testSubjects.existOrFail('fooAppHome');
     });
 
     it('can use the back button to navigate within an app', async () => {
       await browser.goBack();
-      await waitForUrlToBe('/app/foo/page-a');
+      await browser.waitForUrlToBe('/app/foo/page-a');
       await loadingScreenNotShown();
       await testSubjects.existOrFail('fooAppPageA');
     });
 
     it('navigates to app root when navlink is clicked', async () => {
-      await testSubjects.click('fooNavHome');
-
-      navigateToAppFromAppsMenu('Foo');
-
-      await waitForUrlToBe('/app/foo/home');
+      await appsMenu.clickLink('Foo', { category: 'kibana' });
+      await browser.waitForUrlToBe('/app/foo/home');
       await loadingScreenNotShown();
       await testSubjects.existOrFail('fooAppHome');
     });
@@ -119,7 +82,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: PluginFunctionalProvide
       await testSubjects.click('fooNavBarPageB');
       await loadingScreenNotShown();
       await testSubjects.existOrFail('barAppPageB');
-      await waitForUrlToBe('/app/bar/page-b', 'query=here');
+      await browser.waitForUrlToBe('/app/bar/page-b?query=here');
     });
 
     it('preserves query parameters across apps', async () => {
@@ -129,7 +92,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: PluginFunctionalProvide
 
     it('can use the back button to navigate back to previous app', async () => {
       await browser.goBack();
-      await waitForUrlToBe('/app/foo/home');
+      await browser.waitForUrlToBe('/app/foo/home');
       await loadingScreenNotShown();
       await testSubjects.existOrFail('fooAppHome');
     });
@@ -139,7 +102,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: PluginFunctionalProvide
     });
 
     it('navigating to chromeless application hides chrome', async () => {
-      await PageObjects.common.navigateToApp('chromeless');
+      await common.navigateToApp('chromeless');
       await loadingScreenNotShown();
       expect(await testSubjects.exists('headerGlobalNav')).to.be(false);
 
@@ -149,7 +112,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: PluginFunctionalProvide
     });
 
     it('navigating away from chromeless application shows chrome', async () => {
-      await PageObjects.common.navigateToApp('foo');
+      await common.navigateToApp('foo');
       await loadingScreenNotShown();
       expect(await testSubjects.exists('headerGlobalNav')).to.be(true);