diff --git a/packages/tests/src/node/node.ts b/packages/tests/src/node/node.ts
index 2ec7dfc31f..3b4dac04b6 100644
--- a/packages/tests/src/node/node.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/src/node/node.ts
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ export class NimGoNode {
     return this.rpcCall<RpcInfoResponse>("get_waku_v2_debug_v1_info", []);
   }
 
-  async sendSubscriptions(
+  async ensureSubscriptions(
     pubsubTopics: [string] = [DefaultPubSubTopic]
   ): Promise<boolean> {
     this.checkProcess();
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/filter/subscribe.node.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/filter/subscribe.node.spec.ts
index 3681b2c682..1cc0510158 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/filter/subscribe.node.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/filter/subscribe.node.spec.ts
@@ -48,12 +48,12 @@ describe("Waku Filter V2: Subscribe", function () {
     waku = setup.waku;
     subscription = setup.subscription;
     messageCollector = setup.messageCollector;
-  });
 
-  it("Subscribe and receive messages via lightPush", async function () {
     // Nwaku subscribe to the default pubsub topic
-    await nwaku.sendSubscriptions();
+    await nwaku.ensureSubscriptions();
+  });
 
+  it("Subscribe and receive messages via lightPush", async function () {
     await subscription.subscribe([TestDecoder], messageCollector.callback);
 
     await waku.lightPush.send(TestEncoder, messagePayload);
@@ -64,9 +64,6 @@ describe("Waku Filter V2: Subscribe", function () {
   });
 
   it("Subscribe and receive messages via waku relay post", async function () {
-    // Nwaku subscribe to the default pubsub topic
-    await nwaku.sendSubscriptions();
-
     await subscription.subscribe([TestDecoder], messageCollector.callback);
 
     await delay(400);
@@ -85,9 +82,6 @@ describe("Waku Filter V2: Subscribe", function () {
   });
 
   it("Subscribe and receive 2 messages on the same topic", async function () {
-    // Nwaku subscribe to the default pubsub topic
-    await nwaku.sendSubscriptions();
-
     await subscription.subscribe([TestDecoder], messageCollector.callback);
 
     await waku.lightPush.send(TestEncoder, messagePayload);
@@ -111,9 +105,6 @@ describe("Waku Filter V2: Subscribe", function () {
   });
 
   it("Subscribe and receive messages on 2 different content topics", async function () {
-    // Nwaku subscribe to the default pubsub topic
-    await nwaku.sendSubscriptions();
-
     // Subscribe to the first content topic and send a message.
     await subscription.subscribe([TestDecoder], messageCollector.callback);
     await waku.lightPush.send(TestEncoder, messagePayload);
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/filter/unsubscribe.node.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/filter/unsubscribe.node.spec.ts
index a89bcdab0c..478804d5e8 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/filter/unsubscribe.node.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/filter/unsubscribe.node.spec.ts
@@ -35,12 +35,12 @@ describe("Waku Filter V2: Unsubscribe", function () {
     waku = setup.waku;
     subscription = setup.subscription;
     messageCollector = setup.messageCollector;
-  });
 
-  it("Unsubscribe 1 topic - node subscribed to 1 topic", async function () {
     // Nwaku subscribe to the default pubsub topic
-    await nwaku.sendSubscriptions();
+    await nwaku.ensureSubscriptions();
+  });
 
+  it("Unsubscribe 1 topic - node subscribed to 1 topic", async function () {
     await subscription.subscribe([TestDecoder], messageCollector.callback);
     await waku.lightPush.send(TestEncoder, messagePayload);
     expect(await messageCollector.waitForMessages(1)).to.eq(true);
@@ -57,9 +57,6 @@ describe("Waku Filter V2: Unsubscribe", function () {
   });
 
   it("Unsubscribe 1 topic - node subscribed to 2 topics", async function () {
-    // Nwaku subscribe to the default pubsub topic
-    await nwaku.sendSubscriptions();
-
     // Subscribe to 2 topics and send messages
     await subscription.subscribe([TestDecoder], messageCollector.callback);
     const newContentTopic = "/test/2/waku-filter";
@@ -82,9 +79,6 @@ describe("Waku Filter V2: Unsubscribe", function () {
   });
 
   it("Unsubscribe 2 topics - node subscribed to 2 topics", async function () {
-    // Nwaku subscribe to the default pubsub topic
-    await nwaku.sendSubscriptions();
-
     // Subscribe to 2 topics and send messages
     await subscription.subscribe([TestDecoder], messageCollector.callback);
     const newContentTopic = "/test/2/waku-filter";
@@ -107,9 +101,6 @@ describe("Waku Filter V2: Unsubscribe", function () {
   });
 
   it("Unsubscribe topics the node is not subscribed to", async function () {
-    // Nwaku subscribe to the default pubsub topic
-    await nwaku.sendSubscriptions();
-
     // Subscribe to 1 topic and send message
     await subscription.subscribe([TestDecoder], messageCollector.callback);
     await waku.lightPush.send(TestEncoder, { payload: utf8ToBytes("M1") });
@@ -129,9 +120,6 @@ describe("Waku Filter V2: Unsubscribe", function () {
   });
 
   it("Unsubscribes all - node subscribed to 1 topic", async function () {
-    // Nwaku subscribe to the default pubsub topic
-    await nwaku.sendSubscriptions();
-
     await subscription.subscribe([TestDecoder], messageCollector.callback);
     await waku.lightPush.send(TestEncoder, { payload: utf8ToBytes("M1") });
     expect(await messageCollector.waitForMessages(1)).to.eq(true);
@@ -148,9 +136,6 @@ describe("Waku Filter V2: Unsubscribe", function () {
   });
 
   it("Unsubscribes all - node subscribed to 10 topics", async function () {
-    // Nwaku subscribe to the default pubsub topic
-    await nwaku.sendSubscriptions();
-
     // Subscribe to 10 topics and send message
     const topicCount = 10;
     const td = generateTestData(topicCount);
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/light_push.node.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/light_push.node.spec.ts
index af8bf5c8ba..80133600fa 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/light_push.node.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/light_push.node.spec.ts
@@ -122,6 +122,9 @@ describe("Waku Light Push [node only] - custom pubsub topic", () => {
   beforeEach(async function () {
     this.timeout(15_000);
     [nwaku, waku] = await runNodes(this, customPubSubTopic);
+
+    log("Waiting for nwaku to subscribe to pubsub topic");
+    await nwaku.ensureSubscriptions([customPubSubTopic]);
   });
 
   afterEach(async function () {
@@ -136,9 +139,6 @@ describe("Waku Light Push [node only] - custom pubsub topic", () => {
   it("Push message", async function () {
     this.timeout(15_000);
 
-    log("Waiting for nwaku to subscribe to pubsub topic");
-    await nwaku.sendSubscriptions([customPubSubTopic]);
-
     const nimPeerId = await nwaku.getPeerId();
     const messageText = "Light Push works!";
 
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/relay.node.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/relay.node.spec.ts
index 9b7015aaac..4d48f477f6 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/relay.node.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/relay.node.spec.ts
@@ -411,6 +411,9 @@ describe("Waku Relay [node only]", () => {
 
       await waku.dial(await nwaku.getMultiaddrWithId());
       await waitForRemotePeer(waku, [Protocols.Relay]);
+
+      // Nwaku subscribe to the default pubsub topic
+      await nwaku.ensureSubscriptions();
     });
 
     afterEach(async function () {
@@ -437,9 +440,6 @@ describe("Waku Relay [node only]", () => {
     it("Publishes to nwaku", async function () {
       this.timeout(30000);
 
-      // Nwaku subscribe to the default pubsub topic
-      await nwaku.sendSubscriptions();
-
       const messageText = "This is a message";
       await waku.relay.send(TestEncoder, { payload: utf8ToBytes(messageText) });