diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index ed9bdfaf..0640faeb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -75,10 +75,6 @@ jobs:
             cat "${DIRACX_DEMO_DIR}/.failed"
             exit 1
           fi
-      - name: Setup tmate session
-        uses: mxschmitt/action-tmate@v3
-        with:
-          limit-access-to-actor: true
       - name: Run pytest
         run: |
           pytest . --demo-dir ../diracx-charts/ --cov-report=xml:coverage.xml --junitxml=report.xml
diff --git a/tests/db/opensearch/conftest.py b/tests/db/opensearch/conftest.py
index 1b66753d..b0c28e91 100644
--- a/tests/db/opensearch/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/db/opensearch/conftest.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import secrets
 import socket
-from subprocess import PIPE, Popen
+from subprocess import PIPE, Popen, check_output
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -46,6 +46,20 @@ def index_name(self, doc_id: int) -> str:
 def opensearch_conn_kwargs(demo_kubectl, demo_kubectl_env):
     """Fixture which forwards a port from the diracx-demo and returns the connection kwargs."""
     require_port_availability(OPENSEARCH_PORT)
+
+    # Ensure the pod is running
+    cmd = [
+        demo_kubectl,
+        "get",
+        "pod/opensearch-cluster-master-0",
+        "-o",
+        "jsonpath={.status.phase}",
+    ]
+    pod_status = check_output(cmd, text=True, env=demo_kubectl_env)
+    if pod_status != "Running":
+        raise RuntimeError(f"OpenSearch pod is not running: {pod_status=}")
+
+    # Forward the actual port and wait until it has been forwarded before yielding
     cmd = [
         demo_kubectl,
         "port-forward",
diff --git a/tests/db/opensearch/test_connection.py b/tests/db/opensearch/test_connection.py
index 48431a6c..3dcf6bb2 100644
--- a/tests/db/opensearch/test_connection.py
+++ b/tests/db/opensearch/test_connection.py
@@ -78,3 +78,17 @@ async def test_connection_error_bad_password(opensearch_conn_kwargs):
         }
     )
     await _ensure_db_unavailable(db)
+
+
+async def test_sanity_checks(opensearch_conn_kwargs):
+    """Check that the sanity checks are working as expected."""
+    db = DummyOSDB(opensearch_conn_kwargs)
+    # Check that the client is not available before entering the context manager
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+        db.client.ping()
+
+    # It shouldn't be possible to enter the context manager twice
+    async with db.client_context():
+        assert db.client.ping()
+        with pytest.raises(AssertionError):
+            await db.__aenter__()