diff --git a/tests/e2e/ignore.go b/tests/e2e/ignore.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..50332a1ac80e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e/ignore.go
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2019-2023, Ava Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.
+// See the file LICENSE for licensing terms.
+
+package e2e
+
+// This file is required by ginkgo to accurately report compilation errors in test packages. Without
+// it, the following error will mask the actual errors:
+//
+// ```
+// Failed to compile e2e:
+//
+// github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/tests/e2e: no non-test Go files in /path/to/avalanchego/tests/e2e
+// ```
diff --git a/tests/fixture/e2e/helpers.go b/tests/fixture/e2e/helpers.go
index cc1e22ae3aa9..15da611324e0 100644
--- a/tests/fixture/e2e/helpers.go
+++ b/tests/fixture/e2e/helpers.go
@@ -146,7 +146,10 @@ func AddEphemeralNode(network testnet.Network, flags testnet.FlagsMap) testnet.N
 
 // Wait for the given node to report healthy.
 func WaitForHealthy(node testnet.Node) {
-	require.NoError(ginkgo.GinkgoT(), testnet.WaitForHealthy(DefaultContext(), node))
+	// Need to use explicit context (vs DefaultContext()) to support use with DeferCleanup
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), DefaultTimeout)
+	defer cancel()
+	require.NoError(ginkgo.GinkgoT(), testnet.WaitForHealthy(ctx, node))
 }
 
 // Sends an eth transaction, waits for the transaction receipt to be issued
@@ -195,12 +198,26 @@ func WithSuggestedGasPrice(ethClient ethclient.Client) common.Option {
 
 // Verify that a new node can bootstrap into the network.
 func CheckBootstrapIsPossible(network testnet.Network) {
+	require := require.New(ginkgo.GinkgoT())
+
 	if len(os.Getenv(SkipBootstrapChecksEnvName)) > 0 {
 		tests.Outf("{{yellow}}Skipping bootstrap check due to the %s env var being set", SkipBootstrapChecksEnvName)
 		return
 	}
 	ginkgo.By("checking if bootstrap is possible with the current network state")
-	node := AddEphemeralNode(network, testnet.FlagsMap{})
+
+	// Call network.AddEphemeralNode instead of AddEphemeralNode to support
+	// checking for bootstrap implicitly on teardown via a function registered
+	// with ginkgo.DeferCleanup. It's not possible to call DeferCleanup from
+	// within a function called by DeferCleanup.
+	node, err := network.AddEphemeralNode(ginkgo.GinkgoWriter, testnet.FlagsMap{})
+	require.NoError(err)
+
+	defer func() {
+		tests.Outf("Shutting down ephemeral node %s\n", node.GetID())
+		require.NoError(node.Stop())
+	}()
+
 	WaitForHealthy(node)
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/fixture/testnet/local/network.go b/tests/fixture/testnet/local/network.go
index 4f83a7fb0869..836a1489c2dd 100644
--- a/tests/fixture/testnet/local/network.go
+++ b/tests/fixture/testnet/local/network.go
@@ -673,7 +673,19 @@ func (ln *LocalNetwork) AddLocalNode(w io.Writer, node *LocalNode, isEphemeral b
 	if err := node.WriteConfig(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	return node, node.Start(w, ln.ExecPath)
+
+	err = node.Start(w, ln.ExecPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		// Attempt to stop an unhealthy node to provide some assurance to the caller
+		// that an error condition will not result in a lingering process.
+		stopErr := node.Stop()
+		if stopErr != nil {
+			err = errors.Join(err, stopErr)
+		}
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return node, nil
 }
 
 func (ln *LocalNetwork) GetBootstrapIPsAndIDs() ([]string, []string, error) {