diff --git a/tests/fixture/e2e/helpers.go b/tests/fixture/e2e/helpers.go
index 0adffd60c7f..e473f3eebcb 100644
--- a/tests/fixture/e2e/helpers.go
+++ b/tests/fixture/e2e/helpers.go
@@ -121,8 +121,8 @@ func Eventually(condition func() bool, waitFor time.Duration, tick time.Duration
 func AddEphemeralNode(network *tmpnet.Network, flags tmpnet.FlagsMap) *tmpnet.Node {
 	require := require.New(ginkgo.GinkgoT())
 
-	node, err := network.AddEphemeralNode(DefaultContext(), ginkgo.GinkgoWriter, flags)
-	require.NoError(err)
+	node := tmpnet.NewEphemeralNode(flags)
+	require.NoError(network.StartNode(DefaultContext(), ginkgo.GinkgoWriter, node))
 
 	ginkgo.DeferCleanup(func() {
 		tests.Outf("shutting down ephemeral node %q\n", node.NodeID)
@@ -199,10 +199,10 @@ func CheckBootstrapIsPossible(network *tmpnet.Network) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), DefaultTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
 
-	node, err := network.AddEphemeralNode(ctx, ginkgo.GinkgoWriter, tmpnet.FlagsMap{})
-	// AddEphemeralNode will initiate node stop if an error is encountered during start,
+	node := tmpnet.NewEphemeralNode(tmpnet.FlagsMap{})
+	require.NoError(network.StartNode(ctx, ginkgo.GinkgoWriter, node))
+	// StartNode will initiate node stop if an error is encountered during start,
 	// so no further cleanup effort is required if an error is seen here.
-	require.NoError(err)
 
 	// Ensure the node is always stopped at the end of the check
 	defer func() {
diff --git a/tests/fixture/tmpnet/network.go b/tests/fixture/tmpnet/network.go
index fdebb9d83e5..7a47e858b92 100644
--- a/tests/fixture/tmpnet/network.go
+++ b/tests/fixture/tmpnet/network.go
@@ -334,16 +334,6 @@ func (n *Network) Start(ctx context.Context, w io.Writer) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (n *Network) AddEphemeralNode(ctx context.Context, w io.Writer, flags FlagsMap) (*Node, error) {
-	node := NewNode("")
-	node.Flags = flags
-	node.IsEphemeral = true
-	if err := n.StartNode(ctx, w, node); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	return node, nil
-}
-
 // Starts the provided node after configuring it for the network.
 func (n *Network) StartNode(ctx context.Context, w io.Writer, node *Node) error {
 	if err := n.EnsureNodeConfig(node); err != nil {
diff --git a/tests/fixture/tmpnet/node.go b/tests/fixture/tmpnet/node.go
index 2d20ce09858..21ff4a05135 100644
--- a/tests/fixture/tmpnet/node.go
+++ b/tests/fixture/tmpnet/node.go
@@ -94,6 +94,15 @@ func NewNode(dataDir string) *Node {
 	}
 }
 
+// Initializes an ephemeral node using the provided config flags
+func NewEphemeralNode(flags FlagsMap) *Node {
+	node := NewNode("")
+	node.Flags = flags
+	node.IsEphemeral = true
+
+	return node
+}
+
 // Initializes the specified number of nodes.
 func NewNodes(count int) []*Node {
 	nodes := make([]*Node, count)