diff --git a/tests/e2e/actions_consumer_misbehaviour.go b/tests/e2e/actions_consumer_misbehaviour.go
index 2b01c2818e..84eb93152c 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/actions_consumer_misbehaviour.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/actions_consumer_misbehaviour.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ func (tr TestRun) forkConsumerChain(action forkConsumerChainAction, verbose bool
 	)
 
 	if verbose {
-		fmt.Println("forkConsumerChain - reconfigure node cmd:", configureNodeCmd.String())
+		log.Println("forkConsumerChain - reconfigure node cmd:", configureNodeCmd.String())
 	}
 
 	cmdReader, err := configureNodeCmd.StdoutPipe()
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func (tr TestRun) forkConsumerChain(action forkConsumerChainAction, verbose bool
 	for scanner.Scan() {
 		out := scanner.Text()
 		if verbose {
-			fmt.Println("fork consumer validator : " + out)
+			log.Println("fork consumer validator : " + out)
 		}
 		if out == done {
 			break
@@ -90,3 +90,23 @@ func (tr TestRun) updateLightClient(
 
 	tr.waitBlocks(action.hostChain, 5, 30*time.Second)
 }
+
+type assertChainIsHaltedAction struct {
+	chain chainID
+}
+
+// assertChainIsHalted verifies that the chain isn't producing blocks
+// by checking that the block height is still the same after 20 seconds
+func (tr TestRun) assertChainIsHalted(
+	action assertChainIsHaltedAction,
+	verbose bool,
+) {
+	blockHeight := tr.getBlockHeight(action.chain)
+	time.Sleep(20 * time.Second)
+	if blockHeight != tr.getBlockHeight(action.chain) {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("chain %v isn't expected to produce blocks", action.chain))
+	}
+	if verbose {
+		log.Printf("assertChainIsHalted - chain %v was successfully halted\n", action.chain)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tests/e2e/main.go b/tests/e2e/main.go
index 4c7b6722cd..406a015e63 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/main.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/main.go
@@ -178,6 +178,8 @@ func (tr *TestRun) runStep(step Step, verbose bool) {
 		tr.forkConsumerChain(action, verbose)
 	case updateLightClientAction:
 		tr.updateLightClient(action, verbose)
+	case assertChainIsHaltedAction:
+		tr.assertChainIsHalted(action, verbose)
 	default:
 		log.Fatalf("unknown action in testRun %s: %#v", tr.name, action)
 	}
diff --git a/tests/e2e/steps_consumer_misbehaviour.go b/tests/e2e/steps_consumer_misbehaviour.go
index 7d7fda94b1..6401b5f638 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/steps_consumer_misbehaviour.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/steps_consumer_misbehaviour.go
@@ -241,13 +241,15 @@ func stepsCauseConsumerMisbehaviour(consumerName string) []Step {
 						},
 					},
 				},
-				chainID(consumerName): ChainState{
-					ValPowers: &map[validatorID]uint{
-						validatorID("alice"): 511,
-						validatorID("bob"):   20,
-					},
-				},
 			},
 		},
+		// we expect the consumer chain to be halted since the last VSC packet should
+		// have updated the alice validator power to 0.
+		{
+			action: assertChainIsHaltedAction{
+				chain: chainID("consu"),
+			},
+			state: State{},
+		},
 	}
 }