diff --git a/.github/workflows/flow-pull-request-checks.yaml b/.github/workflows/flow-pull-request-checks.yaml
index bf2b38add..3fc8c15b5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/flow-pull-request-checks.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/flow-pull-request-checks.yaml
@@ -81,9 +81,11 @@ jobs:
           - { name: "Node PEM Kill", npm-test-script: "test-${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-pem-kill-test-subdir }}", coverage-subdirectory: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-pem-kill-test-subdir }}", coverage-report-name: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-pem-kill-coverage-report }}" }
           - { name: "Node Local Hedera", npm-test-script: "test-${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-local-hedera-test-subdir }}", coverage-subdirectory: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-local-hedera-test-subdir }}", coverage-report-name: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-local-hedera-coverage-report }}" }
           - { name: "Node Local PTT", npm-test-script: "test-${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-local-ptt-test-subdir }}", coverage-subdirectory: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-local-ptt-test-subdir }}", coverage-report-name: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-local-ptt-coverage-report }}" }
-          - { name: "Node Add", npm-test-script: "test-${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-add-test-subdir }}", coverage-subdirectory: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-add-test-subdir }}", coverage-report-name: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-add-coverage-report }}" }
-          - { name: "Node Add Local", npm-test-script: "test-${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-add-local-test-subdir }}", coverage-subdirectory: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-add-local-test-subdir }}", coverage-report-name: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-add-local-coverage-report }}" }
-          - { name: "Node Add - Separate commands", npm-test-script: "test-${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-add-separate-commands-test-subdir }}", coverage-subdirectory: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-add-separate-commands-test-subdir }}", coverage-report-name: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-add-separate-commands-coverage-report }}" }
+          # Node Add tests are disabled and are not viable for the amount of memory available. The teacher crashes during
+          # the reconnect attempt.
+          #- { name: "Node Add", npm-test-script: "test-${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-add-test-subdir }}", coverage-subdirectory: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-add-test-subdir }}", coverage-report-name: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-add-coverage-report }}" }
+          #- { name: "Node Add Local", npm-test-script: "test-${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-add-local-test-subdir }}", coverage-subdirectory: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-add-local-test-subdir }}", coverage-report-name: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-add-local-coverage-report }}" }
+          #- { name: "Node Add - Separate commands", npm-test-script: "test-${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-add-separate-commands-test-subdir }}", coverage-subdirectory: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-add-separate-commands-test-subdir }}", coverage-report-name: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-add-separate-commands-coverage-report }}" }
           - { name: "Node Update", npm-test-script: "test-${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-update-test-subdir }}", coverage-subdirectory: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-update-test-subdir }}", coverage-report-name: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-update-coverage-report }}" }
           - { name: "Node Update - Separate commands", npm-test-script: "test-${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-update-separate-commands-test-subdir }}", coverage-subdirectory: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-update-separate-commands-test-subdir }}", coverage-report-name: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-update-separate-commands-coverage-report }}" }
           - { name: "Node Delete", npm-test-script: "test-${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-delete-test-subdir }}", coverage-subdirectory: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-delete-test-subdir }}", coverage-report-name: "${{ needs.env-vars.outputs.e2e-node-delete-coverage-report }}" }
diff --git a/src/commands/node/tasks.ts b/src/commands/node/tasks.ts
index 1e9b422f2..c002afd81 100644
--- a/src/commands/node/tasks.ts
+++ b/src/commands/node/tasks.ts
@@ -524,15 +524,15 @@ export class NodeCommandTasks {
       const { upgradeZipHash } = ctx
       const { nodeClient, freezeAdminPrivateKey } = ctx.config
       try {
-        // transfer some tiny amount to the freeze admin account
-        // await this.accountManager.transferAmount(constants.TREASURY_ACCOUNT_ID, FREEZE_ADMIN_ACCOUNT, 100000)
-
         // query the balance
         const balance = await new AccountBalanceQuery()
           .setAccountId(FREEZE_ADMIN_ACCOUNT)
           .execute(nodeClient)
         this.logger.debug(`Freeze admin account balance: ${balance.hbars}`)
 
+        // transfer some tiny amount to the freeze admin account
+        await this.accountManager.transferAmount(constants.TREASURY_ACCOUNT_ID, FREEZE_ADMIN_ACCOUNT, 100000)
+
         // set operator of freeze transaction as freeze admin account
         nodeClient.setOperator(FREEZE_ADMIN_ACCOUNT, freezeAdminPrivateKey)
 
diff --git a/src/core/account_manager.ts b/src/core/account_manager.ts
index f09eeaeef..0c855dfe9 100644
--- a/src/core/account_manager.ts
+++ b/src/core/account_manager.ts
@@ -214,25 +214,19 @@ export class AccountManager {
    * @returns a node client that can be used to call transactions
    */
   async _getNodeClient (namespace: string, networkNodeServicesMap: Map<string, NetworkNodeServices>, operatorId: string,
-    operatorKey: string) {
-    const nodes = {}
+    operatorKey: string, useFirstNodeOnly = true) {
+    let nodes = {}
     try {
       let localPort = constants.LOCAL_NODE_START_PORT
 
       for (const networkNodeService of networkNodeServicesMap.values()) {
-        const usePortForward = this.shouldUseLocalHostPortForward(networkNodeService)
-        const host = usePortForward ? '127.0.0.1' : networkNodeService.haProxyLoadBalancerIp as string
-        const port = +networkNodeService.haProxyGrpcPort
-        const targetPort = usePortForward ? localPort : port
+        const addlNode = await this.configureNodeAccess(networkNodeService, localPort, networkNodeServicesMap.size)
+        nodes = { ...nodes, ...addlNode }
+        localPort++
 
-        if (usePortForward && this._portForwards.length < networkNodeServicesMap.size) {
-          this._portForwards.push(await this.k8.portForward(networkNodeService.haProxyPodName, localPort, port))
+        if (useFirstNodeOnly) {
+          break
         }
-
-        // @ts-ignore
-        nodes[`${host}:${targetPort}`] = AccountId.fromString((networkNodeService.accountId as string))
-        await this.k8.testConnection(host, targetPort)
-        localPort++
       }
 
       this.logger.debug(`creating client from network configuration: ${JSON.stringify(nodes)}`)
@@ -250,6 +244,23 @@ export class AccountManager {
     }
   }
 
+  private async configureNodeAccess (networkNodeService: NetworkNodeServices, localPort: number, totalNodes: number) {
+    const obj = {}
+    const usePortForward = this.shouldUseLocalHostPortForward(networkNodeService)
+    const host = usePortForward ? '127.0.0.1' : networkNodeService.haProxyLoadBalancerIp as string
+    const port = +networkNodeService.haProxyGrpcPort
+    const targetPort = usePortForward ? localPort : port
+
+    if (usePortForward && this._portForwards.length < totalNodes) {
+      this._portForwards.push(await this.k8.portForward(networkNodeService.haProxyPodName, localPort, port))
+    }
+
+    await this.k8.testConnection(host, targetPort)
+    obj[`${host}:${targetPort}`] = AccountId.fromString((networkNodeService.accountId as string))
+
+    return obj
+  }
+
   /**
    * Gets a Map of the Hedera node services and the attributes needed
    * @param namespace - the namespace of the solo network deployment