diff --git a/test/framework/clusterctl/client.go b/test/framework/clusterctl/client.go
index 8419689de8ed..13606b2d8564 100644
--- a/test/framework/clusterctl/client.go
+++ b/test/framework/clusterctl/client.go
@@ -155,11 +155,11 @@ type UpgradeInput struct {
 func Upgrade(ctx context.Context, input UpgradeInput) {
 	if len(input.ClusterctlVariables) > 0 {
 		outputPath := filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(input.ClusterctlConfigPath), fmt.Sprintf("clusterctl-upgrade-config-%s.yaml", input.ClusterName))
-		copyAndAmendClusterctlConfig(ctx, copyAndAmendClusterctlConfigInput{
+		Expect(CopyAndAmendClusterctlConfig(ctx, CopyAndAmendClusterctlConfigInput{
 			ClusterctlConfigPath: input.ClusterctlConfigPath,
 			OutputPath:           outputPath,
 			Variables:            input.ClusterctlVariables,
-		})
+		})).To(Succeed(), "Failed to CopyAndAmendClusterctlConfig")
 		input.ClusterctlConfigPath = outputPath
 	}
 
@@ -288,11 +288,11 @@ func ConfigCluster(ctx context.Context, input ConfigClusterInput) []byte {
 
 	if len(input.ClusterctlVariables) > 0 {
 		outputPath := filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(input.ClusterctlConfigPath), fmt.Sprintf("clusterctl-upgrade-config-%s.yaml", input.ClusterName))
-		copyAndAmendClusterctlConfig(ctx, copyAndAmendClusterctlConfigInput{
+		Expect(CopyAndAmendClusterctlConfig(ctx, CopyAndAmendClusterctlConfigInput{
 			ClusterctlConfigPath: input.ClusterctlConfigPath,
 			OutputPath:           outputPath,
 			Variables:            input.ClusterctlVariables,
-		})
+		})).To(Succeed(), "Failed to CopyAndAmendClusterctlConfig")
 		input.ClusterctlConfigPath = outputPath
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/framework/clusterctl/clusterctl_config.go b/test/framework/clusterctl/clusterctl_config.go
index 96b6d23322d3..e870f0b56b3d 100644
--- a/test/framework/clusterctl/clusterctl_config.go
+++ b/test/framework/clusterctl/clusterctl_config.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ package clusterctl
 import (
 	"os"
 
-	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/yaml"
 )
 
@@ -40,18 +40,29 @@ type providerConfig struct {
 }
 
 // write writes a clusterctl config file to disk.
-func (c *clusterctlConfig) write() {
+func (c *clusterctlConfig) write() error {
 	data, err := yaml.Marshal(c.Values)
-	Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred(), "Failed to marshal the clusterctl config file")
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to marshal the clusterctl config file")
+	}
 
-	Expect(os.WriteFile(c.Path, data, 0600)).To(Succeed(), "Failed to write the clusterctl config file")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(c.Path, data, 0600); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to write the clusterctl config file")
+	}
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 // read reads a clusterctl config file from disk.
-func (c *clusterctlConfig) read() {
+func (c *clusterctlConfig) read() error {
 	data, err := os.ReadFile(c.Path)
-	Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to read clusterctl config file %q", c.Path)
+	}
+
+	if err = yaml.Unmarshal(data, &c.Values); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to unmarshal the clusterctl config file")
+	}
 
-	err = yaml.Unmarshal(data, &c.Values)
-	Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred(), "Failed to unmarshal the clusterctl config file")
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/test/framework/clusterctl/repository.go b/test/framework/clusterctl/repository.go
index 42c855a540b9..27f213e51410 100644
--- a/test/framework/clusterctl/repository.go
+++ b/test/framework/clusterctl/repository.go
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ func CreateRepository(ctx context.Context, input CreateRepositoryInput) string {
 	for key := range input.E2EConfig.Variables {
 		clusterctlConfigFile.Values[key] = input.E2EConfig.GetVariable(key)
 	}
-	clusterctlConfigFile.write()
+	Expect(clusterctlConfigFile.write()).To(Succeed(), "Failed to write clusterctlConfigFile")
 
 	// creates a clusterctl config file to be used for working with such repository with only the providers supported in clusterctl < v1.3
 	clusterctlConfigFileV1_2 := &clusterctlConfig{
@@ -154,26 +154,28 @@ func CreateRepository(ctx context.Context, input CreateRepositoryInput) string {
 	for key := range input.E2EConfig.Variables {
 		clusterctlConfigFileV1_2.Values[key] = input.E2EConfig.GetVariable(key)
 	}
-	clusterctlConfigFileV1_2.write()
+	Expect(clusterctlConfigFileV1_2.write()).To(Succeed(), "Failed to write v1.2 clusterctlConfigFile")
 
 	return clusterctlConfigFile.Path
 }
 
-// copyAndAmendClusterctlConfigInput is the input for copyAndAmendClusterctlConfig.
-type copyAndAmendClusterctlConfigInput struct {
+// CopyAndAmendClusterctlConfigInput is the input for copyAndAmendClusterctlConfig.
+type CopyAndAmendClusterctlConfigInput struct {
 	ClusterctlConfigPath string
 	OutputPath           string
 	Variables            map[string]string
 }
 
-// copyAndAmendClusterctlConfig copies the clusterctl-config from ClusterctlConfigPath to
+// CopyAndAmendClusterctlConfig copies the clusterctl-config from ClusterctlConfigPath to
 // OutputPath and adds the given Variables.
-func copyAndAmendClusterctlConfig(_ context.Context, input copyAndAmendClusterctlConfigInput) {
+func CopyAndAmendClusterctlConfig(_ context.Context, input CopyAndAmendClusterctlConfigInput) error {
 	// Read clusterctl config from ClusterctlConfigPath.
 	clusterctlConfigFile := &clusterctlConfig{
 		Path: input.ClusterctlConfigPath,
 	}
-	clusterctlConfigFile.read()
+	if err := clusterctlConfigFile.read(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	// Overwrite variables.
 	if clusterctlConfigFile.Values == nil {
@@ -185,7 +187,7 @@ func copyAndAmendClusterctlConfig(_ context.Context, input copyAndAmendClusterct
 
 	// Write clusterctl config to OutputPath.
 	clusterctlConfigFile.Path = input.OutputPath
-	clusterctlConfigFile.write()
+	return clusterctlConfigFile.write()
 }
 
 // AdjustConfigPathForBinary adjusts the clusterctlConfigPath in case the clusterctl version v1.3.