diff --git a/tests/integration/__init__.py b/tests/integration/__init__.py
deleted file mode 100644
index db3bfe1a6..000000000
--- a/tests/integration/__init__.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-# Copyright 2023 Canonical Ltd.
-# See LICENSE file for licensing details.
diff --git a/tests/integration/backup_tests/test_backups.py b/tests/integration/backup_tests/test_backups.py
index 74f69a004..1d8634998 100644
--- a/tests/integration/backup_tests/test_backups.py
+++ b/tests/integration/backup_tests/test_backups.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 from pytest_operator.plugin import OpsTest
 from tenacity import RetryError, Retrying, stop_after_delay, wait_fixed
 
-from tests.integration.helpers import get_app_name
+from ..helpers import get_app_name
 
 from ..ha_tests import helpers as ha_helpers
 from . import helpers
diff --git a/tests/integration/sharding_tests/test_sharding_backups.py b/tests/integration/sharding_tests/test_sharding_backups.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..065f21f4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/sharding_tests/test_sharding_backups.py
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# Copyright 2024 Canonical Ltd.
+# See LICENSE file for licensing details.
+
+import secrets
+import string
+
+import pytest
+from pytest_operator.plugin import OpsTest
+from tenacity import RetryError, Retrying, stop_after_delay, wait_fixed
+
+from ..backup_tests import helpers as backup_helpers
+
+S3_APP_NAME = "s3-integrator"
+SHARD_ONE_APP_NAME = "shard-one"
+SHARD_TWO_APP_NAME = "shard-two"
+SHARD_APPS = [SHARD_ONE_APP_NAME, SHARD_TWO_APP_NAME]
+CONFIG_SERVER_APP_NAME = "config-server-one"
+SHARD_REL_NAME = "sharding"
+CONFIG_SERVER_REL_NAME = "config-server"
+S3_REL_NAME = "s3-credentials"
+TIMEOUT = 10 * 60
+
+
+@pytest.mark.group(1)
+@pytest.mark.abort_on_fail
+async def test_build_and_deploy(ops_test: OpsTest) -> None:
+    """Build and deploy a sharded cluster."""
+    my_charm = await ops_test.build_charm(".")
+    await ops_test.model.deploy(
+        my_charm,
+        num_units=2,
+        config={"role": "config-server"},
+        application_name=CONFIG_SERVER_APP_NAME,
+    )
+    await ops_test.model.deploy(
+        my_charm, num_units=2, config={"role": "shard"}, application_name=SHARD_ONE_APP_NAME
+    )
+    await ops_test.model.deploy(
+        my_charm, num_units=1, config={"role": "shard"}, application_name=SHARD_TWO_APP_NAME
+    )
+
+    # deploy the s3 integrator charm
+    await ops_test.model.deploy(S3_APP_NAME, channel="edge")
+
+    await ops_test.model.wait_for_idle(
+        apps=[S3_APP_NAME, CONFIG_SERVER_APP_NAME, SHARD_ONE_APP_NAME, SHARD_TWO_APP_NAME],
+        idle_period=20,
+        raise_on_blocked=False,
+        timeout=TIMEOUT,
+        raise_on_error=False,
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.group(1)
+async def test_set_credentials_in_cluster(ops_test: OpsTest) -> None:
+    """Tests that sharded cluster can be configured for s3 configurations."""
+    await backup_helpers.set_credentials(ops_test, cloud="AWS")
+    choices = string.ascii_letters + string.digits
+    unique_path = "".join([secrets.choice(choices) for _ in range(4)])
+    configuration_parameters = {
+        "bucket": "data-charms-testing",
+        "path": f"mongodb-vm/test-{unique_path}",
+        "endpoint": "https://s3.amazonaws.com",
+        "region": "us-east-1",
+    }
+
+    # apply new configuration options
+    await ops_test.model.applications[S3_APP_NAME].set_config(configuration_parameters)
+    await ops_test.model.wait_for_idle(apps=[S3_APP_NAME], status="active", timeout=TIMEOUT)
+
+    # provide config-server to entire cluster and s3-integrator to config-server - integrations
+    # made in succession to test race conditions.
+    await ops_test.model.integrate(
+        f"{S3_APP_NAME}:{S3_REL_NAME}",
+        f"{CONFIG_SERVER_APP_NAME}:{S3_REL_NAME}",
+    )
+    await ops_test.model.integrate(
+        f"{SHARD_ONE_APP_NAME}:{SHARD_REL_NAME}",
+        f"{CONFIG_SERVER_APP_NAME}:{CONFIG_SERVER_REL_NAME}",
+    )
+    await ops_test.model.integrate(
+        f"{SHARD_TWO_APP_NAME}:{SHARD_REL_NAME}",
+        f"{CONFIG_SERVER_APP_NAME}:{CONFIG_SERVER_REL_NAME}",
+    )
+
+    await ops_test.model.wait_for_idle(
+        apps=[
+            CONFIG_SERVER_APP_NAME,
+            SHARD_ONE_APP_NAME,
+            SHARD_TWO_APP_NAME,
+        ],
+        idle_period=20,
+        status="active",
+        timeout=TIMEOUT,
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.group(1)
+async def test_shard_cannot_integrate_s3(ops_test: OpsTest) -> None:
+    await ops_test.model.integrate(
+        f"{SHARD_ONE_APP_NAME}:{S3_REL_NAME}",
+        f"{S3_APP_NAME}:{S3_REL_NAME}",
+    )
+    await ops_test.model.wait_for_idle(
+        apps=[
+            SHARD_ONE_APP_NAME,
+        ],
+        idle_period=20,
+        status="blocked",
+        timeout=TIMEOUT,
+    )
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 80f8ec280..9dbbe8523 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -14,10 +14,8 @@ all_path = {[vars]src_path} {[vars]tests_path} {[vars]mongodb_lib_path}
 
 [testenv]
 set_env =
-    PYTHONPATH = {tox_root}/lib:{[vars]src_path}
-    PYTHONBREAKPOINT=ipdb.set_trace
+    PYTHONPATH = {[vars]src_path}:{tox_root}/lib
     PY_COLORS=1
-    PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1
 pass_env =
     PYTHONPATH
     CHARM_BUILD_DIR