diff --git a/javascript/packages/orchestrator/src/providers/client.ts b/javascript/packages/orchestrator/src/providers/client.ts
index 94785c963..70c0a364a 100644
--- a/javascript/packages/orchestrator/src/providers/client.ts
+++ b/javascript/packages/orchestrator/src/providers/client.ts
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ export abstract class Client {
     keystore?: string,
     chainSpecId?: string,
     dbSnapshot?: string, //delay?: DelayNetworkSettings,
+    longRunning?: boolean,
   ): Promise<void>;
   abstract copyFileFromPod(
     identifier: string,
diff --git a/javascript/packages/orchestrator/src/providers/k8s/kubeClient.ts b/javascript/packages/orchestrator/src/providers/k8s/kubeClient.ts
index 923721b62..cecb69ed4 100644
--- a/javascript/packages/orchestrator/src/providers/k8s/kubeClient.ts
+++ b/javascript/packages/orchestrator/src/providers/k8s/kubeClient.ts
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ export class KubeClient extends Client {
     keystore?: string,
     chainSpecId?: string,
     dbSnapshot?: string,
+    longRunning?: boolean,
   ): Promise<void> {
     const name = podDef.metadata.name;
     writeLocalJsonFile(this.tmpDir, `${name}.json`, podDef);
@@ -230,6 +231,9 @@ export class KubeClient extends Client {
     await this.putLocalMagicFile(name);
     await this.waitPodReady(name);
 
+    if (longRunning)
+      await this.runCommand(["wait", "--for=condition=Ready", `Pod/${name}`]);
+
     logTable = new CreateLogTable({
       colWidths: [20, 100],
     });
@@ -566,13 +570,18 @@ export class KubeClient extends Client {
     });
     debug("waiting for pod: fileserver, to be ready");
     await this.waitPodReady("fileserver");
+    await this.runCommand(["wait", "--for=condition=Ready", "Pod/fileserver"]);
     debug("pod: fileserver, ready");
     let fileServerOk = false;
     let attempts = 0;
     // try 5 times at most
     for (attempts; attempts < 5; attempts++) {
-      if (await this.checkFileServer()) fileServerOk = true;
-      else sleep(1 * 1000);
+      if (await this.checkFileServer()) {
+        fileServerOk = true;
+        break; // ready to go!
+      } else {
+        sleep(1 * 1000);
+      }
     }
 
     if (!fileServerOk)
diff --git a/javascript/packages/orchestrator/src/spawner.ts b/javascript/packages/orchestrator/src/spawner.ts
index 449795f75..1d4cc7125 100644
--- a/javascript/packages/orchestrator/src/spawner.ts
+++ b/javascript/packages/orchestrator/src/spawner.ts
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ export const spawnNode = async (
     keystoreLocalDir,
     parachainSpecId || network.chainId,
     node.dbSnapshot,
+    true, // long running
   );
 
   const [nodeIp, nodePort] = await client.getNodeInfo(podDef.metadata.name);