diff --git a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-integration-tests/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-client-catalog-watcher/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/catalog/watch/Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointSlicesAndNamespaceFilterIT.java b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-integration-tests/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-client-catalog-watcher/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/catalog/watch/Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointSlicesAndNamespaceFilterIT.java
index 914cc4ab6..a1b5a79cf 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-integration-tests/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-client-catalog-watcher/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/catalog/watch/Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointSlicesAndNamespaceFilterIT.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-integration-tests/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-client-catalog-watcher/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/catalog/watch/Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointSlicesAndNamespaceFilterIT.java
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Primary;
 
 import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.catalog.watch.Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointSlicesAndNamespaceFilterIT.TestConfig;
+import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.catalog.watch.TestAssertions.assertLogStatement;
+import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.catalog.watch.TestAssertions.invokeAndAssert;
 
 /**
  * @author wind57
@@ -61,6 +63,7 @@ void beforeEach() {
 
 	@AfterEach
 	void afterEach() {
+		// busybox is deleted as part of the test itself, thus not seen here
 		util.deleteNamespace(NAMESPACE_A);
 		util.deleteNamespace(NAMESPACE_B);
 	}
@@ -77,8 +80,8 @@ void afterEach() {
 	 */
 	@Test
 	void test(CapturedOutput output) {
-		TestAssertions.assertLogStatement(output, "stateGenerator is of type: Fabric8EndpointSliceV1CatalogWatch");
-		TestAssertions.invokeAndAssert(util, Set.of(NAMESPACE_A, NAMESPACE_B), port, NAMESPACE_A);
+		assertLogStatement(output, "stateGenerator is of type: Fabric8EndpointSliceV1CatalogWatch");
+		invokeAndAssert(util, Set.of(NAMESPACE_A, NAMESPACE_B), port, NAMESPACE_A);
 	}
 
 	@TestConfiguration
diff --git a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-integration-tests/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-client-catalog-watcher/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/catalog/watch/Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointSlicesIT.java b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-integration-tests/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-client-catalog-watcher/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/catalog/watch/Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointSlicesIT.java
index e18b810c7..9ffdcc036 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-integration-tests/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-client-catalog-watcher/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/catalog/watch/Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointSlicesIT.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-integration-tests/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-client-catalog-watcher/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/catalog/watch/Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointSlicesIT.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import java.util.Set;
 
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.KubernetesClient;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
@@ -34,6 +35,8 @@
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Primary;
 
 import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.catalog.watch.Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointSlicesIT.TestConfig;
+import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.catalog.watch.TestAssertions.assertLogStatement;
+import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.catalog.watch.TestAssertions.invokeAndAssert;
 
 /**
  * @author wind57
@@ -51,6 +54,12 @@ void beforeEach() {
 		util.busybox(NAMESPACE, Phase.CREATE);
 	}
 
+	@AfterEach
+	void afterEach() {
+		// empty on purpose
+		// busybox is deleted as part of the test itself, thus not seen here
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * <pre>
 	 *     - we deploy a busybox service with 2 replica pods
@@ -62,8 +71,8 @@ void beforeEach() {
 	 */
 	@Test
 	void test(CapturedOutput output) {
-		TestAssertions.assertLogStatement(output, "stateGenerator is of type: Fabric8EndpointSliceV1CatalogWatch");
-		TestAssertions.invokeAndAssert(util, Set.of(NAMESPACE), port, NAMESPACE);
+		assertLogStatement(output, "stateGenerator is of type: Fabric8EndpointSliceV1CatalogWatch");
+		invokeAndAssert(util, Set.of(NAMESPACE), port, NAMESPACE);
 	}
 
 	@TestConfiguration
diff --git a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-integration-tests/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-client-catalog-watcher/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/catalog/watch/Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointsAndNamespaceFilterIT.java b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-integration-tests/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-client-catalog-watcher/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/catalog/watch/Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointsAndNamespaceFilterIT.java
index 9eccc8889..cd37be173 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-integration-tests/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-client-catalog-watcher/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/catalog/watch/Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointsAndNamespaceFilterIT.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-integration-tests/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-client-catalog-watcher/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/catalog/watch/Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointsAndNamespaceFilterIT.java
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Primary;
 
 import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.catalog.watch.Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointsAndNamespaceFilterIT.TestConfig;
+import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.catalog.watch.TestAssertions.assertLogStatement;
+import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.catalog.watch.TestAssertions.invokeAndAssert;
 
 /**
  * @author wind57
@@ -61,6 +63,7 @@ void beforeEach() {
 
 	@AfterEach
 	void afterEach() {
+		// busybox is deleted as part of the assertions, thus not seen here
 		util.deleteNamespace(NAMESPACE_A);
 		util.deleteNamespace(NAMESPACE_B);
 	}
@@ -77,8 +80,8 @@ void afterEach() {
 	 */
 	@Test
 	void test(CapturedOutput output) {
-		TestAssertions.assertLogStatement(output, "stateGenerator is of type: Fabric8EndpointsCatalogWatch");
-		TestAssertions.invokeAndAssert(util, Set.of(NAMESPACE_A, NAMESPACE_B), port, NAMESPACE_A);
+		assertLogStatement(output, "stateGenerator is of type: Fabric8EndpointsCatalogWatch");
+		invokeAndAssert(util, Set.of(NAMESPACE_A, NAMESPACE_B), port, NAMESPACE_A);
 	}
 
 	@TestConfiguration
diff --git a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-integration-tests/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-client-catalog-watcher/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/catalog/watch/Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointsIT.java b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-integration-tests/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-client-catalog-watcher/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/catalog/watch/Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointsIT.java
index c8ca4e22f..efed4f5ae 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-integration-tests/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-client-catalog-watcher/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/catalog/watch/Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointsIT.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-integration-tests/spring-cloud-kubernetes-fabric8-client-catalog-watcher/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/fabric8/catalog/watch/Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointsIT.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import java.util.Set;
 
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.KubernetesClient;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
@@ -34,6 +35,8 @@
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Primary;
 
 import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.catalog.watch.Fabric8CatalogWatchWithEndpointsIT.TestConfig;
+import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.catalog.watch.TestAssertions.assertLogStatement;
+import static org.springframework.cloud.kubernetes.fabric8.catalog.watch.TestAssertions.invokeAndAssert;
 
 /**
  * @author wind57
@@ -51,6 +54,12 @@ void beforeEach() {
 		util.busybox(NAMESPACE, Phase.CREATE);
 	}
 
+	@AfterEach
+	void afterEach() {
+		// empty on purpose
+		// busybox is deleted as part of the test itself, thus not seen here
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * <pre>
 	 *     - we deploy a busybox service with 2 replica pods
@@ -62,8 +71,8 @@ void beforeEach() {
 	 */
 	@Test
 	void test(CapturedOutput output) {
-		TestAssertions.assertLogStatement(output, "stateGenerator is of type: Fabric8EndpointsCatalogWatch");
-		TestAssertions.invokeAndAssert(util, Set.of(NAMESPACE), port, NAMESPACE);
+		assertLogStatement(output, "stateGenerator is of type: Fabric8EndpointsCatalogWatch");
+		invokeAndAssert(util, Set.of(NAMESPACE), port, NAMESPACE);
 	}
 
 	@TestConfiguration
diff --git a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-test-support/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/integration/tests/commons/Commons.java b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-test-support/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/integration/tests/commons/Commons.java
index 4fc2136fe..a20374450 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-kubernetes-test-support/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/integration/tests/commons/Commons.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-kubernetes-test-support/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/kubernetes/integration/tests/commons/Commons.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.nio.file.Paths;
+import java.nio.file.StandardCopyOption;
 import java.time.Duration;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -159,8 +160,7 @@ public static void loadImage(String image, String tag, String tarName, K3sContai
 			InputStream imageStream = saveImageCmd.withTag(tag).exec();
 
 			Path imagePath = Paths.get(TEMP_FOLDER + "/" + tarName + ".tar");
-			Files.deleteIfExists(imagePath);
-			Files.copy(imageStream, imagePath);
+			Files.copy(imageStream, imagePath, StandardCopyOption.REPLACE_EXISTING);
 			// import image with ctr. this works because TEMP_FOLDER is mounted in the
 			// container
 			await().atMost(Duration.ofMinutes(2)).pollInterval(Duration.ofSeconds(1)).until(() -> {