diff --git a/internal/integration/api/apply-config.go b/internal/integration/api/apply-config.go
index 3eee89c6b..be6540056 100644
--- a/internal/integration/api/apply-config.go
+++ b/internal/integration/api/apply-config.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ package api
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
@@ -118,7 +119,9 @@ func (suite *ApplyConfigSuite) TestApply() {
 					Mode: machineapi.ApplyConfigurationRequest_REBOOT,
 				},
 			)
-			suite.Assert().NoErrorf(err, "failed to apply configuration (node %q)", node)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to apply configuration (node %q): %w", node, err)
+			}
 
 			return nil
 		}, assertRebootedRebootTimeout,
diff --git a/internal/integration/base/api.go b/internal/integration/base/api.go
index fc4d64619..851862430 100644
--- a/internal/integration/base/api.go
+++ b/internal/integration/base/api.go
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ func (apiSuite *APISuite) ClearConnectionRefused(ctx context.Context, nodes ...s
 	}
 
 	apiSuite.Require().NoError(retry.Constant(backoff.DefaultConfig.MaxDelay, retry.WithUnits(time.Second)).Retry(func() error {
-		for range numMasterNodes {
+		for range numMasterNodes * 5 {
 			_, err := apiSuite.Client.Version(client.WithNodes(ctx, nodes...))
 			if err == nil {
 				continue