diff --git a/tests/e2e/lib/container_mesh.bash b/tests/e2e/lib/container_mesh.bash
index 8f066084..749ea52f 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/lib/container_mesh.bash
+++ b/tests/e2e/lib/container_mesh.bash
@@ -325,11 +325,16 @@ if [[ -z "${MESH_HELPERS_LOADED:-}" ]]; then
     export KUBERNETES_CLUSTER_NAME="sam-wi-test"
     export KUBECONTEXT="kind-${KUBERNETES_CLUSTER_NAME}"
 
-    if ! kind get clusters | grep -q "^${KUBERNETES_CLUSTER_NAME}$"; then
+    # Recreating is the default so a local run matches CI, which builds a cluster
+    # per run. Reuse carries over database PVCs, control plane signing keys and
+    # bootstrap tokens; E2E_REUSE_CLUSTER=1 trades that fidelity for a faster loop.
+    local reused_cluster=0
+    if [[ "${E2E_REUSE_CLUSTER:-0}" == "1" ]] && kind get clusters | grep -q "^${KUBERNETES_CLUSTER_NAME}$"; then
+      kind export kubeconfig --name "${KUBERNETES_CLUSTER_NAME}"
+      reused_cluster=1
+    else
       kind delete cluster --name "${KUBERNETES_CLUSTER_NAME}" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
       kind create cluster --name "${KUBERNETES_CLUSTER_NAME}" --config=tests/e2e/fixtures/kind-cluster.yaml
-    else
-      kind export kubeconfig --name "${KUBERNETES_CLUSTER_NAME}"
     fi
 
     kind load docker-image sam-control-plane:local --name "${KUBERNETES_CLUSTER_NAME}"
@@ -380,6 +385,12 @@ if [[ -z "${MESH_HELPERS_LOADED:-}" ]]; then
     mesh_wait_for_rollout statefulset/sam-db
     mesh_wait_for_rollout deployment/sam-control-plane
     mesh_wait_for_job job/sam-bootstrap
+    # A router surviving a reinstall holds a biscuit no current control plane key
+    # verifies and a bootstrap token past its 24h default, so it can never lease
+    # again. Restarting re-enrolls it against the state this run just installed.
+    if [[ "${reused_cluster}" == "1" ]]; then
+      kubectl --context="${KUBECONTEXT}" rollout restart statefulset/sam-router
+    fi
     mesh_wait_for_rollout statefulset/sam-router
 
     local i
@@ -393,6 +404,22 @@ if [[ -z "${MESH_HELPERS_LOADED:-}" ]]; then
     router_peer_id=$(kubectl --context="${KUBECONTEXT}" logs "sam-router-0" | grep -oE '12D3Koo[a-zA-Z0-9]+' | head -n 1 || true)
     [[ -n "${router_peer_id}" ]]
 
+    # The router pod reports Ready before its lease reaches the control plane, and
+    # a node's /register serves router addresses from that lease, so a node
+    # started in between enrolls against an empty list and exits.
+    local router_node_ip
+    router_node_ip=$(docker inspect -f "{{(index .NetworkSettings.Networks \"${MESH_NETWORK:-kind}\").IPAddress}}" \
+      "$(kubectl --context="${KUBECONTEXT}" get pod sam-router-0 -o jsonpath='{.spec.nodeName}')")
+    local lease_deadline=$((SECONDS + 60))
+    until docker run --rm --network "${MESH_NETWORK:-kind}" python:3.12 \
+        curl -sf --max-time 5 "http://${router_node_ip}:8080/info" 2>/dev/null | grep -qaF "${router_peer_id}"; do
+      if ((SECONDS >= lease_deadline)); then
+        echo "router lease did not reach the control plane within 60s" >&2
+        return 1
+      fi
+      sleep 1
+    done
+
     echo "${router_peer_id}" > "/tmp/sam-wi-test-router-peer-id"
     return 0
   }
diff --git a/tests/e2e/relay.bats b/tests/e2e/relay.bats
index 32533e3f..316ba65e 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/relay.bats
+++ b/tests/e2e/relay.bats
@@ -81,24 +81,35 @@ teardown() {
   mesh_start_node "2" "--log-level=debug"
   MESH_NETWORK=$OLD_NET
 
-  run mesh_wait_for_log "${MESH_PREFIX}-node-1" "PeerID:" 20
+  # Gate on MCP actually answering: get_mesh_info polls below go through it, and
+  # a not-yet-listening sidecar burns discovery budget on empty responses.
+  run mesh_wait_for_log "${MESH_PREFIX}-node-1" "SAM Node Online" 30
   [[ "$status" -eq 0 ]]
-  run mesh_wait_for_log "${MESH_PREFIX}-node-2" "PeerID:" 20
+  run mesh_wait_for_mcp_ready "1" 30
   [[ "$status" -eq 0 ]]
 
-  # Node 1 should eventually see 1 peer (node 2) besides the router
-  run mesh_wait_for_node_count "1" 1 30
-  [[ "$status" -eq 0 ]]
-
-  # Node 2 should eventually see 1 peer (node 1) besides the router
   OLD_NET=$MESH_NETWORK
   MESH_NETWORK=$MESH_NETWORK_2
-  run mesh_wait_for_node_count "2" 1 30
+  run mesh_wait_for_log "${MESH_PREFIX}-node-2" "SAM Node Online" 30
+  [[ "$status" -eq 0 ]]
+  run mesh_wait_for_mcp_ready "2" 30
   [[ "$status" -eq 0 ]]
   MESH_NETWORK=$OLD_NET
 
-  local node1_peer_id
+  local node1_peer_id node2_peer_id
   node1_peer_id=$(docker logs "${MESH_PREFIX}-node-1" 2>&1 | grep "PeerID:" | head -n 1 | awk '{print $2}' | tr -d '\r')
+  node2_peer_id=$(docker logs "${MESH_PREFIX}-node-2" 2>&1 | grep "PeerID:" | head -n 1 | awk '{print $2}' | tr -d '\r')
+
+  # Assert on the specific peer, not on set size: a relayed connection can leave
+  # extra entries in connected_peers, so "length - 1" is not a stable count.
+  run mesh_wait_for_peer_connection "1" "${node2_peer_id}" 60
+  [[ "$status" -eq 0 ]]
+
+  OLD_NET=$MESH_NETWORK
+  MESH_NETWORK=$MESH_NETWORK_2
+  run mesh_wait_for_peer_connection "2" "${node1_peer_id}" 60
+  [[ "$status" -eq 0 ]]
+  MESH_NETWORK=$OLD_NET
 
   # 1. Setup HTTP Service on Node 1 side (default network)
   docker run -d \