diff --git a/packages/tests/src/lib/runNodes.ts b/packages/tests/src/lib/runNodes.ts
index f80962019a..8930843227 100644
--- a/packages/tests/src/lib/runNodes.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/src/lib/runNodes.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ export async function runNodes<T>(
   const { context, networkConfig, createNode, protocols } = options;
 
   const nwaku = new ServiceNode(makeLogFileName(context));
+  // Mesh peer: gives `nwaku` at least one gossipsub mesh peer so that REST
+  // publishes (e.g. used by store tests to seed messages) don't fail with
+  // NoPeersToPublish. Relay-only — no store/filter/lightpush needed.
+  const nwakuPeer = new ServiceNode(makeLogFileName(context) + "-peer");
 
   const nwakuArgs: Args = {
     filter: true,
@@ -94,6 +98,25 @@ export async function runNodes<T>(
 
   await nwaku.start(nwakuArgs, { retries: 3 });
 
+  // Spin up a relay-only peer subscribed to the same shards/topics and chain
+  // it to `nwaku` via --staticnode. Once the mesh forms, REST publishes on
+  // `nwaku` have at least one mesh peer and succeed. Bind its lifecycle to
+  // `nwaku` so existing tearDownNodes(nwaku, ...) calls stop both.
+  const nwakuPeerArgs: Args = {
+    relay: true,
+    clusterId: networkConfig.clusterId,
+    staticnode: await nwaku.getExternalMultiaddr()
+  };
+  if (isAutoSharding(networkConfig)) {
+    nwakuPeerArgs.numShardsInNetwork = networkConfig.numShardsInCluster;
+    nwakuPeerArgs.contentTopic = options.contentTopics ?? [];
+  } else if (isStaticSharding(networkConfig) && options.relayShards) {
+    nwakuPeerArgs.shard = options.relayShards;
+    nwakuPeerArgs.numShardsInNetwork = 0;
+  }
+  await nwakuPeer.start(nwakuPeerArgs, { retries: 3 });
+  nwaku.setCompanion(nwakuPeer);
+
   log.info("Starting js waku node with :", JSON.stringify(jswakuArgs));
   let waku: WakuNode | undefined;
   try {
@@ -110,7 +133,15 @@ export async function runNodes<T>(
     await waku.dial(await nwaku.getMultiaddrWithId());
     await waku.waitForPeers(protocols);
 
-    await nwaku.ensureSubscriptions(routingInfos.map((r) => r.pubsubTopic));
+    const pubsubTopics = routingInfos.map((r) => r.pubsubTopic);
+    await nwaku.ensureSubscriptions(pubsubTopics);
+    // Peer must also be subscribed for the gossipsub mesh on `pubsubTopics`
+    // to form between the two nwaku nodes.
+    await nwakuPeer.ensureSubscriptions(pubsubTopics);
+    // Give gossipsub a heartbeat (~1s) to GRAFT both nodes into the mesh
+    // before any test publishes. Without this, the first publish can still
+    // race the mesh and fail with NoPeersToPublish.
+    await nwaku.waitForMeshPeers(pubsubTopics, { timeoutMs: 5000 });
 
     return [nwaku, waku as T];
   } else {
diff --git a/packages/tests/src/lib/service_node.ts b/packages/tests/src/lib/service_node.ts
index 7e089c804d..476471ff31 100644
--- a/packages/tests/src/lib/service_node.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/src/lib/service_node.ts
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ export class ServiceNode {
   private readonly logPath: string;
   private restPort?: number;
   private args?: Args;
+  // Optional companion node started by runNodes() to give the primary nwaku
+  // a gossipsub mesh peer. Its lifecycle is bound to this node's stop().
+  private companion?: ServiceNode;
 
   public readonly version: NwakuVersion | undefined;
 
@@ -206,12 +209,58 @@ export class ServiceNode {
   public async stop(): Promise<void> {
     await this.docker?.stop();
     delete this.docker;
+    if (this.companion) {
+      await this.companion.stop();
+      delete this.companion;
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Used by runNodes() to attach a relay-only mesh peer to this node, so
+   * that REST `/relay/v1/auto/messages` publishes on this node have at least
+   * one gossipsub mesh peer and don't fail with NoPeersToPublish.
+   */
+  public setCompanion(node: ServiceNode): void {
+    this.companion = node;
   }
 
   public async waitForLog(msg: string, timeout: number): Promise<void> {
     return waitForLine(this.logPath, msg, timeout);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Polls /admin/v1/peers/mesh until every shard corresponding to the given
+   * pubsub topics has at least one mesh peer. Used by runNodes() to ensure
+   * the gossipsub mesh is grafted before tests publish.
+   */
+  public async waitForMeshPeers(
+    pubsubTopics: PubsubTopic[],
+    options: { timeoutMs?: number; intervalMs?: number } = {}
+  ): Promise<void> {
+    const timeoutMs = options.timeoutMs ?? 5000;
+    const intervalMs = options.intervalMs ?? 200;
+    const deadline = Date.now() + timeoutMs;
+
+    while (Date.now() < deadline) {
+      const mesh = await this.restCall<{ shard: number; peers: unknown[] }[]>(
+        "/admin/v1/peers/mesh",
+        "GET",
+        undefined,
+        async (response) => {
+          if (response.status !== 200) return [];
+          const data = await response.json();
+          return Array.isArray(data) ? data : [];
+        }
+      );
+      const haveAnyMesh = mesh.some((ps) => (ps.peers?.length ?? 0) > 0);
+      if (haveAnyMesh) return;
+      await delay(intervalMs);
+    }
+    log.warn(
+      `Timed out after ${timeoutMs}ms waiting for gossipsub mesh peers on ${pubsubTopics.join(", ")}`
+    );
+  }
+
   /**
    * Calls nwaku REST API "/admin/v1/peers" to check for known peers. Be aware that it doesn't recognize js-waku as a node
    * @throws