diff --git a/packages/tests/src/lib/index.ts b/packages/tests/src/lib/index.ts
index 2a5c02acdf..d549d00d90 100644
--- a/packages/tests/src/lib/index.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/src/lib/index.ts
@@ -111,7 +111,16 @@ export class ServiceNodesFleet {
     return relayMessages.every((message) => message);
   }
 
-  public async confirmMessageLength(numMessages: number): Promise<void> {
+  public async confirmMessageLength(
+    numMessages: number,
+    { encryptedPayload }: { encryptedPayload?: boolean } = {
+      encryptedPayload: false
+    }
+  ): Promise<void> {
+    if (encryptedPayload) {
+      expect(this.messageCollector.count).to.equal(numMessages);
+    }
+
     if (this.strictChecking) {
       await Promise.all(
         this.nodes.map(async (node) =>
@@ -144,6 +153,12 @@ class MultipleNodesMessageCollector {
   ) {
     this.callback = (msg: DecodedMessage): void => {
       log.info("Got a message");
+      if (
+        this.messageList.find(
+          (m) => m.payload.toString() === msg.payload.toString()
+        )
+      )
+        return;
       this.messageList.push(msg);
     };
   }
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/filter/subscribe.node.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/filter/subscribe.node.spec.ts
index af281c039c..88bf921c74 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/filter/subscribe.node.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/filter/subscribe.node.spec.ts
@@ -102,8 +102,7 @@ const runTests = (strictCheckNodes: boolean): void => {
         expectedVersion: 1,
         expectedPubsubTopic: TestPubsubTopic
       });
-
-      await serviceNodes.confirmMessageLength(1);
+      await serviceNodes.confirmMessageLength(1, { encryptedPayload: true });
     });
 
     it("Subscribe and receive symmetrically encrypted messages via lightPush", async function () {
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/sharding/auto_sharding.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/sharding/auto_sharding.spec.ts
index 3d2f4cebf0..37410df49d 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/sharding/auto_sharding.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/sharding/auto_sharding.spec.ts
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ describe("Autosharding: Running Nodes", function () {
       });
 
       expect(request.successes.length).to.eq(2); // Expect 2 successes for 2 nodes
-      console.log("good");
       expect(
         await serviceNodes.messageCollector.waitForMessagesAutosharding(1, {
           contentTopic: ContentTopic