diff --git a/src/node/waku_node.py b/src/node/waku_node.py
index f2a5356fc..c53c75dbb 100644
--- a/src/node/waku_node.py
+++ b/src/node/waku_node.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import pytest
 import requests
 from src.libs.common import delay
 from src.libs.custom_logger import get_custom_logger
-from tenacity import retry, stop_after_delay, wait_fixed, sleep
+from tenacity import retry, stop_after_attempt, stop_after_delay, wait_fixed, sleep
 from docker.errors import NotFound as DockerNotFound
 from src.node.api_clients.rest import REST
 from src.node.docker_mananger import DockerManager
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ class WakuNode:
             },
         }
 
-    @retry(stop=stop_after_delay(250), wait=wait_fixed(0.1), reraise=True)
+    @retry(stop=stop_after_attempt(1), wait=wait_fixed(0.1), reraise=True)
     def register_rln(self, **kwargs):
         logger.debug("Registering RLN credentials...")
         self._docker_manager.create_network()
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 1b1099886..5d6143859 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -135,9 +135,9 @@ def fleet_rln_state(request):
             state["rln_membership_indexes"],
             state["keystore_prefixes"],
         )
-    except Exception as ex:
-        logger.warning("Fleet RLN: registration failed – nodes will start without RLN: %s", ex)
-        state = {"keystore_prefixes": [], "rln_membership_indexes": []}
+    except BaseException as ex:
+        logger.error("Fleet RLN: registration failed – aborting test session: %s", ex)
+        pytest.exit(f"Fleet RLN registration failed – aborting session: {ex}", returncode=1)
 
     yield state
 
@@ -267,6 +267,24 @@ def patch_waku_node_start(request, monkeypatch, fleet_rln_state):
     yield
 
 
+@pytest.fixture(scope="function", autouse=True)
+def skip_fleet_test_without_rln(request, fleet_rln_state):
+    """Skip tests marked @pytest.mark.waku_test_fleet when no RLN keystore is
+    available for the current session.
+
+    When fleet bootstrap is active but RLN credentials were not set (or
+    on-chain registration failed), local nodes cannot join the fleet relay mesh
+    (which enforces RLN), so every fleet-marked test would ERROR instead of
+    giving useful signal.  An explicit skip with a clear reason is cleaner.
+    """
+    if not _fleet_bootstrap_enabled(request.config):
+        return
+    if not request.node.get_closest_marker("waku_test_fleet"):
+        return
+    if not fleet_rln_state.get("keystore_prefixes"):
+        pytest.skip("Skipping fleet test: RLN keystore not available " "(RLN_CREDENTIALS not set or on-chain registration failed)")
+
+
 @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
 def patch_fleet_cluster_config(request, monkeypatch):
     """When --fleet is active, override every step-class pubsub-topic attribute and