diff --git a/scripts/cnode-helper-scripts/env b/scripts/cnode-helper-scripts/env
index f7ff27994..59920ef0b 100644
--- a/scripts/cnode-helper-scripts/env
+++ b/scripts/cnode-helper-scripts/env
@@ -911,6 +911,8 @@ if [[ -z "${CNCLI}" ]]; then
   CNCLI=$(command -v cncli) || CNCLI="${HOME}/.local/bin/cncli"
 fi
 
+[[ -f /usr/local/lib/libsodium.so ]] && export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/lib:"${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}" && PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/local/lib/pkgconfig:"${PKG_CONFIG_PATH}"
+
 node_version="$(${CNODEBIN} version | head -1 | cut -d' ' -f2)"
 cli_version="$(${CCLI} version | head -1 | cut -d' ' -f2)"
 if ! versionCheck "8.7.3" "${node_version}" || ! versionCheck "8.17.0.0" "${cli_version}"; then
@@ -918,8 +920,6 @@ if ! versionCheck "8.7.3" "${node_version}" || ! versionCheck "8.17.0.0" "${cli_
   return 1
 fi
 
-[[ -f /usr/local/lib/libsodium.so ]] && export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/lib:"${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}" && PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/local/lib/pkgconfig:"${PKG_CONFIG_PATH}"
-
 if [[ -z "${SOCKET}" ]]; then
   if [[ "$(ps -ef | grep "$(basename ${CNODEBIN}).*.port ${CNODE_PORT}" | grep -v grep)" =~ --socket-path[[:space:]]([^[:space:]]+) ]]; then
     export CARDANO_NODE_SOCKET_PATH="${BASH_REMATCH[1]}"