diff --git a/utils/run-tests.sh b/utils/run-tests.sh
index 72915f80b4..7384dabded 100755
--- a/utils/run-tests.sh
+++ b/utils/run-tests.sh
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ read -r -a ENABLED_TESTS <<< "${IPA_ENABLED_MODULES:-""}"
 IMAGE_TAG="fedora-latest"
 scenario="freeipa-tests"
 MEMORY=3
-HOSTNAME="ipaserver.test.local"
+IPA_HOSTNAME="ipaserver.test.local"
 SEED="$(date "+%Y%m%d")"
 GROUP=1
 SPLITS=0
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ export ANSIBLE_LIBRARY="${TOPDIR}/plugins"
 export ANSIBLE_MODULE_UTILS="${TOPDIR}/plugins/module_utils"
 
 # Start container
-"${SCRIPTDIR}/setup_test_container.sh" -e "${engine}" -m "${MEMORY}" -p "${ansible_interpreter}" -i "${IMAGE_TAG}" -n "${HOSTNAME}" "${scenario}" || die "Failed to setup test container"
+"${SCRIPTDIR}/setup_test_container.sh" -e "${engine}" -m "${MEMORY}" -p "${ansible_interpreter}" -i "${IMAGE_TAG}" -n "${IPA_HOSTNAME}" -a "${scenario}" || die "Failed to setup test container"
 
 
 # run tests
diff --git a/utils/setup_test_container.sh b/utils/setup_test_container.sh
index 867bee67f4..c1c3d02fc4 100755
--- a/utils/setup_test_container.sh
+++ b/utils/setup_test_container.sh
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ SCRIPTDIR="$(readlink -f "$(dirname "$0")")"
 usage() {
     local prog="${0##*/}"
     cat <<EOF
-usage: ${prog} [-h] [-l] [-e ENGINE] [-i IMAGE] [-m MEMORY] [-n HOSTNAME] NAME
+usage: ${prog} [-h] [-l] [-a] [-e ENGINE] [-i IMAGE] [-m MEMORY] [-n HOSTNAME] NAME
     ${prog} starts a container to test ansible-freeipa.
 
 EOF
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ Options:
 
   -h              display this message and exit
   -l              list available images
+  -a              Test Ansible connection.
   -e ENGINE       set the container engine to use
                   (default: ${WHITE}podman${RST}, if available)
   -i IMAGE        select image to run the tests (default: fedora-latest)
@@ -47,95 +48,72 @@ list_images() {
 
 IMAGE_TAG="fedora-latest"
 MEMORY="${MEMORY:-3}"
-HOSTNAME="${HOSTNAME:-"ipaserver.test.local"}"
+IPA_HOSTNAME="${IPA_HOSTNAME:-"ipaserver.test.local"}"
 test_env="${test_env:-"/tmp"}"
 ansible_interpreter="/usr/bin/python3"
+engine="podman"
+ansible_test=""
 
-while getopts ":he:i:lm:n:p:" option
+while getopts ":hae:i:lm:n:p:" option
 do
     case "$option" in
         h) help && exit 0 ;;
+        a) ansible_test="yes" ;;
         e) engine="${OPTARG}" ;;
         i) IMAGE_TAG="${OPTARG}" ;;
         l) list_images && exit 0 || exit 1;;
         m) MEMORY="${OPTARG}" ;;
-	n) HOSTNAME="${OPTARG}" ;;
+	n) IPA_HOSTNAME="${OPTARG}" ;;
 	p) ansible_interpreter="${OPTARG}" ;;
         *) die -u "Invalid option: ${OPTARG}" ;;
     esac
 done
 
-export HOSTNAME MEMORY IMAGE_TAG scenario
+export IPA_HOSTNAME MEMORY IMAGE_TAG scenario
 
 shift $((OPTIND - 1))
 [ $# == 1 ] || die -u "You must provide the name for a single container." 
 scenario="${1}"
 shift
 
-make_inventory "${scenario}" "${engine:-podman}" "${ansible_interpreter:-"/usr/bin/python3"}"
-# shellcheck disable=SC2154
-log info "Inventory path: [${inventory}]"
-# shellcheck disable=SC2154
-log debug "$(cat "${inventory}")"
 prepare_container "${scenario}" "${IMAGE_TAG}"
 start_container "${scenario}"
 
-ansible_ping "${inventory}"
-
 # configure ipaserver dns resolver to point to itself
-run_inline_playbook "${test_env}/playbooks" <<EOF || die "Failed to verify IPA or KDC services."
----
-- name: Set DNS resolver to localhost
-  hosts: ipaserver
-  become: true
-  gather_facts: false
-  tasks:
-    # /etc/resolv.conf on containers must be overwriten
-    # Both copy and file modules try to move data over it
-    # and it fails with EBUSY.
-    - name: Configure /etc/resolv.conf
-      ansible.builtin.shell: echo "nameserver 127.0.0.1" > /etc/resolv.conf
-      become: true
-EOF
+log info "Setting container DNS nameserver to localhost."
+"${engine}" exec "${scenario}" /bin/sh -c 'echo "nameserver 127.0.0.1" > /etc/resolv.conf' || die "Failed to set DNS nameserver to localhost."
 
 # wait for FreeIPA services to be available
-run_inline_playbook "${test_env}/playbooks" <<EOF || die "Failed to verify IPA or KDC services."
----
-- name: Wait for IPA services to be available
-  hosts: ipaserver
-  become: true
-  gather_facts: false
-  tasks:
-  - name: Wait for IPA to be started.
-    block:
-      - name: Start IPA service
-        ansible.builtin.shell: ipactl restart
-        register: result
-        until: not result.failed
-        retries: 5
-        delay: 30
-    rescue:
-      - name: Report failure
-        ansible.builtin.shell: ipactl status
-        failed_when: true
-  - name: Wait for Kerberos KDC to be started.
-    ansible.builtin.systemd:
-      name: krb5kdc
-      state: started
-    register: result
-    until: not result.failed
-    retries: 15
-    delay: 10
-  - name: Check if TGT is available for admin.
-    ansible.builtin.shell:
-      cmd: echo SomeADMINpassword | kinit -c ansible_freeipa_cache admin
-    register: result
-    until: not result.failed
-    retries: 5
-    delay: 10
-  - name: Cleanup TGT.
-    ansible.builtin.shell:
-      cmd: kdestroy -c ansible_freeipa_cache -A
-...
-EOF
+log info "Restarting IPA services."
+# shellcheck disable=SC2016
+"${engine}" exec "${scenario}" /bin/sh -c 'for i in $(seq 5); do ipactl restart >/dev/null && break; sleep 20; done' || die "Failed to start IPA."
+    
+# wait for KDC services to be available
+log info "Restarting IPA services."
+# shellcheck disable=SC2016
+"${engine}" exec "${scenario}" /bin/sh -c 'for i in $(seq 5); do systemctl restart krb5kdc >/dev/null && break; sleep 10; done' || die "Failed to start IPA KDC."
+
+# ensure we can get a TGT for admin
+log info "Testing kinit with admin."
+# shellcheck disable=SC2016
+"${engine}" exec "${scenario}" /bin/sh -c 'for i in $(seq 5); do echo "SomeADMINpassword" | kinit -c ansible_freeipa_cache admin && kdestroy -c ansible_freeipa_cache -A && break; sleep 10; done' || die "Failed to grant admin TGT."
+
+# shellcheck disable=SC2154
+log info "Creating inventory."
+make_inventory "${scenario}" "${engine}" "${ansible_interpreter:-"/usr/bin/python3"}"
+if [ -z "${inventory}" ]
+then
+    log error "Could not create inventory file."
+else
+    log info "Inventory path: [${inventory}]"
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2154
+    log debug "$(cat "${inventory}")"
+    if [ "${ansible_test}" == "yes" ]
+    then
+       log info "Testing Asnible connection."
+       run_if_exists ansible_ping "${inventory}"
+       log info "Querying installed software"
+       run_if_exists query_container_installed_software
+    fi
+fi
 
diff --git a/utils/shansible b/utils/shansible
index 493f441e64..7836775fef 100644
--- a/utils/shansible
+++ b/utils/shansible
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ run_inline_playbook() {
     quiet mkdir -p "${playbookdir}"
     cat - >"${playbook}"
     # shellcheck disable=SC2086
-    ansible-playbook ${ansible_options:-} -i "${inventory}" "${playbook}"
+    run_if_exists ansible-playbook ${ansible_options:-} -i "${inventory}" "${playbook}"
     err=$?
     rm "${playbook}"
     return ${err}
diff --git a/utils/shcontainer b/utils/shcontainer
index f74cd31762..308621373c 100644
--- a/utils/shcontainer
+++ b/utils/shcontainer
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ prepare_container() {
     local IMAGE_TAG img_id CONFIG
     container_id=""
     container_status=("-f" "status=created" "-f" "status=running")
-    hostname="${HOSTNAME:-"ipaserver.test.local"}"
+    hostname="${IPA_HOSTNAME:-"ipaserver.test.local"}"
     scenario="${1:-${scenario:-"freeipa-tests"}}"
     IMAGE_TAG="${2:-${IMAGE_TAG:-fedora-latest}}"
     [ -n "${scenario}" ] && container_id="$(${engine} ps --all -q -f "name=${scenario}" "${container_status[@]}")"
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ start_container() {
     local scenario="${1:-${scenario}}"
     log info "Starting container for ${scenario}..."
     "${engine}" start "${scenario}"
-    run_if_exists query_container_installed_software
 }
 
 if [ -z "$(command -v podman)" ]
diff --git a/utils/shfun b/utils/shfun
index 4b66c13edd..35d93b2465 100644
--- a/utils/shfun
+++ b/utils/shfun
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ interrupt_exception() {
     trap - SIGINT
     log warn "User interrupted test execution."
     # shellcheck disable=SC2119
-    cleanup
+    cleanup "${scenario:-''}"
     exit 1
 }
 
@@ -57,12 +57,15 @@ run_if_exists() {
 
 # shellcheck disable=SC2120
 cleanup() {
+    local container container_engine
+    container="${1:-${scenario:-"freeipa-tests"}}"
+    container_engine="${2:-${engine:-"podman"}}"
     if [ "${STOP_CONTAINER:-"Y"}" == "Y" ]
     then
-	    run_if_exists stop_container "${1:-${scenario:-"freeipa-tests"}}" "${2:-${engine:-"podman"}}"
+	    run_if_exists stop_container "${container}" "${container_engine}"
         [ -f "${inventory:-}" ] && rm "${inventory}"
     else
-        log info "Keeping container: $(${engine:-"podman"} ps --format "{{.Names}} - {{.ID}}" --filter "name=${1}")"
+        log info "Keeping container: $(${container_engine} ps --format "{{.Names}} - {{.ID}}" --filter "name=${container}")"
     fi
     if [ "${STOP_VIRTUALENV:-"N"}" == "Y" ]
     then
@@ -106,7 +109,7 @@ start_virtual_environment() {
 	fi
 	log info "Starting virtual environment: ${envdirectory}"
 	[ -f "${envdirectory}/bin/activate" ] || die "Failed to create virtual environment."
-	# shellcheck disable=SC1090
+	# shellcheck disable=SC1091
 	. "${envdirectory}/bin/activate" || die "Cannot activate virtual environment."
 	export STOP_VIRTUALENV="Y"
         log info "Installing required tools."
@@ -145,7 +148,7 @@ die() {
     fi
     log error "${*}"
     STOP_CONTAINER="N"
-    run_if_exists cleanup
+    cleanup "${scenario:-''}"
     [ "${usg}" == "Y" ] && run_if_exists usage
     exit 1
 }