diff --git a/packages/sdk/src/waku/wait_for_remote_peer.ts b/packages/sdk/src/waku/wait_for_remote_peer.ts
index 570fde801c..ce956d0c44 100644
--- a/packages/sdk/src/waku/wait_for_remote_peer.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk/src/waku/wait_for_remote_peer.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ export async function waitForRemotePeer(
   protocols?: Protocols[],
   timeoutMs?: number
 ): Promise<void> {
+  // if no protocols or empty array passed - try to derive from mounted
+  protocols = protocols?.length ? protocols : getEnabledProtocols(waku);
   // if no protocols or empty array passed - try to derive from mounted
   protocols = protocols?.length ? protocols : getEnabledProtocols(waku);
   const connections = waku.libp2p.getConnections();
@@ -153,14 +155,6 @@ async function waitForMetadata(
   }
 
   for (const peerId of connectedPeers) {
-    const confirmedAllCodecs = Array.from(enabledCodes.values()).every(
-      (v) => v
-    );
-
-    if (confirmedAllCodecs) {
-      return true;
-    }
-
     try {
       const peer = await waku.libp2p.peerStore.get(peerId);
       const hasSomeCodes = peer.protocols.some((c) => enabledCodes.has(c));
@@ -175,6 +169,14 @@ async function waitForMetadata(
               enabledCodes.set(c, true);
             }
           });
+
+          const confirmedAllCodecs = Array.from(enabledCodes.values()).every(
+            (v) => v
+          );
+
+          if (confirmedAllCodecs) {
+            return true;
+          }
         }
       }
     } catch (e) {
diff --git a/packages/tests/src/utils/nodes.ts b/packages/tests/src/utils/nodes.ts
index 87eb2d7a17..6bce4b063e 100644
--- a/packages/tests/src/utils/nodes.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/src/utils/nodes.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import {
   Protocols
 } from "@waku/interfaces";
 import { createLightNode } from "@waku/sdk";
-import { derivePubsubTopicsFromNetworkConfig, isDefined } from "@waku/utils";
+import { derivePubsubTopicsFromNetworkConfig } from "@waku/utils";
 import { Context } from "mocha";
 import pRetry from "p-retry";
 
@@ -52,12 +52,7 @@ export async function runMultipleNodes(
 
   for (const node of serviceNodes.nodes) {
     await waku.dial(await node.getMultiaddrWithId());
-    await waku.waitForPeer(
-      [
-        !customArgs?.filter ? undefined : Protocols.Filter,
-        !customArgs?.lightpush ? undefined : Protocols.LightPush
-      ].filter(isDefined)
-    );
+    await waku.waitForPeer([Protocols.Filter, Protocols.LightPush]);
     await node.ensureSubscriptions(
       derivePubsubTopicsFromNetworkConfig(networkConfig)
     );
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/ephemeral.node.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/ephemeral.node.spec.ts
index 49519b5690..58582a99e9 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/ephemeral.node.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/ephemeral.node.spec.ts
@@ -110,11 +110,7 @@ describe("Waku Message Ephemeral field", function () {
     await waku.start();
     await waku.dial(await nwaku.getMultiaddrWithId());
 
-    await waku.waitForPeer([
-      Protocols.Filter,
-      Protocols.LightPush,
-      Protocols.Store
-    ]);
+    await waku.waitForPeer([Protocols.Filter, Protocols.LightPush]);
   });
 
   it("Ephemeral messages are not stored", async function () {
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/filter/peer_management.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/filter/peer_management.spec.ts
index 0818e46467..8eb7db45d7 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/filter/peer_management.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/filter/peer_management.spec.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ describe("Waku Filter: Peer Management: E2E", function () {
     [serviceNodes, waku] = await runMultipleNodes(
       this.ctx,
       DefaultTestShardInfo,
-      undefined,
+      { lightpush: true, filter: true },
       undefined,
       5
     );
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ describe("Waku Filter: Peer Management: E2E", function () {
     const [serviceNodes, waku] = await runMultipleNodes(
       this.ctx,
       DefaultTestShardInfo,
-      undefined,
+      { lightpush: true, filter: true },
       undefined,
       2
     );
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/filter/ping.node.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/filter/ping.node.spec.ts
index f5ac0200fd..7008b9bda8 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/filter/ping.node.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/filter/ping.node.spec.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,10 @@ const runTests = (strictCheckNodes: boolean): void => {
 
     beforeEachCustom(this, async () => {
       try {
-        [serviceNodes, waku] = await runMultipleNodes(this.ctx, TestShardInfo);
+        [serviceNodes, waku] = await runMultipleNodes(this.ctx, TestShardInfo, {
+          lightpush: true,
+          filter: true
+        });
       } catch (error) {
         console.error(error);
       }
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/filter/push.node.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/filter/push.node.spec.ts
index ba0e73569f..2598db30d4 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/filter/push.node.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/filter/push.node.spec.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,10 @@ const runTests = (strictCheckNodes: boolean): void => {
     let serviceNodes: ServiceNodesFleet;
 
     beforeEachCustom(this, async () => {
-      [serviceNodes, waku] = await runMultipleNodes(this.ctx, TestShardInfo);
+      [serviceNodes, waku] = await runMultipleNodes(this.ctx, TestShardInfo, {
+        lightpush: true,
+        filter: true
+      });
     });
 
     afterEachCustom(this, async () => {
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/filter/unsubscribe.node.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/filter/unsubscribe.node.spec.ts
index de644d9cc6..732cc3f6b3 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/filter/unsubscribe.node.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/filter/unsubscribe.node.spec.ts
@@ -30,10 +30,14 @@ const runTests = (strictCheckNodes: boolean): void => {
     let serviceNodes: ServiceNodesFleet;
 
     beforeEachCustom(this, async () => {
-      [serviceNodes, waku] = await runMultipleNodes(this.ctx, {
-        contentTopics: [TestContentTopic],
-        clusterId: ClusterId
-      });
+      [serviceNodes, waku] = await runMultipleNodes(
+        this.ctx,
+        {
+          contentTopics: [TestContentTopic],
+          clusterId: ClusterId
+        },
+        { filter: true, lightpush: true }
+      );
     });
 
     afterEachCustom(this, async () => {
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/health-manager/protocols.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/health-manager/protocols.spec.ts
index a0db807616..09f0febe49 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/health-manager/protocols.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/health-manager/protocols.spec.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ describe("Health Manager", function () {
         [serviceNodes, waku] = await runMultipleNodes(
           this.ctx,
           TestShardInfo,
-          undefined,
+          { lightpush: true, filter: true },
           undefined,
           num
         );
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ describe("Health Manager", function () {
         [serviceNodes, waku] = await runMultipleNodes(
           this.ctx,
           TestShardInfo,
-          undefined,
+          { filter: true, lightpush: true },
           undefined,
           num
         );
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/light-push/index.node.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/light-push/index.node.spec.ts
index 44c6dbee7c..3b332d245d 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/light-push/index.node.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/light-push/index.node.spec.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ const runTests = (strictNodeCheck: boolean): void => {
       [serviceNodes, waku] = await runMultipleNodes(
         this.ctx,
         TestShardInfo,
-        undefined,
+        { lightpush: true, filter: true },
         strictNodeCheck,
         numServiceNodes,
         true
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/light-push/peer_management.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/light-push/peer_management.spec.ts
index 776d503cb3..389cb936b4 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/light-push/peer_management.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/light-push/peer_management.spec.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ describe("Waku Light Push: Connection Management: E2E", function () {
     [serviceNodes, waku] = await runMultipleNodes(
       this.ctx,
       DefaultTestShardInfo,
-      undefined,
+      { lightpush: true, filter: true },
       undefined,
       5
     );