diff --git a/tests/systemtests/cometbft_client_test.go b/tests/systemtests/cometbft_client_test.go
index 0c9fd62bb5bd2..cee97baa0c61f 100644
--- a/tests/systemtests/cometbft_client_test.go
+++ b/tests/systemtests/cometbft_client_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package systemtests
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -82,6 +83,10 @@ func TestQueryBlockByHeight(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestQueryLatestValidatorSet(t *testing.T) {
+	if sut.NodesCount() < 2 {
+		t.Skip("not enough nodes")
+		return
+	}
 	baseurl := fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d", apiPortStart)
 	sut.ResetChain(t)
 	sut.StartChain(t)
@@ -103,7 +108,7 @@ func TestQueryLatestValidatorSet(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, len(res.Validators), 2)
 
-	restRes := GetRequest(t, mustV(url.JoinPath(baseurl, "/cosmos/base/tendermint/v1beta1/validatorsets/latest?pagination.offset=0&pagination.limit=2")))
+	restRes := GetRequest(t, fmt.Sprintf("%s/cosmos/base/tendermint/v1beta1/validatorsets/latest?pagination.offset=%d&pagination.limit=%d", baseurl, 0, 2))
 	assert.Equal(t, len(gjson.GetBytes(restRes, "validators").Array()), 2)
 }
 
@@ -161,13 +166,14 @@ func TestLatestValidatorSet_GRPCGateway(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			rsp := GetRequest(t, mustV(url.JoinPath(baseurl, tc.url)))
 			if tc.expErr {
+				rsp := GetRequestWithHeaders(t, baseurl+tc.url, nil, http.StatusBadRequest)
 				errMsg := gjson.GetBytes(rsp, "message").String()
 				assert.Contains(t, errMsg, tc.expErrMsg)
-			} else {
-				assert.Equal(t, len(vals), int(gjson.GetBytes(rsp, "pagination.total").Int()))
+				return
 			}
+			rsp := GetRequest(t, baseurl+tc.url)
+			assert.Equal(t, len(vals), int(gjson.GetBytes(rsp, "pagination.total").Int()))
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -204,41 +210,40 @@ func TestValidatorSetByHeight(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestValidatorSetByHeight_GRPCGateway(t *testing.T) {
+func TestValidatorSetByHeight_GRPCRestGateway(t *testing.T) {
 	sut.ResetChain(t)
 	sut.StartChain(t)
 
 	vals := sut.RPCClient(t).Validators()
 
-	baseurl := fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d", apiPortStart)
-
+	baseurl := sut.APIAddress()
 	block := sut.AwaitNextBlock(t, time.Second*3)
 	testCases := []struct {
-		name      string
-		url       string
-		expErr    bool
-		expErrMsg string
+		name        string
+		url         string
+		expErr      bool
+		expErrMsg   string
+		expHttpCode int
 	}{
-		{"invalid height", fmt.Sprintf("%s/cosmos/base/tendermint/v1beta1/validatorsets/%d", baseurl, -1), true, "height must be greater than 0"},
-		{"no pagination", fmt.Sprintf("%s/cosmos/base/tendermint/v1beta1/validatorsets/%d", baseurl, block), false, ""},
-		{"pagination invalid fields", fmt.Sprintf("%s/cosmos/base/tendermint/v1beta1/validatorsets/%d?pagination.offset=-1&pagination.limit=-2", baseurl, block), true, "strconv.ParseUint"},
-		{"with pagination", fmt.Sprintf("%s/cosmos/base/tendermint/v1beta1/validatorsets/%d?pagination.limit=2", baseurl, 1), false, ""},
+		{"invalid height", fmt.Sprintf("%s/cosmos/base/tendermint/v1beta1/validatorsets/%d", baseurl, -1), true, "height must be greater than 0", http.StatusInternalServerError},
+		{"no pagination", fmt.Sprintf("%s/cosmos/base/tendermint/v1beta1/validatorsets/%d", baseurl, block), false, "", http.StatusOK},
+		{"pagination invalid fields", fmt.Sprintf("%s/cosmos/base/tendermint/v1beta1/validatorsets/%d?pagination.offset=-1&pagination.limit=-2", baseurl, block), true, "strconv.ParseUint", http.StatusBadRequest},
+		{"with pagination", fmt.Sprintf("%s/cosmos/base/tendermint/v1beta1/validatorsets/%d?pagination.limit=2", baseurl, 1), false, "", http.StatusOK},
 	}
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			rsp := GetRequest(t, tc.url)
+			rsp := GetRequestWithHeaders(t, tc.url, nil, tc.expHttpCode)
 			if tc.expErr {
 				errMsg := gjson.GetBytes(rsp, "message").String()
 				assert.Contains(t, errMsg, tc.expErrMsg)
-			} else {
-				assert.Equal(t, len(vals), int(gjson.GetBytes(rsp, "pagination.total").Int()))
+				return
 			}
+			assert.Equal(t, len(vals), int(gjson.GetBytes(rsp, "pagination.total").Int()))
 		})
 	}
 }
 
 func TestABCIQuery(t *testing.T) {
-	sut.ResetChain(t)
 	sut.StartChain(t)
 
 	qc := cmtservice.NewServiceClient(sut.RPCClient(t))
@@ -312,7 +317,7 @@ func TestABCIQuery(t *testing.T) {
 			} else {
 				assert.NoError(t, err)
 				assert.NotNil(t, res)
-				assert.Equal(t, res.Code, tc.expectedCode)
+				assert.Equal(t, tc.expectedCode, res.Code)
 			}
 
 			if tc.validQuery {
diff --git a/tests/systemtests/rest_cli.go b/tests/systemtests/rest_cli.go
index a7609949387fe..3ad1e30dda685 100644
--- a/tests/systemtests/rest_cli.go
+++ b/tests/systemtests/rest_cli.go
@@ -79,9 +79,9 @@ func GetRequestWithHeaders(t *testing.T, url string, headers map[string]string,
 	defer func() {
 		_ = res.Body.Close()
 	}()
-	require.Equal(t, expCode, res.StatusCode, "status code should be %d, got: %d", expCode, res.StatusCode)
-
 	body, err := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, expCode, res.StatusCode, "status code should be %d, got: %d, %s", expCode, res.StatusCode, body)
+
 	return body
 }
diff --git a/tests/systemtests/system.go b/tests/systemtests/system.go
index 346f39e761b49..f42bf96a79cdf 100644
--- a/tests/systemtests/system.go
+++ b/tests/systemtests/system.go
@@ -766,6 +766,11 @@ func (s *SystemUnderTest) CurrentHeight() int64 {
 	return s.currentHeight.Load()
 }
 
+// NodesCount returns the number of node instances used
+func (s *SystemUnderTest) NodesCount() int {
+	return s.nodesCount
+}
+
 type Node struct {
 	ID      string
 	IP      string