diff --git a/pkg/client/node.go b/pkg/client/node.go
index 901cda7b..e41bf75f 100644
--- a/pkg/client/node.go
+++ b/pkg/client/node.go
@@ -811,6 +811,11 @@ func NodeWaitForLogMessage(ctx context.Context, runtime runtimes.Runtime, node *
 			break
 		}
 	}
+
+	running, status, err := runtime.GetNodeStatus(ctx, node)
+	if err == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%v: node %s is running=%v in status=%s", errMsg, node.Name, running, status)
+	}
 	return errMsg
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/runtimes/runtime.go b/pkg/runtimes/runtime.go
index 5015e5ee..050490e1 100644
--- a/pkg/runtimes/runtime.go
+++ b/pkg/runtimes/runtime.go
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ type Runtime interface {
 	RenameNode(context.Context, *k3d.Node, string) error
 	GetNodesByLabel(context.Context, map[string]string) ([]*k3d.Node, error)
 	GetNode(context.Context, *k3d.Node) (*k3d.Node, error)
-	GetNodeStatus(context.Context, *k3d.Node) (bool, string, error)
+	GetNodeStatus(context.Context, *k3d.Node) (bool, string, error) // returns (running, status, error)
 	GetNodesInNetwork(context.Context, string) ([]*k3d.Node, error)
 	CreateNetworkIfNotPresent(context.Context, *k3d.ClusterNetwork) (*k3d.ClusterNetwork, bool, error) // @param context, name - @return NETWORK, EXISTS, ERROR
 	GetKubeconfig(context.Context, *k3d.Node) (io.ReadCloser, error)