diff --git a/pkg/tests/ossm/deploy_on_infra_test.go b/pkg/tests/ossm/deploy_on_infra_test.go
index d042d375..23954851 100644
--- a/pkg/tests/ossm/deploy_on_infra_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tests/ossm/deploy_on_infra_test.go
@@ -155,8 +155,10 @@ func TestExcludeCniFromNode(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		t.Cleanup(func() {
 			oc.RemoveLabel(t, "", "node", workername, "maistra.io/exclude-cni")
+			oc.RecreateNamespace(t, meshNamespace)
 		})
-
+		// CNI pods are created after the control plane
+		DeployControlPlane(t)
 		workername = pickWorkerNode(t)
 		cniPodApp := fmt.Sprintf("istio-cni-node-v%d-%d", env.GetSMCPVersion().Major, env.GetSMCPVersion().Minor)
 
diff --git a/pkg/tests/ossm/initcontainer_test.go b/pkg/tests/ossm/initcontainer_test.go
index a72427f8..4556a0d2 100644
--- a/pkg/tests/ossm/initcontainer_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tests/ossm/initcontainer_test.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ func TestInitContainerNotRemovedDuringInjection(t *testing.T) {
 
 		t.Cleanup(func() {
 			oc.RecreateNamespace(t, ns.Bookinfo)
+			oc.RecreateNamespace(t, meshNamespace)
 		})
 
 		DeployControlPlane(t)
diff --git a/pkg/tests/ossm/ior_test.go b/pkg/tests/ossm/ior_test.go
index 501e5895..54eb69fe 100644
--- a/pkg/tests/ossm/ior_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tests/ossm/ior_test.go
@@ -75,14 +75,17 @@ func TestIOR(t *testing.T) {
 			})
 		}
 
+		// workaround for OSSM-6767, make sure that SMCP doesn't exist from previous test run
+		oc.RecreateNamespace(t, meshNamespace)
+
 		DeployControlPlane(t)
 
-		t.NewSubTest("check IOR off by default v2.5").Run(func(t test.TestHelper) {
+		t.NewSubTest("check IOR off by default from v2.5").Run(func(t test.TestHelper) {
 			if env.GetSMCPVersion().LessThan(version.SMCP_2_5) {
 				t.Skip("Skipping until 2.5")
 			} else {
 				if getIORSetting(t, meshNamespace, meshName) != "false" {
-					t.Fatal("Expect to find IOR enabled by default in v2.5+, but it is currently disabled")
+					t.Fatal("Expect to find IOR disabled by default in v2.5+, but it is currently enabled")
 				} else {
 					t.LogSuccess("Got the expected false for IOR setting")
 				}