diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yaml b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
index 2085f202..4eed6486 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
@@ -18,10 +18,25 @@ jobs:
           rm -f volumes/lnd/dave/tls.cert
       - name: Build the stack
         run: docker compose --project-directory ./ -f src/tests/docker-compose.yml up -d
+      - name: Check container status
+        run: |
+          echo "Container status:"
+          docker ps -a
+          echo "Alice logs:"
+          docker logs polar-n2-alice --tail 20 || true
+          echo "Bob logs:"
+          docker logs polar-n2-bob --tail 20 || true
       - name: Wait for LND containers to be ready
         run: |
           echo "Waiting for LND containers to start and generate certificates..."
           sleep 30
+          # Wait for containers to be running first
+          echo "Waiting for containers to be running..."
+          timeout 120 bash -c 'until docker ps --filter "name=polar-n2-alice" --filter "status=running" --format "{{.Names}}" | grep -q polar-n2-alice; do sleep 5; done'
+          timeout 120 bash -c 'until docker ps --filter "name=polar-n2-bob" --filter "status=running" --format "{{.Names}}" | grep -q polar-n2-bob; do sleep 5; done'
+          timeout 120 bash -c 'until docker ps --filter "name=polar-n2-carol" --filter "status=running" --format "{{.Names}}" | grep -q polar-n2-carol; do sleep 5; done'
+          timeout 120 bash -c 'until docker ps --filter "name=polar-n2-dave" --filter "status=running" --format "{{.Names}}" | grep -q polar-n2-dave; do sleep 5; done'
+          echo "Containers are running, waiting for certificates..."
           # Wait for certificates to be generated
           timeout 120 bash -c 'until docker exec polar-n2-alice test -f /home/lnd/.lnd/tls.cert; do sleep 5; done'
           timeout 120 bash -c 'until docker exec polar-n2-bob test -f /home/lnd/.lnd/tls.cert; do sleep 5; done'