diff --git a/internal/test/e2e/cluster.go b/internal/test/e2e/cluster.go
index 7d79a0581..9e02d7c17 100644
--- a/internal/test/e2e/cluster.go
+++ b/internal/test/e2e/cluster.go
@@ -459,6 +459,7 @@ func newTestCluster(t *testing.T, opts testClusterOptions) *TestCluster {
 
 	if nHosts > 0 {
 		cluster.AddHostsBlocking(nHosts)
+		cluster.WaitForPeers()
 		cluster.WaitForContracts()
 		cluster.WaitForContractSet(test.ContractSet, nHosts)
 		cluster.WaitForAccounts()
@@ -657,6 +658,19 @@ func (c *TestCluster) WaitForContractSetContracts(set string, n int) {
 	})
 }
 
+func (c *TestCluster) WaitForPeers() {
+	c.tt.Helper()
+	c.tt.Retry(300, 100*time.Millisecond, func() error {
+		peers, err := c.Bus.SyncerPeers(context.Background())
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		} else if len(peers) == 0 {
+			return errors.New("no peers found")
+		}
+		return nil
+	})
+}
+
 func (c *TestCluster) RemoveHost(host *Host) {
 	c.tt.Helper()
 	c.tt.OK(host.Close())
@@ -686,7 +700,7 @@ func (c *TestCluster) AddHost(h *Host) {
 	// Add the host
 	c.hosts = append(c.hosts, h)
 
-	// Fund host with one blockreward
+	// Fund host from bus.
 	fundAmt := types.Siacoins(25e3)
 	var scos []types.SiacoinOutput
 	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
diff --git a/internal/test/e2e/pruning_test.go b/internal/test/e2e/pruning_test.go
index 36ef0b193..8492bf9f1 100644
--- a/internal/test/e2e/pruning_test.go
+++ b/internal/test/e2e/pruning_test.go
@@ -20,12 +20,11 @@ func TestHostPruning(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// create a new test cluster
-	cluster := newTestCluster(t, clusterOptsDefault)
+	cluster := newTestCluster(t, testClusterOptions{hosts: 1})
 	defer cluster.Shutdown()
 
 	// convenience variables
 	b := cluster.Bus
-	w := cluster.Worker
 	a := cluster.Autopilot
 	tt := cluster.tt
 
@@ -45,26 +44,13 @@ func TestHostPruning(t *testing.T) {
 		tt.OK(b.RecordHostScans(context.Background(), his))
 	}
 
-	// add a host
-	hosts := cluster.AddHosts(1)
-	h1 := hosts[0]
-
-	// fetch the host
-	h, err := b.Host(context.Background(), h1.PublicKey())
-	tt.OK(err)
-
-	// scan the host (lastScan needs to be > 0 for downtime to start counting)
-	tt.OKAll(w.RHPScan(context.Background(), h1.PublicKey(), h.NetAddress, 0))
-
-	// block the host
-	tt.OK(b.UpdateHostBlocklist(context.Background(), []string{h1.PublicKey().String()}, nil, false))
+	// shut down the worker manually, this will flush any interactions
+	cluster.ShutdownWorker(context.Background())
 
 	// remove it from the cluster manually
+	h1 := cluster.hosts[0]
 	cluster.RemoveHost(h1)
 
-	// shut down the worker manually, this will flush any interactions
-	cluster.ShutdownWorker(context.Background())
-
 	// record 9 failed interactions, right before the pruning threshold, and
 	// wait for the autopilot loop to finish at least once
 	recordFailedInteractions(9, h1.PublicKey())