diff --git a/packages/cli/test/scripts/e2e_test_env.ts b/packages/cli/test/scripts/e2e_test_env.ts
index b35b3524d8cf..b5fa48260194 100644
--- a/packages/cli/test/scripts/e2e_test_env.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/test/scripts/e2e_test_env.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const {forkConfig} = defineSimTestConfig({
   BELLATRIX_FORK_EPOCH: bellatrixForkEpoch,
   CAPELLA_FORK_EPOCH: capellaForkEpoch,
   runTillEpoch: Infinity,
+  initialNodes: 2,
 });
 
 const env = await SimulationEnvironment.initWithDefaults(
diff --git a/scripts/run_e2e_env.sh b/scripts/run_e2e_env.sh
index 2e472181da17..9d12ae449c2a 100755
--- a/scripts/run_e2e_env.sh
+++ b/scripts/run_e2e_env.sh
@@ -1,19 +1,19 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+DIR=$(dirname "$0")
+
 function start_app() {
   mkdir -p test-logs/e2e-test-env
-  source ../.env.test
   export LODESTAR_PRESET=minimal
-  nohup node --loader ts-node/esm packages/cli/test/scripts/e2e_test_env.ts > test-logs/e2e-test-env/simulation.out 2>&1 &
+  export DOTENV_CONFIG_PATH="$DIR/../.env.test" 
+  nohup node -r dotenv/config --loader ts-node/esm packages/cli/test/scripts/e2e_test_env.ts > test-logs/e2e-test-env/simulation.out 2>&1 &
   echo $! > test-logs/e2e-test-env/simulation.pid
   echo "Wait for the node to be ready"
   npx wait-port -t 120000 0.0.0.0:5001
 }
 
 function stop_app() {
-  kill -9 $(cat test-logs/e2e-test-env/simulation.pid)
-  # Incase the process pid file is not present
-  kill -9 $(lsof -t -i:5001)
+  kill -s TERM $(cat test-logs/e2e-test-env/simulation.pid)
 }