diff --git a/integration-tests/ccip-tests/testsetups/ccip.go b/integration-tests/ccip-tests/testsetups/ccip.go
index 2fb067dfc2..bbe8bee8f7 100644
--- a/integration-tests/ccip-tests/testsetups/ccip.go
+++ b/integration-tests/ccip-tests/testsetups/ccip.go
@@ -1363,15 +1363,15 @@ func (o *CCIPTestSetUpOutputs) CreateEnvironment(
 			ccipEnv.NumOfCommitNodes = testConfig.TestGroupInput.NoOfCommitNodes
 			ccipEnv.NumOfExecNodes = ccipEnv.NumOfCommitNodes
 			if !pointer.GetBool(testConfig.TestGroupInput.CommitAndExecuteOnSameDON) {
+				if ccipEnv.NumOfExecNodes < 4 {
+					return fmt.Errorf("insufficient number of exec nodes, need at least 4, found %d", ccipEnv.NumOfExecNodes)
+				}
 				if len(ccipEnv.CLNodesWithKeys[chains[0].GetChainID().String()]) < 11 {
 					return fmt.Errorf("not enough CL nodes for separate commit and execution nodes, need at least 11 CL nodes, found %d", len(ccipEnv.CLNodesWithKeys))
 				}
 				if testConfig.TestGroupInput.NoOfCommitNodes >= totalNodes {
 					return fmt.Errorf("number of commit nodes can not be greater than total number of nodes in DON")
 				}
-				if ccipEnv.NumOfExecNodes < 4 {
-					return fmt.Errorf("insufficient number of exec nodes")
-				}
 				// first two nodes are reserved for bootstrap commit and bootstrap exec
 				ccipEnv.CommitNodeStartIndex = 2
 				ccipEnv.ExecNodeStartIndex = 2 + testConfig.TestGroupInput.NoOfCommitNodes