diff --git a/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/11-create-authentication-classes.yaml b/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/11-create-authentication-classes.yaml
index 90d7622d..4185b141 100644
--- a/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/11-create-authentication-classes.yaml
+++ b/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/11-create-authentication-classes.yaml
@@ -5,4 +5,6 @@ metadata:
   name: create-ldap-user
 commands:
   # We need to replace $NAMESPACE (by KUTTL) in the create-authentication-classes.yaml(.j2)
-  - script: eval "echo \"$(cat create-authentication-classes.yaml)\"" | kubectl apply -f -
+  - script: >
+      envsubst '$NAMESPACE' < create-authentication-classes.yaml |
+      kubectl apply --filename=-
diff --git a/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/30-hot-reloading-add-user.yaml b/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/30-hot-reloading-add-user.yaml
index e4aa018b..f057d465 100644
--- a/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/30-hot-reloading-add-user.yaml
+++ b/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/30-hot-reloading-add-user.yaml
@@ -3,4 +3,6 @@ apiVersion: kuttl.dev/v1beta1
 kind: TestStep
 commands:
   # We need to replace $NAMESPACE (by KUTTL) in the add_user.yaml(.j2)
-  - script: eval "echo \"$(cat add_user.yaml)\"" | kubectl replace -f -
+  - script: >
+      envsubst '$NAMESPACE' < add_user.yaml |
+      kubectl replace --filename=-
diff --git a/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/32-hot-reloading-remove-user.yaml b/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/32-hot-reloading-remove-user.yaml
index 1dd355ac..5601face 100644
--- a/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/32-hot-reloading-remove-user.yaml
+++ b/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/32-hot-reloading-remove-user.yaml
@@ -3,4 +3,6 @@ apiVersion: kuttl.dev/v1beta1
 kind: TestStep
 commands:
   # We need to replace $NAMESPACE (by KUTTL) in the remove_user.yaml(.j2)
-  - script: eval "echo \"$(cat remove_user.yaml)\"" | kubectl replace -f -
+  - script: >
+      envsubst '$NAMESPACE' < remove_user.yaml |
+      kubectl replace --filename=-
diff --git a/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/33-assert.yaml b/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/33-assert.yaml
index f8c36c72..1ced76eb 100644
--- a/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/33-assert.yaml
+++ b/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/33-assert.yaml
@@ -5,4 +5,12 @@ timeout: 600
 commands:
   # We use the check-active-workers script for the login. Since we do want to wait until we cannot log in anymore
   # we flip the return value in the end.
-  - script: kubectl exec -n $NAMESPACE trino-test-helper-0 -- python /tmp/check-active-workers.py -u hot_reloaded -p hot_reloaded -c trino-coordinator-default-headless.$NAMESPACE.svc.cluster.local -w 1; if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then exit 1; fi
+  - script: |
+      set +e
+      kubectl exec -n $NAMESPACE trino-test-helper-0 -- \
+        python /tmp/check-active-workers.py -u hot_reloaded -p hot_reloaded -c trino-coordinator-default-headless.$NAMESPACE.svc.cluster.local -w 1
+      if [ $? -eq 1 ]; then
+        exit 0
+      else
+        exit 1
+      fi
diff --git a/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/add_user.yaml.j2 b/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/add_user.yaml.j2
index d799a491..8b59548e 100644
--- a/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/add_user.yaml.j2
+++ b/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/add_user.yaml.j2
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ kind: Secret
 metadata:
   name: password-file-users
   namespace: $NAMESPACE
+  annotations:
+    restarter.stackable.tech/ignore: "true"
 stringData:
   test_user_1: test_user_1
   test_user_2: test_user_2
diff --git a/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/create-authentication-classes.yaml.j2 b/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/create-authentication-classes.yaml.j2
index 2c90ac43..b225d2ac 100644
--- a/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/create-authentication-classes.yaml.j2
+++ b/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/create-authentication-classes.yaml.j2
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ kind: Secret
 metadata:
   name: password-file-users
   namespace: $NAMESPACE
+  annotations:
+    restarter.stackable.tech/ignore: "true"
 stringData:
   test_user_1: test_user_1
   test_user_2: test_user_2
diff --git a/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/remove_user.yaml.j2 b/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/remove_user.yaml.j2
index 9c7ab6c7..bb9c7a60 100644
--- a/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/remove_user.yaml.j2
+++ b/tests/templates/kuttl/authentication/remove_user.yaml.j2
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ kind: Secret
 metadata:
   name: password-file-users
   namespace: $NAMESPACE
+  annotations:
+    restarter.stackable.tech/ignore: "true"
 stringData:
   test_user_1: test_user_1
   test_user_2: test_user_2