diff --git a/internal/catalogd/serverutil/serverutil.go b/internal/catalogd/serverutil/serverutil.go
index c29b5742f..72e1e5652 100644
--- a/internal/catalogd/serverutil/serverutil.go
+++ b/internal/catalogd/serverutil/serverutil.go
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ func (r *catalogServerRunnable) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 	}()
 
 	if err := r.server.Serve(listener); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, http.ErrServerClosed) {
-		return err
+		return fmt.Errorf("catalog server on %q failed: %w", r.cfg.CatalogAddr, err)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/test/e2e/steps/hooks.go b/test/e2e/steps/hooks.go
index 5325a79f2..b7062ba89 100644
--- a/test/e2e/steps/hooks.go
+++ b/test/e2e/steps/hooks.go
@@ -148,6 +148,23 @@ func BeforeSuite() {
 	}
 	olmNamespace = olm.Namespace
 
+	// Refine CatalogdHA based on actual catalogd replica count now that
+	// olmNamespace is known.  The node-count check above can fire on any
+	// multi-node cluster even when catalogd runs with only 1 replica.
+	// Override the gate: HA scenarios require ≥2 catalogd replicas.
+	// If the deployment is not found (kubectl error), or the replica
+	// count is empty/non-numeric, the gate keeps whatever the node-count
+	// check set.
+	if repOut, err := k8sClient("get", "deployments", "-n", olmNamespace,
+		"-l", "app.kubernetes.io/name=catalogd",
+		"-o", "jsonpath={.items[0].spec.replicas}"); err == nil {
+		if repOut = strings.TrimSpace(repOut); repOut != "" {
+			if replicas, err := strconv.Atoi(repOut); err == nil {
+				featureGates[catalogdHAFeature] = replicas >= 2
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	featureGatePattern := regexp.MustCompile(`--feature-gates=([[:alnum:]]+)=(true|false)`)
 	for _, c := range olm.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers {
 		if c.Name == "manager" {