diff --git a/packages/account/src/test-utils/launchNode.test.ts b/packages/account/src/test-utils/launchNode.test.ts
index c18ac7dd5c..8353078094 100644
--- a/packages/account/src/test-utils/launchNode.test.ts
+++ b/packages/account/src/test-utils/launchNode.test.ts
@@ -212,4 +212,21 @@ describe('launchNode', () => {
     await sleep(1500);
     expect(fsMod.existsSync(tempDirPath)).toBeFalsy();
   });
+
+  test('calling cleanup on externally killed node does not throw', async () => {
+    const mkdirSyncSpy = vi.spyOn(fsMod, 'mkdirSync');
+    const logSpy = vi.spyOn(console, 'log');
+
+    const { pid, cleanup } = await launchNode({ loggingEnabled: false });
+    expect(mkdirSyncSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    childProcessMod.execSync(`kill -- -${pid}`);
+    // wait until cleanup finishes (done via events)
+    await sleep(1500);
+    cleanup();
+
+    expect(logSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      `fuel-core node under pid ${pid} does not exist. The node might have been killed before cleanup was called. Exiting cleanly.`
+    );
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/account/src/test-utils/launchNode.ts b/packages/account/src/test-utils/launchNode.ts
index f39de0da7c..0554acca8f 100644
--- a/packages/account/src/test-utils/launchNode.ts
+++ b/packages/account/src/test-utils/launchNode.ts
@@ -234,10 +234,22 @@ export const launchNode = async ({
       }
       childState.isDead = true;
 
+      removeSideffects();
       if (child.pid !== undefined) {
-        process.kill(-child.pid);
+        try {
+          process.kill(-child.pid);
+        } catch (e) {
+          const error = e as Error & { code: string };
+          if (error.code === 'ESRCH') {
+            // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+            console.log(
+              `fuel-core node under pid ${child.pid} does not exist. The node might have been killed before cleanup was called. Exiting cleanly.`
+            );
+          } else {
+            throw e;
+          }
+        }
       } else {
-        removeSideffects();
         // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
         console.error('No PID available for the child process, unable to kill launched node');
       }