diff --git a/test/fuse_failover/framework_test.go b/test/fuse_failover/framework_test.go
index e30c6b3f05..1dd3b59c6d 100644
--- a/test/fuse_failover/framework_test.go
+++ b/test/fuse_failover/framework_test.go
@@ -110,6 +110,21 @@ func startFailoverCluster(t testing.TB, numVolumes, numMounts int) *failoverClus
 			"mount %d not ready\n%s", i, c.tailLog(fmt.Sprintf("mount%d", i)))
 	}
 	require.NoError(t, c.WaitForVolumeServers(60*time.Second))
+
+	// A mounted filesystem and registered volume servers do not yet guarantee
+	// that the lock ring has settled or the first replicated volume is ready.
+	// Exercise the write/read path during setup so the append latency checks
+	// measure failover on a running cluster rather than its cold start.
+	probeName := ".failover-ready"
+	probeData := []byte("ready\n")
+	probePath := filepath.Join(c.MountDir(0), probeName)
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(probePath, probeData, 0644),
+		"readiness write failed\n%s", c.tailLog("mount0"))
+	for i := 0; i < numMounts; i++ {
+		_, ready := waitForContent(filepath.Join(c.MountDir(i), probeName), probeData, convergeTimeout)
+		require.True(t, ready, "mount %d did not observe readiness write\n%s", i, c.tailLog(fmt.Sprintf("mount%d", i)))
+	}
+	require.NoError(t, os.Remove(probePath))
 	return c
 }
 
diff --git a/weed/s3api/s3api_head_bucket_test.go b/weed/s3api/s3api_head_bucket_test.go
index 0c5cbf82ad..d83308c57b 100644
--- a/weed/s3api/s3api_head_bucket_test.go
+++ b/weed/s3api/s3api_head_bucket_test.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"path"
-	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/gorilla/mux"
@@ -56,19 +55,16 @@ func TestHeadBucketSeparatesLookupFailureFromMissingBucket(t *testing.T) {
 		name     string
 		filer    *fakeLookupFiler
 		wantCode int
-		wantBody string
 	}{
 		{
 			name:     "transient lookup failure",
 			filer:    &fakeLookupFiler{lookupErr: status.Error(codes.Internal, "filer store unavailable")},
 			wantCode: http.StatusInternalServerError,
-			wantBody: "<Code>InternalError</Code>",
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "missing bucket",
 			filer:    &fakeLookupFiler{},
 			wantCode: http.StatusNotFound,
-			wantBody: "<Code>NoSuchBucket</Code>",
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "existing bucket",
@@ -88,8 +84,10 @@ func TestHeadBucketSeparatesLookupFailureFromMissingBucket(t *testing.T) {
 			if rr.Code != tc.wantCode {
 				t.Fatalf("status = %d, want %d: %s", rr.Code, tc.wantCode, rr.Body.String())
 			}
-			if tc.wantBody != "" && !strings.Contains(rr.Body.String(), tc.wantBody) {
-				t.Fatalf("body = %s, want %s", rr.Body.String(), tc.wantBody)
+			// HEAD returns the status without an XML error body, including for
+			// lookup failures and missing buckets.
+			if rr.Body.Len() != 0 {
+				t.Fatalf("HEAD response must have an empty body, got %q", rr.Body.String())
 			}
 		})
 	}