diff --git a/continuousintegration/orchestration/tests/archive_retrieve.sh b/continuousintegration/orchestration/tests/archive_retrieve.sh
index 4bca61163ae358fd2f18a0b24765fad5d2f77962..f1660edd32d7e78627a8e59b65b76b202c5f3905 100755
--- a/continuousintegration/orchestration/tests/archive_retrieve.sh
+++ b/continuousintegration/orchestration/tests/archive_retrieve.sh
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ fi
 
 echo "Preparing namespace for the tests"
 ./prepare_tests.sh -n ${NAMESPACE}
+if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+  echo "ERROR: failed to prepare namespace for the tests"
+  exit 1
+fi
 
 echo
 echo "Launching simple_client_ar.sh on client pod"
diff --git a/continuousintegration/orchestration/tests/prepare_tests.sh b/continuousintegration/orchestration/tests/prepare_tests.sh
index d2472bd257efef9c009f16d91dd47f0c0021b8b1..a5571eca251c48d9031cf82f1068591c2756b647 100755
--- a/continuousintegration/orchestration/tests/prepare_tests.sh
+++ b/continuousintegration/orchestration/tests/prepare_tests.sh
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ NB_TAPEDRIVES_IN_USE=${#TAPEDRIVES_IN_USE[@]}
 echo "Preparing CTA configuration for tests"
   # verify the catalogue DB schema
     kubectl --namespace ${NAMESPACE} exec ctafrontend -- cta-catalogue-schema-verify /etc/cta/cta-catalogue.conf
+    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+      echo "ERROR: failed to verify the catalogue DB schema"
+      exit 1
+    fi
   kubectl --namespace ${NAMESPACE} exec ctafrontend -- cta-catalogue-admin-user-create /etc/cta/cta-catalogue.conf --username ctaadmin1 -m "docker cli"
   for ((i=0; i<${#TAPEDRIVES_IN_USE[@]}; i++)); do
     kubectl --namespace ${NAMESPACE} exec ctacli -- cta-admin logicallibrary add \