diff --git a/test/helper.lua b/test/helper.lua
index 9195226d..809e97d6 100644
--- a/test/helper.lua
+++ b/test/helper.lua
@@ -116,7 +116,13 @@ function helpers.get_results_list(results_map)
     return results_list
 end
 
-function helpers.box_cfg()
+function helpers.box_cfg(opts)
+    opts = opts or {}
+
+    if opts.wait_rw == nil then
+        opts.wait_rw = true
+    end
+
     if type(box.cfg) ~= 'function' then
         return
     end
@@ -127,6 +133,13 @@ function helpers.box_cfg()
         wal_mode = 'none',
     })
     fio.rmtree(tempdir)
+
+    if opts.wait_rw then
+        t.helpers.retrying(
+            {timeout = 3, delay = 0.1},
+            t.assert_equals, box.info.ro, false
+        )
+    end
 end
 
 function helpers.insert_objects(g, space_name, objects)
diff --git a/test/integration/select_readview_test.lua b/test/integration/select_readview_test.lua
index d17458ce..04231879 100644
--- a/test/integration/select_readview_test.lua
+++ b/test/integration/select_readview_test.lua
@@ -2308,6 +2308,8 @@ pgroup.test_stop_select = function(g)
     g.cluster:server('s2-master'):start()
 
     if g.params.backend == helpers.backend.VSHARD then
+        g.cluster:server('s2-master'):wait_for_rw()
+
         local bootstrap_key
         if type(g.params.backend_cfg) == 'table'
         and g.params.backend_cfg.identification_mode == 'name_as_key' then
diff --git a/test/unit/sharding_metadata_test.lua b/test/unit/sharding_metadata_test.lua
index be2ce2a3..d18ecb3a 100644
--- a/test/unit/sharding_metadata_test.lua
+++ b/test/unit/sharding_metadata_test.lua
@@ -24,25 +24,25 @@ g.before_each(function()
         {name = 'sharding_func_body', type = 'string', is_nullable = true},
     }
 
-    if type(box.cfg) ~= 'table' then
-        helpers.box_cfg()
-    end
+    helpers.box_cfg()
 
     -- Create a space _ddl_sharding_key with a tuple that
     -- contains a space name and it's sharding key.
     box.schema.space.create('_ddl_sharding_key', {
         format = sharding_key_format,
+        if_not_exists = true,
     })
-    box.space._ddl_sharding_key:create_index('pk')
+    box.space._ddl_sharding_key:create_index('pk', {if_not_exists = true})
 
     -- Create a space _ddl_sharding_func with a tuple that
     -- contains a space name and it's sharding func name/body.
     box.schema.space.create('_ddl_sharding_func', {
         format = sharding_func_format,
+        if_not_exists = true,
     })
-    box.space._ddl_sharding_func:create_index('pk')
+    box.space._ddl_sharding_func:create_index('pk', {if_not_exists = true})
 
-    box.schema.space.create('fetch_on_storage')
+    box.schema.space.create('fetch_on_storage', {if_not_exists = true})
 end)
 
 -- Since Tarantool 3.0 triggers still live after a space drop. To properly
diff --git a/test/vshard_helpers/server.lua b/test/vshard_helpers/server.lua
index 6ed2448f..1b504f16 100644
--- a/test/vshard_helpers/server.lua
+++ b/test/vshard_helpers/server.lua
@@ -114,6 +114,16 @@ function Server:wait_for_readiness()
     end)
 end
 
+function Server:wait_for_rw()
+    return wait_cond('rw', self, function()
+        local ok, is_ready = pcall(function()
+            self:connect_net_box()
+            return self.net_box:eval('return box.info.ro') == false
+        end)
+        return ok and is_ready
+    end)
+end
+
 function Server:wait_election_leader()
     -- Include read-only property too because if an instance is a leader, it
     -- does not mean it finished the synchro queue ownership transition. It is
diff --git a/test/vshard_helpers/vtest.lua b/test/vshard_helpers/vtest.lua
index 70236b97..6bc5a536 100644
--- a/test/vshard_helpers/vtest.lua
+++ b/test/vshard_helpers/vtest.lua
@@ -495,6 +495,7 @@ local function cluster_new(g, cfg)
 
     for _, master in pairs(masters) do
         master:wait_for_readiness()
+        master:wait_for_rw()
         master:exec(function(cfg)
             -- Logged in as guest with 'super' access rights. Yet 'super' is not
             -- enough to grant 'replication' privilege. The simplest way - login