diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-mr/common-config b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-mr/common-config
index ee7a773cc6d5..14c33ee24c88 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-mr/common-config
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-mr/common-config
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ OZONE-SITE.XML_ozone.scm.block.client.address=scm
 OZONE-SITE.XML_ozone.metadata.dirs=/data/metadata
 OZONE-SITE.XML_ozone.scm.client.address=scm
 OZONE-SITE.XML_ozone.replication=3
+OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.scm.safemode.min.datanode=3
 
 OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.datanode.dir=/data/hdds
 HDFS-SITE.XML_dfs.datanode.address=0.0.0.0:1019
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-mr/hadoop27/docker-compose.yaml b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-mr/hadoop27/docker-compose.yaml
index 17f5ee535524..85f75b0e9a99 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-mr/hadoop27/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-mr/hadoop27/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ services:
       - ../common-config
     environment:
       ENSURE_SCM_INITIALIZED: /data/metadata/scm/current/VERSION
+      OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.scm.safemode.min.datanode: "${OZONE_SAFEMODE_MIN_DATANODES:-1}"
     command: ["/opt/hadoop/bin/ozone","scm"]
   rm:
     image: ${HADOOP_IMAGE}:${HADOOP_VERSION}
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-mr/hadoop31/docker-compose.yaml b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-mr/hadoop31/docker-compose.yaml
index e3696fcf70a7..9a30c8e32a54 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-mr/hadoop31/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-mr/hadoop31/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ services:
       - ../common-config
     environment:
       ENSURE_SCM_INITIALIZED: /data/metadata/scm/current/VERSION
+      OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.scm.safemode.min.datanode: "${OZONE_SAFEMODE_MIN_DATANODES:-1}"
     command: ["/opt/hadoop/bin/ozone","scm"]
   rm:
     image: ${HADOOP_IMAGE}:${HADOOP_VERSION}
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-mr/hadoop32/docker-compose.yaml b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-mr/hadoop32/docker-compose.yaml
index c25d36cb9043..3462a91b42c7 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-mr/hadoop32/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-mr/hadoop32/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ services:
       - ../common-config
     environment:
       ENSURE_SCM_INITIALIZED: /data/metadata/scm/current/VERSION
+      OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.scm.safemode.min.datanode: "${OZONE_SAFEMODE_MIN_DATANODES:-1}"
     command: ["/opt/hadoop/bin/ozone","scm"]
   rm:
     image: ${HADOOP_IMAGE}:${HADOOP_VERSION}
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-om-ha-s3/docker-compose.yaml b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-om-ha-s3/docker-compose.yaml
index 390acb37acb7..ff7f260c44e0 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-om-ha-s3/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-om-ha-s3/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ services:
           - ./docker-config
       environment:
           ENSURE_SCM_INITIALIZED: /data/metadata/scm/current/VERSION
+          OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.scm.safemode.min.datanode: "${OZONE_SAFEMODE_MIN_DATANODES:-1}"
       command: ["/opt/hadoop/bin/ozone","scm"]
    s3g:
       image: apache/ozone-runner:${OZONE_RUNNER_VERSION}
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-recon/docker-compose.yaml b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-recon/docker-compose.yaml
index 38e2ef330940..3f010a2d79a5 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-recon/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-recon/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ services:
           - ./docker-config
       environment:
           ENSURE_SCM_INITIALIZED: /data/metadata/scm/current/VERSION
+          OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.scm.safemode.min.datanode: "${OZONE_SAFEMODE_MIN_DATANODES:-1}"
       command: ["/opt/hadoop/bin/ozone","scm"]
    recon:
       image: apache/ozone-runner:${OZONE_RUNNER_VERSION}
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-topology/docker-compose.yaml b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-topology/docker-compose.yaml
index a66eff617edb..69611fa674ce 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-topology/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-topology/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ services:
           - ./docker-config
       environment:
           ENSURE_SCM_INITIALIZED: /data/metadata/scm/current/VERSION
+          OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.scm.safemode.min.datanode: "${OZONE_SAFEMODE_MIN_DATANODES:-1}"
       command: ["/opt/hadoop/bin/ozone","scm"]
       networks:
          net:
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-topology/docker-config b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-topology/docker-config
index ec9c59059d4b..611c6c004a95 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-topology/docker-config
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone-topology/docker-config
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ OZONE-SITE.XML_ozone.scm.container.placement.impl=org.apache.hadoop.hdds.scm.con
 OZONE-SITE.XML_net.topology.node.switch.mapping.impl=org.apache.hadoop.net.TableMapping
 OZONE-SITE.XML_net.topology.table.file.name=/opt/hadoop/compose/ozone-topology/network-config
 OZONE-SITE.XML_dfs.network.topology.aware.read.enable=true
+
 HDFS-SITE.XML_rpc.metrics.quantile.enable=true
 HDFS-SITE.XML_rpc.metrics.percentiles.intervals=60,300
 ASYNC_PROFILER_HOME=/opt/profiler
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone/docker-compose.yaml b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone/docker-compose.yaml
index 145ce3ebb176..6dc9d14ac5bb 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozone/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -50,4 +50,5 @@ services:
           - ./docker-config
       environment:
           ENSURE_SCM_INITIALIZED: /data/metadata/scm/current/VERSION
+          OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.scm.safemode.min.datanode: "${OZONE_SAFEMODE_MIN_DATANODES:-1}"
       command: ["/opt/hadoop/bin/ozone","scm"]
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozoneblockade/docker-config b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozoneblockade/docker-config
index 3625fc6b09ac..b854aaba877d 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozoneblockade/docker-config
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozoneblockade/docker-config
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.scm.wait.time.after.safemode.exit=30s
 OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.scm.replication.thread.interval=6s
 OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.scm.replication.event.timeout=10s
 OZONE-SITE.XML_dfs.ratis.server.failure.duration=35s
+OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.scm.safemode.min.datanode=3
+
 HDFS-SITE.XML_rpc.metrics.quantile.enable=true
 HDFS-SITE.XML_rpc.metrics.percentiles.intervals=60,300
 
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozoneperf/docker-compose.yaml b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozoneperf/docker-compose.yaml
index 3c6618da68a1..b78cf098df3a 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozoneperf/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozoneperf/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ services:
           - ./docker-config
       environment:
           ENSURE_SCM_INITIALIZED: /data/metadata/scm/current/VERSION
+          OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.scm.safemode.min.datanode: "${OZONE_SAFEMODE_MIN_DATANODES:-1}"
       command: ["ozone","scm"]
    jaeger:
      image: jaegertracing/all-in-one:latest
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozones3-haproxy/docker-compose.yaml b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozones3-haproxy/docker-compose.yaml
index 78fd996a70ca..25ed6f6c923d 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozones3-haproxy/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozones3-haproxy/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ services:
           - ./docker-config
       environment:
           ENSURE_SCM_INITIALIZED: /data/metadata/scm/current/VERSION
+          OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.scm.safemode.min.datanode: "${OZONE_SAFEMODE_MIN_DATANODES:-1}"
       command: ["ozone","scm"]
    s3g1:
       image: apache/ozone-runner:${OZONE_RUNNER_VERSION}
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozones3/docker-compose.yaml b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozones3/docker-compose.yaml
index cc4bfd2268c6..26bcee5820a3 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozones3/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozones3/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ services:
           - ./docker-config
       environment:
           ENSURE_SCM_INITIALIZED: /data/metadata/scm/current/VERSION
+          OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.scm.safemode.min.datanode: "${OZONE_SAFEMODE_MIN_DATANODES:-1}"
       command: ["ozone","scm"]
    s3g:
       image: apache/ozone-runner:${OZONE_RUNNER_VERSION}
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozonescripts/docker-config b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozonescripts/docker-config
index 995089813790..7f414621d2a2 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozonescripts/docker-config
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozonescripts/docker-config
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@ OZONE-SITE.XML_ozone.scm.client.address=scm
 OZONE-SITE.XML_ozone.replication=1
 OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.datanode.dir=/data/hdds
 OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.datanode.plugins=org.apache.hadoop.ozone.web.OzoneHddsDatanodeService
+
 HDFS-SITE.XML_dfs.namenode.rpc-address=namenode:9000
 HDFS-SITE.XML_dfs.namenode.name.dir=/data/namenode
 HDFS-SITE.XML_rpc.metrics.quantile.enable=true
 HDFS-SITE.XML_rpc.metrics.percentiles.intervals=60,300
-HDFS-SITE.XML_dfs.datanode.plugins=org.apache.hadoop.ozone.HddsDatanodeService
\ No newline at end of file
+HDFS-SITE.XML_dfs.datanode.plugins=org.apache.hadoop.ozone.HddsDatanodeService
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozonesecure-mr/docker-compose.yaml b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozonesecure-mr/docker-compose.yaml
index 53e0142b2b65..1b8fc9c668f9 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozonesecure-mr/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozonesecure-mr/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ services:
       - docker-config
     environment:
       ENSURE_SCM_INITIALIZED: /data/metadata/scm/current/VERSION
+      OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.scm.safemode.min.datanode: "${OZONE_SAFEMODE_MIN_DATANODES:-1}"
     command: ["/opt/hadoop/bin/ozone","scm"]
   rm:
     image: apache/hadoop:${HADOOP_VERSION}
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozonesecure/docker-compose.yaml b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozonesecure/docker-compose.yaml
index de60a411116c..65f24f963c1a 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozonesecure/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/ozonesecure/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -88,4 +88,5 @@ services:
       - docker-config
     environment:
       ENSURE_SCM_INITIALIZED: /data/metadata/scm/current/VERSION
+      OZONE-SITE.XML_hdds.scm.safemode.min.datanode: "${OZONE_SAFEMODE_MIN_DATANODES:-1}"
     command: ["/opt/hadoop/bin/ozone","scm"]
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/testlib.sh b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/testlib.sh
index 49274c0dfb2b..4375c3dd2d59 100755
--- a/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/testlib.sh
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/dist/src/main/compose/testlib.sh
@@ -31,54 +31,6 @@ create_results_dir() {
   chmod ogu+w "$RESULT_DIR"
 }
 
-## @description print the number of datanodes up
-## @param the docker-compose file
-count_datanodes() {
-  local compose_file=$1
-
-  local jmx_url='http://scm:9876/jmx?qry=Hadoop:service=SCMNodeManager,name=SCMNodeManagerInfo'
-  if [[ "${SECURITY_ENABLED}" == 'true' ]]; then
-    docker-compose -f "${compose_file}" exec -T scm bash -c "kinit -k HTTP/scm@EXAMPLE.COM -t /etc/security/keytabs/HTTP.keytab && curl --negotiate -u : -s '${jmx_url}'"
-  else
-    docker-compose -f "${compose_file}" exec -T scm curl -s "${jmx_url}"
-  fi \
-    | jq -r '.beans[0].NodeCount[] | select(.key=="HEALTHY") | .value' || true
-}
-
-## @description wait until datanodes are up (or 30 seconds)
-## @param the docker-compose file
-## @param number of datanodes to wait for (default: 3)
-wait_for_datanodes(){
-  local compose_file=$1
-  local -i datanode_count=${2:-3}
-
-  #Reset the timer
-  SECONDS=0
-
-  #Don't give it up until 30 seconds
-  while [[ $SECONDS -lt 90 ]]; do
-
-     #This line checks the number of HEALTHY datanodes registered in scm over the
-     # jmx HTTP servlet
-     datanodes=$(count_datanodes "${compose_file}")
-     if [[ "$datanodes" ]]; then
-       if [[ ${datanodes} -ge ${datanode_count} ]]; then
-
-         #It's up and running. Let's return from the function.
-         echo "$datanodes datanodes are up and registered to the scm"
-         return
-       else
-
-           #Print it only if a number. Could be not a number if scm is not yet started
-           echo "$datanodes datanode is up and healthy (until now)"
-         fi
-     fi
-
-      sleep 2
-   done
-   echo "WARNING! Datanodes are not started successfully. Please check the docker-compose files"
-   return 1
-}
 
 ## @description wait until safemode exit (or 30 seconds)
 ## @param the docker-compose file
@@ -120,10 +72,9 @@ start_docker_env(){
   local -i datanode_count=${1:-3}
 
   create_results_dir
-
+  export OZONE_SAFEMODE_MIN_DATANODE="${datanode_count}"
   docker-compose -f "$COMPOSE_FILE" --no-ansi down
   docker-compose -f "$COMPOSE_FILE" --no-ansi up -d --scale datanode="${datanode_count}" \
-    && wait_for_datanodes "$COMPOSE_FILE" "${datanode_count}" \
     && wait_for_safemode_exit "$COMPOSE_FILE" \
     && sleep 10