diff --git a/Makefile.core.mk b/Makefile.core.mk
index 8c3c97434..6a7d69ec5 100644
--- a/Makefile.core.mk
+++ b/Makefile.core.mk
@@ -90,9 +90,10 @@ DOCKER_BUILD_FLAGS ?= "--platform=$(TARGET_OS)/$(TARGET_ARCH)"
 GOTEST_FLAGS := $(if $(VERBOSE),-v) $(if $(COVERAGE),-coverprofile=$(REPO_ROOT)/out/coverage-unit.out)
 GINKGO_FLAGS ?= $(if $(VERBOSE),-v) $(if $(CI),--no-color) $(if $(COVERAGE),-coverprofile=coverage-integration.out -coverpkg=./... --output-dir=out)
 
-# Fail fast when keeping the environment on failure, to make sure we don't contaminate it with other resources.
+# Fail fast when keeping the environment on failure, to make sure we don't contaminate it with other resources. Also make sure to skip cleanup so it won't be deleted.
 ifeq ($(KEEP_ON_FAILURE),true)
 GINKGO_FLAGS += --fail-fast
+SKIP_CLEANUP = true
 endif
 
 # CHANNELS define the bundle channels used in the bundle.
diff --git a/tests/e2e/integ-suite-kind.sh b/tests/e2e/integ-suite-kind.sh
index 68cfeedc7..c9022a8a4 100755
--- a/tests/e2e/integ-suite-kind.sh
+++ b/tests/e2e/integ-suite-kind.sh
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ export MULTICLUSTER="${MULTICLUSTER:-false}"
 export IP_FAMILY="${IP_FAMILY:-ipv4}"
 export ISTIOCTL="${ISTIOCTL:-${ROOT}/bin/istioctl}"
 export KIND_CLUSTER_NAME="${KIND_CLUSTER_NAME:-operator-integration-tests}"
-export KEEP_ON_FAILURE="${KEEP_ON_FAILURE:-}"
 
 function check_prerequisites() {
   if ! command -v "${ISTIOCTL}" &> /dev/null; then
@@ -42,22 +41,6 @@ function run_integration_tests() {
   fi
 }
 
-function keep_on_failure() {
-  if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
-    original_trap="${original_trap#*\'}"
-    eval "${original_trap%\'*}"
-    exit 0
-  fi
-
-  KUBECONFIG="${ARTIFACTS}/config"
-  if [ "${MULTICLUSTER}" == "true" ]; then
-    printf -v KUBECONFIG '%s:' "${KUBECONFIGS[@]}"
-  fi
-
-  echo "The kind cluster has been kept due to a test failure."
-  echo "To access it use \`export KUBECONFIG=${KUBECONFIG%:}\`"
-}
-
 check_prerequisites
 
 source "${ROOT}/tests/e2e/setup/setup-kind.sh"
@@ -67,9 +50,4 @@ export HUB="${KIND_REGISTRY}"
 # Workaround make inside make: ovewrite this variable so it is not recomputed in Makefile.core.mk
 export IMAGE="${HUB}/${IMAGE_BASE:-sail-operator}:${TAG:-latest}"
 
-if [ "${KEEP_ON_FAILURE}" == "true" ]; then
-  original_trap="$(trap -p EXIT)"
-  trap keep_on_failure EXIT
-fi
-
 run_integration_tests