diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-test-release.yml b/.github/workflows/build-test-release.yml
index 7dcd4280c..0e372de37 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-test-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-test-release.yml
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ jobs:
           path: |
             test-results-${{ matrix.splunk.version }}
 
+
   test-splunk-matrix:
     needs:
       - meta
@@ -149,7 +150,6 @@ jobs:
           "splunk_app_cim_broken",
           "splunk_fiction_indextime",
           "splunk_fiction_indextime_broken",
-          "splunk_fiction_indextime_wrong_hec_token",
           "splunk_setup_fixture",
           "splunk_app_req",
           "splunk_app_req_broken",
diff --git a/pytest_splunk_addon/plugin.py b/pytest_splunk_addon/plugin.py
index 5b136c27e..3926774d4 100644
--- a/pytest_splunk_addon/plugin.py
+++ b/pytest_splunk_addon/plugin.py
@@ -26,8 +26,6 @@
 
 test_generator = None
 
-EXC_MAP = [Exception]
-
 
 def pytest_configure(config):
     """
@@ -122,7 +120,6 @@ def pytest_sessionstart(session):
     SampleXdistGenerator.tokenized_event_source = session.config.getoption(
         "tokenized_event_source"
     ).lower()
-    session.__exc_limits = EXC_MAP
     if (
         SampleXdistGenerator.tokenized_event_source == "store_new"
         and session.config.getoption("ingest_events").lower()
@@ -212,14 +209,3 @@ def init_pytest_splunk_addon_logger():
 
 init_pytest_splunk_addon_logger()
 LOGGER = logging.getLogger("pytest-splunk-addon")
-
-
-def pytest_exception_interact(node, call, report):
-    """
-    Hook called when an exception is raised during a test.
-    If the number of occurrences for a specific exception exceeds the limit in session.__exc_limits, pytest exits
-    https://docs.pytest.org/en/stable/reference/reference.html#pytest.hookspec.pytest_exception_interact
-    """
-    if call.excinfo.type in node.session.__exc_limits:
-        # pytest exits only for exceptions defined in EXC_MAP
-        pytest.exit(f"Exiting pytest due to: {call.excinfo.type}")
diff --git a/pytest_splunk_addon/splunk.py b/pytest_splunk_addon/splunk.py
index 1e77ad0ec..d81c03d3f 100644
--- a/pytest_splunk_addon/splunk.py
+++ b/pytest_splunk_addon/splunk.py
@@ -979,7 +979,7 @@ def is_responsive_hec(request, splunk):
             f'{request.config.getoption("splunk_hec_scheme")}://{splunk["forwarder_host"]}:{splunk["port_hec"]}/services/collector/health/1.0',
             verify=False,
         )
-        LOGGER.debug("Status code: {}".format(response.status_code))
+        LOGGER.debug("Status code: %d", response.status_code)
         if response.status_code in (200, 201):
             LOGGER.info("Splunk HEC is responsive.")
             return True
@@ -1040,7 +1040,8 @@ def is_valid_hec(request, splunk):
         data={"event": "test_hec", "sourcetype": "hec_token_test"},
         verify=False,
     )
-    LOGGER.debug("Status code: {}".format(response.status_code))
+    LOGGER.debug("Status code: %d", response.status_code)
+
     if response.status_code == 200:
         LOGGER.info("Splunk HEC is valid.")
     else:
diff --git a/tests/e2e/test_splunk_addon.py b/tests/e2e/test_splunk_addon.py
index a95820419..006e329fd 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/test_splunk_addon.py
+++ b/tests/e2e/test_splunk_addon.py
@@ -169,8 +169,8 @@ def empty_method():
     assert result.ret == 0
 
 
-@pytest.mark.docker
 @pytest.mark.splunk_fiction_indextime_wrong_hec_token
+@pytest.mark.external
 def test_splunk_fiction_indextime_wrong_hec_token(testdir, request):
     """Make sure that pytest accepts our fixture."""
 
@@ -205,7 +205,11 @@ def empty_method():
     # run pytest with the following cmd args
     result = testdir.runpytest(
         f"--splunk-version={request.config.getoption('splunk_version')}",
-        "--splunk-type=docker",
+        "--splunk-type=external",
+        "--splunk-host=splunk",
+        "--splunk-port=8089",
+        "--splunk-forwarder-host=splunk",
+        "--splunk-hec-token=8b741d03-43e9-4164-908b-e09102327d22",
         "-v",
         "--search-interval=0",
         "--search-retry=0",
@@ -213,9 +217,8 @@ def empty_method():
         "--search-index=*,_internal",
     )
 
-    result.assert_outcomes(errors=1, passed=0, failed=0, xfailed=0)
     result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(
-        "!!!!!! _pytest.outcomes.Exit: Exiting pytest due to: <class 'Exception'> !!!!!!!"
+        "*_pytest.outcomes.Exit: Exiting pytest due to invalid HEC token value."
     )
 
     assert result.ret != 0