diff --git a/apps/emqx/test/emqx_cth_cluster.erl b/apps/emqx/test/emqx_cth_cluster.erl
index 1a83056cb..e24600181 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/test/emqx_cth_cluster.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx/test/emqx_cth_cluster.erl
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@
 -export([stop/1, stop_node/1]).
 
 -export([share_load_module/2]).
--export([node_name/1]).
+-export([node_name/1, mk_nodespecs/2]).
+-export([start_apps/2, set_node_opts/2]).
 
 -define(APPS_CLUSTERING, [gen_rpc, mria, ekka]).
 
@@ -80,12 +81,7 @@ when
         %% Working directory
         %% Everything a test produces should go here. Each node's stuff should go in its
         %% own directory.
-        work_dir := file:name(),
-        %% Usually, we want to ensure the node / test suite starts from a clean slate.
-        %% However, sometimes, we may want to test restarting a node.  For such
-        %% situations, we need to disable this check to allow resuming from an existing
-        %% state.
-        skip_clean_suite_state_check => boolean()
+        work_dir := file:name()
     }.
 start(Nodes, ClusterOpts) ->
     NodeSpecs = mk_nodespecs(Nodes, ClusterOpts),
@@ -129,14 +125,12 @@ mk_init_nodespec(N, Name, NodeOpts, ClusterOpts) ->
     Node = node_name(Name),
     BasePort = base_port(N),
     WorkDir = maps:get(work_dir, ClusterOpts),
-    SkipCleanSuiteStateCheck = maps:get(skip_clean_suite_state_check, ClusterOpts, false),
     Defaults = #{
         name => Node,
         role => core,
         apps => [],
         base_port => BasePort,
         work_dir => filename:join([WorkDir, Node]),
-        skip_clean_suite_state_check => SkipCleanSuiteStateCheck,
         driver => ct_slave
     },
     maps:merge(Defaults, NodeOpts).
@@ -307,7 +301,7 @@ start_apps(Node, #{apps := Apps} = Spec) ->
     ok.
 
 suite_opts(Spec) ->
-    maps:with([work_dir, skip_clean_suite_state_check], Spec).
+    maps:with([work_dir], Spec).
 
 maybe_join_cluster(_Node, #{role := replicant}) ->
     ok;
diff --git a/apps/emqx/test/emqx_cth_suite.erl b/apps/emqx/test/emqx_cth_suite.erl
index dbe9423da..9b3e58da4 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/test/emqx_cth_suite.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx/test/emqx_cth_suite.erl
@@ -358,8 +358,6 @@ stop_apps(Apps) ->
 
 %%
 
-verify_clean_suite_state(#{skip_clean_suite_state_check := true}) ->
-    ok;
 verify_clean_suite_state(#{work_dir := WorkDir}) ->
     {ok, []} = file:list_dir(WorkDir),
     none = persistent_term:get(?EMQX_AUTHENTICATION_SCHEMA_MODULE_PT_KEY, none),
diff --git a/apps/emqx_durable_storage/test/emqx_ds_SUITE.erl b/apps/emqx_durable_storage/test/emqx_ds_SUITE.erl
index c79856fc7..842782e35 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_durable_storage/test/emqx_ds_SUITE.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_durable_storage/test/emqx_ds_SUITE.erl
@@ -20,9 +20,6 @@ all() ->
     emqx_common_test_helpers:all(?MODULE).
 
 init_per_suite(Config) ->
-    %% avoid inter-suite flakiness...
-    application:stop(emqx),
-    application:stop(emqx_durable_storage),
     TCApps = emqx_cth_suite:start(
         app_specs(),
         #{work_dir => ?config(priv_dir, Config)}
@@ -36,8 +33,16 @@ end_per_suite(Config) ->
 
 init_per_testcase(t_session_subscription_idempotency, Config) ->
     Cluster = cluster(#{n => 1}),
-    Nodes = emqx_cth_cluster:start(Cluster, #{work_dir => ?config(priv_dir, Config)}),
-    [{cluster, Cluster}, {nodes, Nodes} | Config];
+    ClusterOpts = #{work_dir => ?config(priv_dir, Config)},
+    NodeSpecs = emqx_cth_cluster:mk_nodespecs(Cluster, ClusterOpts),
+    Nodes = emqx_cth_cluster:start(Cluster, ClusterOpts),
+    [
+        {cluster, Cluster},
+        {node_specs, NodeSpecs},
+        {cluster_opts, ClusterOpts},
+        {nodes, Nodes}
+        | Config
+    ];
 init_per_testcase(_TestCase, Config) ->
     Config.
 
@@ -92,12 +97,28 @@ get_all_iterator_ids(Node) ->
         emqx_ds_storage_layer:foldl_iterator_prefix(?DS_SHARD, <<>>, Fn, [])
     end).
 
+wait_nodeup(Node) ->
+    ?retry(
+        _Sleep0 = 500,
+        _Attempts0 = 50,
+        pong = net_adm:ping(Node)
+    ).
+
+wait_gen_rpc_down(_NodeSpec = #{apps := Apps}) ->
+    #{override_env := Env} = proplists:get_value(gen_rpc, Apps),
+    Port = proplists:get_value(tcp_server_port, Env),
+    ?retry(
+        _Sleep0 = 500,
+        _Attempts0 = 50,
+        false = emqx_common_test_helpers:is_tcp_server_available("127.0.0.1", Port)
+    ).
+
 %%------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 %% Testcases
 %%------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 t_session_subscription_idempotency(Config) ->
-    Cluster = ?config(cluster, Config),
+    [Node1Spec | _] = ?config(node_specs, Config),
     [Node1] = ?config(nodes, Config),
     Port = get_mqtt_port(Node1, tcp),
     SubTopicFilter = <<"t/+">>,
@@ -119,13 +140,25 @@ t_session_subscription_idempotency(Config) ->
 
             spawn_link(fun() ->
                 ?tp(will_restart_node, #{}),
-                ct:pal("stopping node ~p", [Node1]),
-                ok = emqx_cth_cluster:stop_node(Node1),
-                ct:pal("stopped node ~p; restarting...", [Node1]),
-                [Node1] = emqx_cth_cluster:start(Cluster, #{
-                    work_dir => ?config(priv_dir, Config),
-                    skip_clean_suite_state_check => true
-                }),
+                ct:pal("restarting node ~p", [Node1]),
+                true = monitor_node(Node1, true),
+                ok = erpc:call(Node1, init, restart, []),
+                receive
+                    {nodedown, Node1} ->
+                        ok
+                after 10_000 ->
+                    ct:fail("node ~p didn't stop", [Node1])
+                end,
+                ct:pal("waiting for nodeup ~p", [Node1]),
+                wait_nodeup(Node1),
+                wait_gen_rpc_down(Node1Spec),
+                ct:pal("restarting apps on ~p", [Node1]),
+                Apps = maps:get(apps, Node1Spec),
+                ok = erpc:call(Node1, emqx_cth_suite, load_apps, [Apps]),
+                _ = erpc:call(Node1, emqx_cth_suite, start_apps, [Apps, Node1Spec]),
+                %% have to re-inject this so that we may stop the node succesfully at the
+                %% end....
+                ok = emqx_cth_cluster:set_node_opts(Node1, Node1Spec),
                 ct:pal("node ~p restarted", [Node1]),
                 ?tp(restarted_node, #{}),
                 ok