diff --git a/test/functional/feature_abortnode.py b/test/functional/feature_abortnode.py
index afee9597ad6..76b50a5bfc4 100755
--- a/test/functional/feature_abortnode.py
+++ b/test/functional/feature_abortnode.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class AbortNodeTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
 
             # Check that node0 aborted
             self.log.info("Waiting for crash")
-            self.nodes[0].wait_until_stopped(timeout=5, expect_error=True)
+            self.nodes[0].wait_until_stopped(timeout=5, expect_error=True, expected_stderr="Error: A fatal internal error occurred, see debug.log for details")
         self.log.info("Node crashed - now verifying restart fails")
         self.nodes[0].assert_start_raises_init_error()
 
diff --git a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
index 5111d88e15e..7c1992a1573 100755
--- a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
@@ -353,21 +353,13 @@ class TestNode():
         for profile_name in tuple(self.perf_subprocesses.keys()):
             self._stop_perf(profile_name)
 
-        # Check that stderr is as expected
-        self.stderr.seek(0)
-        stderr = self.stderr.read().decode('utf-8').strip()
-        if stderr != expected_stderr:
-            raise AssertionError("Unexpected stderr {} != {}".format(stderr, expected_stderr))
-
-        self.stdout.close()
-        self.stderr.close()
-
         del self.p2ps[:]
 
+        assert (not expected_stderr) or wait_until_stopped  # Must wait to check stderr
         if wait_until_stopped:
-            self.wait_until_stopped()
+            self.wait_until_stopped(expected_stderr=expected_stderr)
 
-    def is_node_stopped(self, expected_ret_code=0):
+    def is_node_stopped(self, *, expected_stderr="", expected_ret_code=0):
         """Checks whether the node has stopped.
 
         Returns True if the node has stopped. False otherwise.
@@ -381,6 +373,15 @@ class TestNode():
         # process has stopped. Assert that it didn't return an error code.
         assert return_code == expected_ret_code, self._node_msg(
             f"Node returned unexpected exit code ({return_code}) vs ({expected_ret_code}) when stopping")
+        # Check that stderr is as expected
+        self.stderr.seek(0)
+        stderr = self.stderr.read().decode('utf-8').strip()
+        if stderr != expected_stderr:
+            raise AssertionError("Unexpected stderr {} != {}".format(stderr, expected_stderr))
+
+        self.stdout.close()
+        self.stderr.close()
+
         self.running = False
         self.process = None
         self.rpc_connected = False
@@ -388,9 +389,9 @@ class TestNode():
         self.log.debug("Node stopped")
         return True
 
-    def wait_until_stopped(self, timeout=BITCOIND_PROC_WAIT_TIMEOUT, expect_error=False):
+    def wait_until_stopped(self, *, timeout=BITCOIND_PROC_WAIT_TIMEOUT, expect_error=False, **kwargs):
         expected_ret_code = 1 if expect_error else 0  # Whether node shutdown return EXIT_FAILURE or EXIT_SUCCESS
-        wait_until_helper(lambda: self.is_node_stopped(expected_ret_code=expected_ret_code), timeout=timeout, timeout_factor=self.timeout_factor)
+        wait_until_helper(lambda: self.is_node_stopped(expected_ret_code=expected_ret_code, **kwargs), timeout=timeout, timeout_factor=self.timeout_factor)
 
     def replace_in_config(self, replacements):
         """