diff --git a/narwhal/primary/src/tests/rpc_tests.rs b/narwhal/primary/src/tests/rpc_tests.rs
index 925725cc70331..3b28c793e44b2 100644
--- a/narwhal/primary/src/tests/rpc_tests.rs
+++ b/narwhal/primary/src/tests/rpc_tests.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ async fn test_server_authorizations() {
     tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(3)).await;
 
     let test_authority = test_cluster.authority(0);
-    let test_client = test_authority.client.clone();
+    let test_client = test_authority.client().await;
     let test_committee = test_cluster.committee.clone();
     let test_worker_cache = test_cluster.worker_cache.clone();
 
diff --git a/narwhal/primary/tests/nodes_bootstrapping_tests.rs b/narwhal/primary/tests/nodes_bootstrapping_tests.rs
index 5e2467edd09be..991cfa1e08e7e 100644
--- a/narwhal/primary/tests/nodes_bootstrapping_tests.rs
+++ b/narwhal/primary/tests/nodes_bootstrapping_tests.rs
@@ -104,6 +104,8 @@ async fn test_node_staggered_starts() {
 #[ignore]
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn test_full_outage_and_recovery() {
+    let _guard = setup_tracing();
+
     let stop_and_start_delay = Duration::from_secs(12);
     let node_advance_delay = Duration::from_secs(60);
 
diff --git a/narwhal/test-utils/src/cluster.rs b/narwhal/test-utils/src/cluster.rs
index 81f9dd2cd9c42..5d729a6504bf0 100644
--- a/narwhal/test-utils/src/cluster.rs
+++ b/narwhal/test-utils/src/cluster.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ use prometheus::{proto::Metric, Registry};
 use std::{cell::RefCell, collections::HashMap, path::PathBuf, rc::Rc, sync::Arc, time::Duration};
 use storage::NodeStorage;
 use telemetry_subscribers::TelemetryGuards;
+use tokio::sync::RwLockWriteGuard;
 use tokio::{
     sync::{broadcast::Sender, mpsc::channel, RwLock},
     task::JoinHandle,
@@ -502,11 +503,11 @@ pub struct AuthorityDetails {
     pub id: usize,
     pub name: AuthorityIdentifier,
     pub public_key: PublicKey,
-    pub client: NetworkClient,
     internal: Arc<RwLock<AuthorityDetailsInternal>>,
 }
 
 struct AuthorityDetailsInternal {
+    client: Option<NetworkClient>,
     primary: PrimaryNodeDetails,
     worker_keypairs: Vec<NetworkKeyPair>,
     workers: HashMap<WorkerId, WorkerNodeDetails>,
@@ -523,9 +524,6 @@ impl AuthorityDetails {
         committee: Committee,
         worker_cache: WorkerCache,
     ) -> Self {
-        // Create network client.
-        let client = NetworkClient::new_from_keypair(&network_key_pair);
-
         // Create all the nodes we have in the committee
         let public_key = key_pair.public().clone();
         let primary = PrimaryNodeDetails::new(
@@ -556,6 +554,7 @@ impl AuthorityDetails {
         }
 
         let internal = AuthorityDetailsInternal {
+            client: None,
             primary,
             worker_keypairs,
             workers,
@@ -565,11 +564,19 @@ impl AuthorityDetails {
             id,
             public_key,
             name,
-            client,
             internal: Arc::new(RwLock::new(internal)),
         }
     }
 
+    pub async fn client(&self) -> NetworkClient {
+        let internal = self.internal.read().await;
+        internal
+            .client
+            .as_ref()
+            .expect("Requested network client which has not been initialised yet")
+            .clone()
+    }
+
     /// Starts the node's primary and workers. If the num_of_workers is provided
     /// then only those ones will be started. Otherwise all the available workers
     /// will be started instead.
@@ -595,11 +602,9 @@ impl AuthorityDetails {
     /// start with a fresh (empty) storage.
     pub async fn start_primary(&self, preserve_store: bool) {
         let mut internal = self.internal.write().await;
+        let client = self.create_client(&mut internal).await;
 
-        internal
-            .primary
-            .start(self.client.clone(), preserve_store)
-            .await;
+        internal.primary.start(client, preserve_store).await;
     }
 
     pub async fn stop_primary(&self) {
@@ -610,6 +615,8 @@ impl AuthorityDetails {
 
     pub async fn start_all_workers(&self, preserve_store: bool) {
         let mut internal = self.internal.write().await;
+        let client = self.create_client(&mut internal).await;
+
         let worker_keypairs = internal
             .worker_keypairs
             .iter()
@@ -618,9 +625,7 @@ impl AuthorityDetails {
 
         for (id, worker) in internal.workers.iter_mut() {
             let keypair = worker_keypairs.get(*id as usize).unwrap().copy();
-            worker
-                .start(keypair, self.client.clone(), preserve_store)
-                .await;
+            worker.start(keypair, client.clone(), preserve_store).await;
         }
     }
 
@@ -630,15 +635,15 @@ impl AuthorityDetails {
     /// start with a fresh (empty) storage.
     pub async fn start_worker(&self, id: WorkerId, preserve_store: bool) {
         let mut internal = self.internal.write().await;
+        let client = self.create_client(&mut internal).await;
+
         let keypair = internal.worker_keypairs.get(id as usize).unwrap().copy();
         let worker = internal
             .workers
             .get_mut(&id)
             .unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("Worker with id {} not found ", id));
 
-        worker
-            .start(keypair, self.client.clone(), preserve_store)
-            .await;
+        worker.start(keypair, client, preserve_store).await;
     }
 
     pub async fn stop_worker(&self, id: WorkerId) {
@@ -654,9 +659,12 @@ impl AuthorityDetails {
 
     /// Stops all the nodes (primary & workers).
     pub async fn stop_all(&self) {
-        self.client.shutdown();
+        let mut internal = self.internal.write().await;
+        if let Some(client) = internal.client.as_ref() {
+            client.shutdown();
+        }
+        internal.client = None;
 
-        let internal = self.internal.read().await;
         internal.primary.stop().await;
         for (_, worker) in internal.workers.iter() {
             worker.stop().await;
@@ -770,6 +778,18 @@ impl AuthorityDetails {
         }
         false
     }
+
+    // Creates a new network client if there isn't one yet initialised.
+    async fn create_client(
+        &self,
+        internal: &mut RwLockWriteGuard<'_, AuthorityDetailsInternal>,
+    ) -> NetworkClient {
+        if internal.client.is_none() {
+            let client = NetworkClient::new_from_keypair(&internal.primary.network_key_pair);
+            internal.client = Some(client);
+        }
+        internal.client.as_ref().unwrap().clone()
+    }
 }
 
 pub fn setup_tracing() -> TelemetryGuards {