diff --git a/connectivity/check/deployment.go b/connectivity/check/deployment.go
index 1a7f908342..3614dd0ade 100644
--- a/connectivity/check/deployment.go
+++ b/connectivity/check/deployment.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/cilium/cilium-cli/defaults"
@@ -445,6 +446,17 @@ func (ct *ConnectivityTest) validateDeployment(ctx context.Context) error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if ct.params.MultiCluster == "" {
+		for _, ciliumPod := range ct.ciliumPods {
+			hostIP := ciliumPod.Pod.Status.HostIP
+			for _, s := range ct.echoServices {
+				if err := ct.waitForNodePorts(ctx, hostIP, s); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	for _, client := range ct.clients.clients() {
 		externalWorkloads, err := client.ListCiliumExternalWorkloads(ctx, metav1.ListOptions{})
 		if err != nil {
@@ -617,6 +629,44 @@ func (ct *ConnectivityTest) waitForService(ctx context.Context, service Service)
 	}
 }
 
+// waitForNodePorts waits until all the nodeports in a service are available on a given node.
+func (ct *ConnectivityTest) waitForNodePorts(ctx context.Context, nodeIP string, service Service) error {
+	pod := ct.RandomClientPod()
+	if pod == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("no client pod available")
+	}
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, ct.params.serviceReadyTimeout())
+	defer cancel()
+
+	for _, port := range service.Service.Spec.Ports {
+		nodePort := port.NodePort
+		if nodePort == 0 {
+			continue
+		}
+		ct.Logf("⌛ [%s] Waiting for NodePort %s:%d (%s) to become ready...",
+			ct.client.ClusterName(), nodeIP, nodePort, service.Name())
+		for {
+			// Warning: ExecInPodWithStderr ignores ctx. Don't pass it here so we don't
+			// falsely expect the function to be able to be cancelled.
+			_, e, err := ct.client.ExecInPodWithStderr(context.TODO(),
+				pod.Pod.Namespace, pod.Pod.Name, pod.Pod.Labels["name"],
+				[]string{"nc", "-w", "3", "-z", nodeIP, strconv.Itoa(int(nodePort))})
+			if err == nil {
+				break
+			}
+
+			ct.Debugf("Error waiting for NodePort %s:%d (%s): %s: %s", nodeIP, nodePort, service.Name(), err, e.String())
+
+			select {
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				return fmt.Errorf("timeout reached waiting for NodePort %s:%d (%s)", nodeIP, nodePort, service.Name())
+			case <-time.After(time.Second):
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (ct *ConnectivityTest) waitForCiliumEndpoint(ctx context.Context, client *k8s.Client, namespace, name string) error {
 	ct.Logf("⌛ [%s] Waiting for CiliumEndpoint for pod %s/%s to appear...", client.ClusterName(), namespace, name)
 	for {