diff --git a/tests/general/discoverymode/docker_observer_discovery_test.go b/tests/general/discoverymode/docker_observer_discovery_test.go
index 823ba392ae..1f8af4ed3c 100644
--- a/tests/general/discoverymode/docker_observer_discovery_test.go
+++ b/tests/general/discoverymode/docker_observer_discovery_test.go
@@ -41,11 +41,8 @@ func TestDockerObserver(t *testing.T) {
 	defer tc.PrintLogsOnFailure()
 	defer tc.ShutdownOTLPReceiverSink()
 
-	dockerSocketProxy := testutils.CreateDockerSocketProxy(t)
-	require.NoError(t, dockerSocketProxy.Start())
-	t.Cleanup(func() {
-		dockerSocketProxy.Stop()
-	})
+	dockerSocketProxy, err := testutils.CreateDockerSocketProxy(t)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	cntrs, shutdownPrometheus := tc.Containers(
 		testutils.NewContainer().WithImage("bitnami/prometheus").WithLabel("test.id", tc.ID).WillWaitForLogs("Server is ready to receive web requests."),
diff --git a/tests/receivers/envoy/bundled_test.go b/tests/receivers/envoy/bundled_test.go
index 35a4158bf0..de3272ece9 100644
--- a/tests/receivers/envoy/bundled_test.go
+++ b/tests/receivers/envoy/bundled_test.go
@@ -32,11 +32,8 @@ import (
 
 func TestEnvoyDockerObserver(t *testing.T) {
 	testutils.SkipIfNotContainerTest(t)
-	dockerSocket := testutils.CreateDockerSocketProxy(t)
-	require.NoError(t, dockerSocket.Start())
-	t.Cleanup(func() {
-		dockerSocket.Stop()
-	})
+	dockerSocketProxy, err := testutils.CreateDockerSocketProxy(t)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	tc := testutils.NewTestcase(t)
 	defer tc.PrintLogsOnFailure()
diff --git a/tests/receivers/mysql/bundled_test.go b/tests/receivers/mysql/bundled_test.go
index 4ac4a6ca38..e58f447ef9 100644
--- a/tests/receivers/mysql/bundled_test.go
+++ b/tests/receivers/mysql/bundled_test.go
@@ -32,11 +32,8 @@ import (
 
 func TestMysqlDockerObserver(t *testing.T) {
 	testutils.SkipIfNotContainerTest(t)
-	dockerSocket := testutils.CreateDockerSocketProxy(t)
-	require.NoError(t, dockerSocket.Start())
-	t.Cleanup(func() {
-		dockerSocket.Stop()
-	})
+	dockerSocketProxy, err := testutils.CreateDockerSocketProxy(t)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	tc := testutils.NewTestcase(t)
 	defer tc.PrintLogsOnFailure()
diff --git a/tests/receivers/oracledb/bundled_test.go b/tests/receivers/oracledb/bundled_test.go
index 626f4fa19d..1b9133571a 100644
--- a/tests/receivers/oracledb/bundled_test.go
+++ b/tests/receivers/oracledb/bundled_test.go
@@ -29,11 +29,8 @@ import (
 
 func TestOracledbDockerObserver(t *testing.T) {
 	testutils.SkipIfNotContainerTest(t)
-	dockerSocket := testutils.CreateDockerSocketProxy(t)
-	require.NoError(t, dockerSocket.Start())
-	t.Cleanup(func() {
-		dockerSocket.Stop()
-	})
+	dockerSocketProxy, err := testutils.CreateDockerSocketProxy(t)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	tc := testutils.NewTestcase(t)
 	defer tc.PrintLogsOnFailure()
@@ -56,7 +53,7 @@ func TestOracledbDockerObserver(t *testing.T) {
 				"--set", "splunk.discovery.receivers.oracledb.config.service=XE",
 				"--set", `splunk.discovery.extensions.k8s_observer.enabled=false`,
 				"--set", `splunk.discovery.extensions.host_observer.enabled=false`,
-				"--set", fmt.Sprintf("splunk.discovery.extensions.docker_observer.config.endpoint=tcp://%s", dockerSocket.ContainerEndpoint),
+				"--set", fmt.Sprintf("splunk.discovery.extensions.docker_observer.config.endpoint=tcp://%s", dockerSocketProxy.ContainerEndpoint),
 			)
 		})
 	defer shutdown()
diff --git a/tests/receivers/redis/bundled_test.go b/tests/receivers/redis/bundled_test.go
index 15413bb676..d3b07e3b26 100644
--- a/tests/receivers/redis/bundled_test.go
+++ b/tests/receivers/redis/bundled_test.go
@@ -32,11 +32,8 @@ import (
 
 func TestRedisDockerObserver(t *testing.T) {
 	testutils.SkipIfNotContainerTest(t)
-	dockerSocket := testutils.CreateDockerSocketProxy(t)
-	require.NoError(t, dockerSocket.Start())
-	t.Cleanup(func() {
-		dockerSocket.Stop()
-	})
+	dockerSocketProxy, err := testutils.CreateDockerSocketProxy(t)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	tc := testutils.NewTestcase(t)
 	defer tc.PrintLogsOnFailure()
@@ -59,7 +56,7 @@ func TestRedisDockerObserver(t *testing.T) {
 				"--set", "splunk.discovery.receivers.redis.config.username=${REDIS_USERNAME}",
 				"--set", `splunk.discovery.extensions.k8s_observer.enabled=false`,
 				"--set", `splunk.discovery.extensions.host_observer.enabled=false`,
-				"--set", fmt.Sprintf("splunk.discovery.extensions.docker_observer.config.endpoint=tcp://%s", dockerSocket.ContainerEndpoint),
+				"--set", fmt.Sprintf("splunk.discovery.extensions.docker_observer.config.endpoint=tcp://%s", dockerSocketProxy.ContainerEndpoint),
 			)
 		})
 	defer shutdown()
diff --git a/tests/testutils/socket_proxy.go b/tests/testutils/socket_proxy.go
index c42d3707d0..2f1eefa10e 100644
--- a/tests/testutils/socket_proxy.go
+++ b/tests/testutils/socket_proxy.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"net"
 	"runtime"
-	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
 )
@@ -30,11 +29,10 @@ type SocketProxy struct {
 	Path              string
 	Endpoint          string
 	ContainerEndpoint string
-	wg                sync.WaitGroup
 	active            atomic.Bool
 }
 
-func CreateDockerSocketProxy(t testing.TB) *SocketProxy {
+func CreateDockerSocketProxy(t testing.TB) (*SocketProxy, error) {
 	port := GetAvailablePort(t)
 
 	dockerHost := "172.17.0.1"
@@ -42,12 +40,18 @@ func CreateDockerSocketProxy(t testing.TB) *SocketProxy {
 		dockerHost = "host.docker.internal"
 	}
 
-	return &SocketProxy{
+	s := &SocketProxy{
 		Path:              "/var/run/docker.sock",
 		Endpoint:          fmt.Sprintf("0.0.0.0:%d", port),
 		ContainerEndpoint: fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", dockerHost, port),
 		t:                 t,
 	}
+	err := s.Start()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(s.Stop)
+	return s, nil
 }
 
 func (s *SocketProxy) Start() error {
@@ -56,7 +60,6 @@ func (s *SocketProxy) Start() error {
 		return err
 	}
 	s.listener = l
-	s.wg.Add(1)
 	s.active.Store(true)
 	go func() {
 		for s.active.Load() {
@@ -79,7 +82,6 @@ func (s *SocketProxy) Start() error {
 				_, _ = io.Copy(socketConn, c)
 			}(conn)
 		}
-		s.wg.Done()
 	}()
 	return nil
 }