diff --git a/test/e2e/steps/demo_steps.go b/test/e2e/steps/demo_steps.go
index d4ac355b1a..2a07d29549 100644
--- a/test/e2e/steps/demo_steps.go
+++ b/test/e2e/steps/demo_steps.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"crypto/tls"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
@@ -41,6 +42,10 @@ func bash(ctx context.Context, script string) (string, error) {
 
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.V(1).Info("Failed to run", "command", script, "stderr", stderr, "error", err)
+		var exitErr *exec.ExitError
+		if errors.As(err, &exitErr) {
+			exitErr.Stderr = stderrBuf.Bytes()
+		}
 	}
 	logger.V(1).Info("Output", "command", script, "output", stdout)
 
@@ -81,7 +86,15 @@ func CatalogReportsConditionWithoutReason(ctx context.Context, catalogUserName,
 func ensureCatalogPortForward(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
 	sc := scenarioCtx(ctx)
 	if sc.catalogAddr != "" {
-		return sc.catalogAddr, nil
+		if catalogPortForwardAlive(sc.catalogAddr) {
+			return sc.catalogAddr, nil
+		}
+		logger.V(1).Info("Catalog port-forward is dead, re-establishing", "addr", sc.catalogAddr)
+		if sc.catalogCleanup != nil {
+			sc.catalogCleanup()
+		}
+		sc.catalogAddr = ""
+		sc.catalogCleanup = nil
 	}
 
 	addr, cleanup, err := portForward(ctx, componentNamespaces["catalogd"], "service/catalogd-service", 443)
@@ -92,68 +105,72 @@ func ensureCatalogPortForward(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
 	sc.catalogCleanup = cleanup
 
 	waitFor(ctx, func() bool {
-		client := &http.Client{
-			Timeout: 3 * time.Second,
-			Transport: &http.Transport{
-				TLSClientConfig: &tls.Config{InsecureSkipVerify: true}, //nolint:gosec
-				DialContext:     (&net.Dialer{Timeout: 2 * time.Second}).DialContext,
-			},
-		}
-		resp, err := client.Get(fmt.Sprintf("https://%s/", addr))
-		if err != nil {
-			return false
-		}
-		resp.Body.Close()
-		return true
+		return catalogPortForwardAlive(addr)
 	})
 	return addr, nil
 }
 
+func catalogPortForwardAlive(addr string) bool {
+	client := &http.Client{
+		Timeout: 3 * time.Second,
+		Transport: &http.Transport{
+			TLSClientConfig: &tls.Config{InsecureSkipVerify: true}, //nolint:gosec
+			DialContext:     (&net.Dialer{Timeout: 2 * time.Second}).DialContext,
+		},
+	}
+	resp, err := client.Get(fmt.Sprintf("https://%s/", addr))
+	if err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	resp.Body.Close()
+	return true
+}
+
 func catalogCurlJq(ctx context.Context, catalogName, jqFilter string) (string, error) {
 	addr, err := ensureCatalogPortForward(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
 	script := fmt.Sprintf(
-		`curl -s -k https://%s/catalogs/%s/api/v1/all | jq -s '%s'`,
+		`curl -sS -k --retry 3 --retry-delay 2 --retry-all-errors https://%s/catalogs/%s/api/v1/all | jq '%s'`,
 		addr, catalogName, jqFilter,
 	)
 	return bash(ctx, script)
 }
 
 func CatalogContainsSomePackages(ctx context.Context, catalogName string) error {
-	out, err := catalogCurlJq(ctx, catalogName,
-		`.[] | select(.schema == "olm.package") | .name`)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	if strings.TrimSpace(out) == "" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("catalog %q contains no packages", catalogName)
-	}
+	waitFor(ctx, func() bool {
+		out, err := catalogCurlJq(ctx, catalogName,
+			`select(.schema == "olm.package") | .name`)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false
+		}
+		return strings.TrimSpace(out) != ""
+	})
 	return nil
 }
 
 func PackageHasSomeChannels(ctx context.Context, packageName, catalogName string) error {
-	out, err := catalogCurlJq(ctx, catalogName,
-		fmt.Sprintf(`.[] | select(.schema == "olm.channel") | select(.package == "%s") | .name`, packageName))
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	if strings.TrimSpace(out) == "" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("package %q in catalog %q has no channels", packageName, catalogName)
-	}
+	waitFor(ctx, func() bool {
+		out, err := catalogCurlJq(ctx, catalogName,
+			fmt.Sprintf(`select(.schema == "olm.channel") | select(.package == "%s") | .name`, packageName))
+		if err != nil {
+			return false
+		}
+		return strings.TrimSpace(out) != ""
+	})
 	return nil
 }
 
 func PackageHasSomeBundles(ctx context.Context, packageName, catalogName string) error {
-	out, err := catalogCurlJq(ctx, catalogName,
-		fmt.Sprintf(`.[] | select(.schema == "olm.bundle") | select(.package == "%s") | .name`, packageName))
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	if strings.TrimSpace(out) == "" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("package %q in catalog %q has no bundles", packageName, catalogName)
-	}
+	waitFor(ctx, func() bool {
+		out, err := catalogCurlJq(ctx, catalogName,
+			fmt.Sprintf(`select(.schema == "olm.bundle") | select(.package == "%s") | .name`, packageName))
+		if err != nil {
+			return false
+		}
+		return strings.TrimSpace(out) != ""
+	})
 	return nil
 }