diff --git a/pkg/observer/observertesthelper/observer_test_helper.go b/pkg/observer/observertesthelper/observer_test_helper.go
index 4e90506c90a..6c044c0af21 100644
--- a/pkg/observer/observertesthelper/observer_test_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/observer/observertesthelper/observer_test_helper.go
@@ -58,10 +58,9 @@ var (
 )
 
 type testObserverOptions struct {
-	crd        bool
-	config     string
-	lib        string
-	notestfail bool
+	crd    bool
+	config string
+	lib    string
 }
 
 type testExporterOptions struct {
@@ -123,12 +122,6 @@ func WithLib(lib string) TestOption {
 	}
 }
 
-func withNotestfail(notestfail bool) TestOption {
-	return func(o *TestOptions) {
-		o.observer.notestfail = notestfail
-	}
-}
-
 func testDone(tb testing.TB, obs *observer.Observer) {
 	if tb.Failed() {
 		bugtoolFname := "/tmp/tetragon-bugtool.tar.gz"
@@ -219,9 +212,8 @@ func newDefaultObserver(oo *testObserverOptions) *observer.Observer {
 	return observer.NewObserver(oo.config)
 }
 
-func getDefaultObserverSensors(tb testing.TB, ctx context.Context, base *sensors.Sensor, opts ...TestOption) (*observer.Observer, []*sensors.Sensor, error) {
+func getDefaultObserver(tb testing.TB, ctx context.Context, base *sensors.Sensor, opts ...TestOption) (*observer.Observer, error) {
 	var cnfSensor *sensors.Sensor
-	var ret []*sensors.Sensor
 
 	testutils.CaptureLog(tb, logger.GetLogger().(*logrus.Logger))
 
@@ -242,7 +234,7 @@ func getDefaultObserverSensors(tb testing.TB, ctx context.Context, base *sensors
 	}
 
 	if err := loadExporter(tb, ctx, obs, &o.exporter, &o.observer); err != nil {
-		return nil, ret, err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	var tp tracingpolicy.TracingPolicy
@@ -250,25 +242,24 @@ func getDefaultObserverSensors(tb testing.TB, ctx context.Context, base *sensors
 		var err error
 		tp, err = tracingpolicy.PolicyFromYAMLFilename(o.observer.config)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, ret, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse tracingpolicy: %w", err)
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse tracingpolicy: %w", err)
 		}
 	}
 	if tp != nil {
 		var err error
 		cnfSensor, err = sensors.GetMergedSensorFromParserPolicy(tp)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, ret, err
+			return nil, err
 		}
-		ret = append(ret, cnfSensor)
 	}
 
-	if err := loadObserver(tb, base, cnfSensor, o.observer.notestfail); err != nil {
-		return nil, ret, err
+	if err := loadSensor(tb, base, cnfSensor); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	exportFname, err := testutils.GetExportFilename(tb)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, ret, err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	saveInitInfo(o, exportFname)
 
@@ -290,16 +281,9 @@ func getDefaultObserverSensors(tb testing.TB, ctx context.Context, base *sensors
 		testDone(tb, obs)
 	})
 
-	ret = append(ret, base)
-
 	obs.PerfConfig = bpf.DefaultPerfEventConfig()
 	obs.PerfConfig.MapName = filepath.Join(bpf.MapPrefixPath(), "tcpmon_map")
-	return obs, ret, nil
-}
-
-func getDefaultObserver(tb testing.TB, ctx context.Context, base *sensors.Sensor, opts ...TestOption) (*observer.Observer, error) {
-	obs, _, err := getDefaultObserverSensors(tb, ctx, base, opts...)
-	return obs, err
+	return obs, nil
 }
 
 func GetDefaultObserverWithWatchers(tb testing.TB, ctx context.Context, base *sensors.Sensor, opts ...TestOption) (*observer.Observer, error) {
@@ -331,22 +315,57 @@ func GetDefaultObserverWithFile(tb testing.TB, ctx context.Context, file, lib st
 	return GetDefaultObserverWithWatchers(tb, ctx, b, opts...)
 }
 
-func GetDefaultSensorsWithFile(tb testing.TB, ctx context.Context, file, lib string, opts ...TestOption) ([]*sensors.Sensor, error) {
+func GetDefaultSensorsWithFile(tb testing.TB, file, lib string, opts ...TestOption) ([]*sensors.Sensor, error) {
 	opts = append(opts, WithConfig(file))
 	opts = append(opts, WithLib(lib))
 
-	b := base.GetInitialSensor()
-	_, sens, err := getDefaultObserverSensors(tb, ctx, b, opts...)
-	return sens, err
-}
+	option.Config.BpfDir = bpf.MapPrefixPath()
+	option.Config.MapDir = bpf.MapPrefixPath()
 
-func GetDefaultObserverWithFileNoTest(tb testing.TB, ctx context.Context, file, lib string, fail bool, opts ...TestOption) (*observer.Observer, error) {
-	opts = append(opts, WithConfig(file))
-	opts = append(opts, WithLib(lib))
-	opts = append(opts, withNotestfail(fail))
+	testutils.CaptureLog(tb, logger.GetLogger().(*logrus.Logger))
 
-	b := base.GetInitialSensor()
-	return GetDefaultObserverWithWatchers(tb, ctx, b, opts...)
+	o := newDefaultTestOptions(opts...)
+
+	option.Config.HubbleLib = os.Getenv("TETRAGON_LIB")
+	if option.Config.HubbleLib == "" {
+		option.Config.HubbleLib = o.observer.lib
+	}
+
+	procfs := os.Getenv("TETRAGON_PROCFS")
+	if procfs != "" {
+		option.Config.ProcFS = procfs
+	}
+
+	if testing.Verbose() {
+		option.Config.Verbosity = 1
+	}
+
+	var tp tracingpolicy.TracingPolicy
+	var err error
+
+	if o.observer.config != "" {
+		tp, err = tracingpolicy.PolicyFromYAMLFilename(o.observer.config)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse tracingpolicy: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	var sensor *sensors.Sensor
+
+	if tp != nil {
+		sensor, err = sensors.GetMergedSensorFromParserPolicy(tp)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	base := base.GetInitialSensor()
+
+	if err = loadSensor(tb, base, sensor); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return []*sensors.Sensor{sensor, base}, nil
 }
 
 func loadExporter(tb testing.TB, ctx context.Context, obs *observer.Observer, opts *testExporterOptions, oo *testObserverOptions) error {
@@ -419,15 +438,12 @@ func loadExporter(tb testing.TB, ctx context.Context, obs *observer.Observer, op
 	return nil
 }
 
-func loadObserver(tb testing.TB, base *sensors.Sensor, sens *sensors.Sensor, notestfail bool) error {
+func loadSensor(tb testing.TB, base *sensors.Sensor, sens *sensors.Sensor) error {
 	if err := base.Load(option.Config.BpfDir, option.Config.MapDir); err != nil {
 		tb.Fatalf("Load base error: %s\n", err)
 	}
 
 	if err := sens.Load(option.Config.BpfDir, option.Config.MapDir); err != nil {
-		if notestfail {
-			return err
-		}
 		tb.Fatalf("LoadConfig error: %s\n", err)
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/pkg/sensors/tracing/kprobe_test.go b/pkg/sensors/tracing/kprobe_test.go
index 739eb6caa7f..72baf3ac153 100644
--- a/pkg/sensors/tracing/kprobe_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sensors/tracing/kprobe_test.go
@@ -2239,37 +2239,6 @@ spec:
 	runKprobeOverride(t, openAtHook, checker, file.Name(), syscall.ENOENT, true)
 }
 
-func TestKprobeOverrideNonSyscall(t *testing.T) {
-	closeFdHook := `
-apiVersion: cilium.io/v1alpha1
-metadata:
-  name: "close-fd-override"
-spec:
-  kprobes:
-  - call: "close_fd"
-    syscall: false
-    args:
-    - index: 0
-      type: "int"
-    selectors:
-    - matchActions:
-      - action: Override
-        argError: -2
-`
-
-	configHook := []byte(closeFdHook)
-	err := os.WriteFile(testConfigFile, configHook, 0644)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("writeFile(%s): err %s", testConfigFile, err)
-	}
-
-	_, err = observertesthelper.GetDefaultObserverWithFileNoTest(t, context.Background(), testConfigFile, tus.Conf().TetragonLib, true, observertesthelper.WithMyPid())
-	if err == nil {
-		t.Fatalf("GetDefaultObserverWithFileNoTest ok, should fail\n")
-	}
-	assert.Error(t, err)
-}
-
 func runKprobeOverrideSignal(t *testing.T, hook string, checker ec.MultiEventChecker,
 	testFile string, testErr error, nopost bool, expectedSig syscall.Signal) {
 	var doneWG, readyWG sync.WaitGroup
@@ -3764,7 +3733,7 @@ spec:
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("writeFile(%s): err %s", testConfigFile, err)
 	}
-	sens, err = observertesthelper.GetDefaultSensorsWithFile(t, context.TODO(), testConfigFile, tus.Conf().TetragonLib, observertesthelper.WithMyPid())
+	sens, err = observertesthelper.GetDefaultSensorsWithFile(t, testConfigFile, tus.Conf().TetragonLib, observertesthelper.WithMyPid())
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("GetDefaultObserverWithFile error: %s", err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/sensors/tracing/kprobe_validation_test.go b/pkg/sensors/tracing/kprobe_validation_test.go
index 388549d1666..1146fe289ae 100644
--- a/pkg/sensors/tracing/kprobe_validation_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sensors/tracing/kprobe_validation_test.go
@@ -4,21 +4,20 @@
 package tracing
 
 import (
-	"context"
 	"testing"
 
-	"github.com/cilium/tetragon/pkg/observer/observertesthelper"
-	tus "github.com/cilium/tetragon/pkg/testutils/sensors"
+	"github.com/cilium/tetragon/pkg/sensors"
+	"github.com/cilium/tetragon/pkg/tracingpolicy"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
-func runObserver(t *testing.T, crd string) error {
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), tus.Conf().CmdWaitTime)
-	defer cancel()
+func checkCrd(t *testing.T, crd string) error {
+	tp, err := tracingpolicy.PolicyFromYAML(crd)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to parse tracingpolicy: %s", err)
+	}
 
-	createCrdFile(t, crd)
-
-	_, err := observertesthelper.GetDefaultObserverWithFile(t, ctx, testConfigFile, tus.Conf().TetragonLib)
+	_, err = sensors.GetMergedSensorFromParserPolicy(tp)
 	return err
 }
 
@@ -41,7 +40,7 @@ spec:
   - call: "list:syscalls"
 `
 
-	err := runObserver(t, crd)
+	err := checkCrd(t, crd)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 }
 
@@ -69,7 +68,7 @@ spec:
         argError: -1
 `
 
-	err := runObserver(t, crd)
+	err := checkCrd(t, crd)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 }
 
@@ -93,7 +92,7 @@ spec:
   - call: "list:wrongname"
 `
 
-	err := runObserver(t, crd)
+	err := checkCrd(t, crd)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 }
 
@@ -117,7 +116,7 @@ spec:
   - call: "list:syscalls"
 `
 
-	err := runObserver(t, crd)
+	err := checkCrd(t, crd)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 }
 
@@ -141,7 +140,7 @@ spec:
   - call: "list:ftrace"
 `
 
-	err := runObserver(t, crd)
+	err := checkCrd(t, crd)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 }
 
@@ -162,7 +161,7 @@ spec:
   - call: "list:ftrace"
 `
 
-	err := runObserver(t, crd)
+	err := checkCrd(t, crd)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 }
 func TestKprobeValidationWrongSyscallName(t *testing.T) {
@@ -179,7 +178,7 @@ spec:
   - call: "sys_dupXXX"
 `
 
-	err := runObserver(t, crd)
+	err := checkCrd(t, crd)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 }
 
@@ -201,6 +200,32 @@ spec:
         argError: -1
 `
 
-	err := runObserver(t, crd)
+	err := checkCrd(t, crd)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 }
+
+func TestKprobeValidationNonSyscallOverride(t *testing.T) {
+
+	// override on non syscall (non override-able) function
+
+	crd := `
+apiVersion: cilium.io/v1alpha1
+metadata:
+  name: "override-non-syscall"
+spec:
+  kprobes:
+  - call: "close_fd"
+    syscall: false
+    args:
+    - index: 0
+      type: "int"
+    selectors:
+    - matchActions:
+      - action: Override
+        argError: -2
+`
+
+	err := checkCrd(t, crd)
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+
+}
diff --git a/pkg/sensors/tracing/tracepoint_test.go b/pkg/sensors/tracing/tracepoint_test.go
index dd6e4fb22bb..cc6da6e3bbd 100644
--- a/pkg/sensors/tracing/tracepoint_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sensors/tracing/tracepoint_test.go
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ spec:
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("writeFile(%s): err %s", testConfigFile, err)
 	}
-	sens, err = observertesthelper.GetDefaultSensorsWithFile(t, context.TODO(), testConfigFile, tus.Conf().TetragonLib)
+	sens, err = observertesthelper.GetDefaultSensorsWithFile(t, testConfigFile, tus.Conf().TetragonLib)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("GetDefaultObserverWithFile error: %s", err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/sensors/tracing/uprobe_test.go b/pkg/sensors/tracing/uprobe_test.go
index 32b7ca71e7e..ff4e8eca42a 100644
--- a/pkg/sensors/tracing/uprobe_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sensors/tracing/uprobe_test.go
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ spec:
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("writeFile(%s): err %s", testConfigFile, err)
 	}
-	sens, err = observertesthelper.GetDefaultSensorsWithFile(t, context.TODO(), testConfigFile, tus.Conf().TetragonLib, observertesthelper.WithMyPid())
+	sens, err = observertesthelper.GetDefaultSensorsWithFile(t, testConfigFile, tus.Conf().TetragonLib, observertesthelper.WithMyPid())
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("GetDefaultObserverWithFile error: %s", err)
 	}