diff --git a/tests/simulator/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/simulator/CMakeLists.txt
index 72d6f1296..b49e86a77 100644
--- a/tests/simulator/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/simulator/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ phare_python3_exec(9 data-wrangler        data_wrangler.py        ${CMAKE_CURREN
 phare_python3_exec(9 sim-refineParticlNbr refined_particle_nbr.py ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
 add_no_mpi_python3_test(periodicity test_init_periodicity.py ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
 
+# has to be serial, to run secondary mpirun internally
+add_no_mpi_python3_test(initing test_init_from_restart.py ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
+
 if(HighFive)
   ## These test use dump diagnostics so require HighFive!
   phare_python3_exec(9       diagnostics test_diagnostics.py ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}) # serial or n = 2
@@ -26,7 +29,6 @@ if(HighFive)
     # doesn't make sense in serial
     phare_mpi_python3_exec(9 3 load_balancing test_load_balancing.py ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
 
-    phare_mpi_python3_exec(9 2 initing test_init_from_restart.py ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
   endif(testMPI)
 
   phare_python3_exec(11, test_diagnostic_timestamps test_diagnostic_timestamps.py ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
diff --git a/tests/simulator/test_init_from_restart.py b/tests/simulator/test_init_from_restart.py
index 82ab70ec8..6653d86c5 100644
--- a/tests/simulator/test_init_from_restart.py
+++ b/tests/simulator/test_init_from_restart.py
@@ -2,22 +2,16 @@
 import copy
 import unittest
 import subprocess
-import numpy as np
 import pyphare.pharein as ph
 
 from pyphare.simulator.simulator import Simulator
-from pyphare.core import phare_utilities as phut
 from pyphare.pharesee.hierarchy.fromh5 import get_all_available_quantities_from_h5
-from pyphare.pharesee.particles import single_patch_per_level_per_pop_from
-from pyphare.pharesee.hierarchy.hierarchy_utils import (
-    flat_finest_field,
-    single_patch_for_LO,
-    hierarchy_compare,
-)
-
+from pyphare.pharesee.hierarchy.hierarchy_utils import single_patch_for_LO
+from pyphare.pharesee.hierarchy.hierarchy_utils import hierarchy_compare
 from tests.simulator import SimulatorTest, test_restarts
 from tests.diagnostic import dump_all_diags
 
+
 timestep = 0.001
 time_step_nbr = 1
 first_mpi_size = 4
@@ -88,9 +82,13 @@ def run_first_sim():
 
 def launch():
     """Launch secondary process to run first simulation to avoid initalizing MPI now"""
-    cmd = f"mpirun -n {first_mpi_size} python3 -O tests/simulator/test_init_from_restart.py lol"
-    proc = subprocess.run(cmd.split(" "), check=True, capture_output=True)
-    return (proc.stdout + proc.stderr).decode().strip()
+
+    cmd = f"mpirun -n {first_mpi_size} python3 -O {__file__} lol"
+    try:
+        p = subprocess.run(cmd.split(" "), check=True, capture_output=True)
+        print(p.stdout, p.stderr)
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+        print("CalledProcessError", e)
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":