diff --git a/chain/cosmos/ics.go b/chain/cosmos/ics.go
index ee85fc136..d81e88180 100644
--- a/chain/cosmos/ics.go
+++ b/chain/cosmos/ics.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"strconv"
-	"testing"
 	"time"
 
 	sdkmath "cosmossdk.io/math"
@@ -21,7 +20,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/strangelove-ventures/interchaintest/v8/ibc"
 	"github.com/strangelove-ventures/interchaintest/v8/testreporter"
 	"github.com/strangelove-ventures/interchaintest/v8/testutil"
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 	"golang.org/x/mod/semver"
 	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
@@ -40,35 +38,51 @@ const (
 //
 // 2. Get the first provider validator, and delegate 1,000,000denom to it. This triggers a CometBFT power increase of 1.
 // 3. Flush the pending ICS packets to the consumer chain.
-func (c *CosmosChain) FinishICSProviderSetup(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, r ibc.Relayer, eRep *testreporter.RelayerExecReporter, ibcPath string) {
+func (c *CosmosChain) FinishICSProviderSetup(ctx context.Context, r ibc.Relayer, eRep *testreporter.RelayerExecReporter, ibcPath string) error {
 	// Restart the relayer to finish IBC transfer connection w/ ics20-1 link
-	require.NoError(t, r.StopRelayer(ctx, eRep))
-	require.NoError(t, r.StartRelayer(ctx, eRep, ibcPath))
+	if err := r.StopRelayer(ctx, eRep); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to stop relayer: %w", err)
+	}
+	if err := r.StartRelayer(ctx, eRep); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to start relayer: %w", err)
+	}
 
 	// perform provider delegation to complete provider<>consumer channel connection
 	stakingVals, err := c.StakingQueryValidators(ctx, stakingttypes.BondStatusBonded)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to query validators: %w", err)
+	}
 
 	providerVal := stakingVals[0]
 
 	beforeDel, err := c.StakingQueryDelegationsTo(ctx, providerVal.OperatorAddress)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to query delegations to validator: %w", err)
+	}
 
 	err = c.GetNode().StakingDelegate(ctx, "validator", providerVal.OperatorAddress, fmt.Sprintf("1000000%s", c.Config().Denom))
-	require.NoError(t, err, "failed to delegate to validator")
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to delegate to validator: %w", err)
+	}
 
 	afterDel, err := c.StakingQueryDelegationsTo(ctx, providerVal.OperatorAddress)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.Greater(t, afterDel[0].Balance.Amount.Int64(), beforeDel[0].Balance.Amount.Int64())
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to query delegations to validator: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if afterDel[0].Balance.Amount.LT(beforeDel[0].Balance.Amount) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("delegation failed: %w", err)
+	}
 
-	// Flush now pending ICS update packet -> consumer
-	c.FlushPendingICSPackets(t, ctx, r, eRep, ibcPath)
+	return c.FlushPendingICSPackets(ctx, r, eRep, ibcPath)
 }
 
 // FlushPendingICSPackets flushes the pending ICS packets to the consumer chain from the "provider" port.
-func (c *CosmosChain) FlushPendingICSPackets(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, r ibc.Relayer, eRep *testreporter.RelayerExecReporter, ibcPath string) {
+func (c *CosmosChain) FlushPendingICSPackets(ctx context.Context, r ibc.Relayer, eRep *testreporter.RelayerExecReporter, ibcPath string) error {
 	channels, err := r.GetChannels(ctx, eRep, c.cfg.ChainID)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get channels: %w", err)
+	}
 
 	ICSChannel := ""
 	for _, channel := range channels {
@@ -76,7 +90,8 @@ func (c *CosmosChain) FlushPendingICSPackets(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context,
 			ICSChannel = channel.ChannelID
 		}
 	}
-	require.NoError(t, r.Flush(ctx, eRep, ibcPath, ICSChannel))
+
+	return r.Flush(ctx, eRep, ibcPath, ICSChannel)
 }
 
 // Bootstraps the provider chain and starts it from genesis
diff --git a/examples/ibc/ics_test.go b/examples/ibc/ics_test.go
index 8811263cf..91f6a0b55 100644
--- a/examples/ibc/ics_test.go
+++ b/examples/ibc/ics_test.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ var (
 )
 
 // This tests Cosmos Interchain Security, spinning up a provider and a single consumer chain.
+// go test -timeout 3000s -run ^TestICS$ github.com/strangelove-ventures/interchaintest/v8/examples/ibc -v  -test.short
 func TestICS(t *testing.T) {
 	if testing.Short() {
 		ver := icsVersions[0]
@@ -112,7 +113,8 @@ func icsTest(t *testing.T, version string) {
 	// - Restarts the relayer to connect ics20-1 transfer channel
 	// - Delegates tokens to the provider to update consensus value
 	// - Flushes the IBC state to the consumer
-	provider.FinishICSProviderSetup(t, ctx, r, eRep, ibcPath)
+	err = provider.FinishICSProviderSetup(ctx, r, eRep, ibcPath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// ------------------ Test Begins ------------------
 
diff --git a/local-interchain/interchain/start.go b/local-interchain/interchain/start.go
index 5ddc106f7..ca8acbcd6 100644
--- a/local-interchain/interchain/start.go
+++ b/local-interchain/interchain/start.go
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ func StartChain(installDir, chainCfgFile string, ac *types.AppStartConfig) {
 	}
 
 	// Add Interchain Security chain pairs together
+	icsProviderPaths := make(map[string]ibc.Chain)
 	if len(icsPair) > 0 {
 		for provider, consumers := range icsPair {
 			var p, c ibc.Chain
@@ -152,6 +153,8 @@ func StartChain(installDir, chainCfgFile string, ac *types.AppStartConfig) {
 
 			logger.Info("Adding ICS pair", zap.String("provider", p.Config().ChainID), zap.String("consumer", c.Config().ChainID), zap.String("path", pathName))
 
+			icsProviderPaths[pathName] = p
+
 			ic = ic.AddProviderConsumerLink(interchaintest.ProviderConsumerLink{
 				Provider: p,
 				Consumer: c,
@@ -197,6 +200,19 @@ func StartChain(installDir, chainCfgFile string, ac *types.AppStartConfig) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// ICS provider setup
+	if len(icsProviderPaths) > 0 {
+		logger.Info("ICS provider setup", zap.Any("icsProviderPaths", icsProviderPaths))
+
+		for ibcPath, chain := range icsProviderPaths {
+			if provider, ok := chain.(*cosmos.CosmosChain); ok {
+				if err := provider.FinishICSProviderSetup(ctx, relayer, eRep, ibcPath); err != nil {
+					log.Fatal("FinishICSProviderSetup", err)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Starts a non blocking REST server to take action on the chain.
 	go func() {
 		cosmosChains := map[string]*cosmos.CosmosChain{}