diff --git a/src/common/system.h b/src/common/system.h
index 40206aaa01d..08ed419a458 100644
--- a/src/common/system.h
+++ b/src/common/system.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 int64_t GetStartupTime();
 
 void SetupEnvironment();
-bool SetupNetworking();
+[[nodiscard]] bool SetupNetworking();
 #ifndef WIN32
 std::string ShellEscape(const std::string& arg);
 #endif
diff --git a/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp b/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp
index 22fdf132c72..fcfb33f5e79 100644
--- a/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp
+++ b/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 #include <txdb.h>
 #include <txmempool.h>
 #include <util/chaintype.h>
+#include <util/check.h>
 #include <util/rbf.h>
 #include <util/strencodings.h>
 #include <util/string.h>
@@ -88,6 +89,15 @@ std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const uint256& num)
     return os;
 }
 
+struct NetworkSetup
+{
+    NetworkSetup()
+    {
+        Assert(SetupNetworking());
+    }
+};
+static NetworkSetup g_networksetup_instance;
+
 BasicTestingSetup::BasicTestingSetup(const ChainType chainType, const std::vector<const char*>& extra_args)
     : m_path_root{fs::temp_directory_path() / "test_common_" PACKAGE_NAME / g_insecure_rand_ctx_temp_path.rand256().ToString()},
       m_args{}
@@ -130,7 +140,6 @@ BasicTestingSetup::BasicTestingSetup(const ChainType chainType, const std::vecto
     LogInstance().StartLogging();
     m_node.kernel = std::make_unique<kernel::Context>();
     SetupEnvironment();
-    SetupNetworking();
 
     ValidationCacheSizes validation_cache_sizes{};
     ApplyArgsManOptions(*m_node.args, validation_cache_sizes);
diff --git a/src/test/util_tests.cpp b/src/test/util_tests.cpp
index 7d6c96ab402..4d812544bde 100644
--- a/src/test/util_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/util_tests.cpp
@@ -1218,6 +1218,9 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_LockDirectory)
     // has released the lock as we would expect by probing it.
     int processstatus;
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(write(fd[1], &LockCommand, 1), 1);
+    // The following line invokes the ~CNetCleanup dtor without
+    // a paired SetupNetworking call. This is acceptable as long as
+    // ~CNetCleanup is a no-op for non-Windows platforms.
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(write(fd[1], &ExitCommand, 1), 1);
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(waitpid(pid, &processstatus, 0), pid);
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(processstatus, 0);