diff --git a/beacon_node/http_api/tests/status_tests.rs b/beacon_node/http_api/tests/status_tests.rs
index 71d41d53b1..8b0d9899ee 100644
--- a/beacon_node/http_api/tests/status_tests.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/http_api/tests/status_tests.rs
@@ -200,8 +200,15 @@ async fn node_health_el_online_and_synced() {
 }
 
 /// Check `node health` endpoint when the EL is online but not synced.
+// Gloas blocks don't carry execution payloads — the payload arrives via an envelope,
+// so newPayload is never called during block import and the head is not marked
+// optimistic when `all_payloads_syncing(true)`. Skip for Gloas.
 #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread", worker_threads = 2)]
 async fn node_health_el_online_and_not_synced() {
+    if fork_name_from_env().is_some_and(|f| f.gloas_enabled()) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     let num_blocks = E::slots_per_epoch() / 2;
     let num_validators = E::slots_per_epoch();
     let tester = post_merge_tester(num_blocks, num_validators).await;
diff --git a/beacon_node/http_api/tests/tests.rs b/beacon_node/http_api/tests/tests.rs
index 72abf82be4..8a95ac3e34 100644
--- a/beacon_node/http_api/tests/tests.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/http_api/tests/tests.rs
@@ -4436,7 +4436,11 @@ impl ApiTester {
     }
 
     pub async fn test_get_validator_payload_attestation_data(self) -> Self {
-        let slot = self.chain.slot().unwrap();
+        // Payload attestations are only valid for the current slot when a block has
+        // already arrived. The harness setup leaves the slot clock at `head_slot + 1`
+        // with no block produced for that slot, so rewind the clock to the head slot.
+        let slot = self.chain.head_snapshot().beacon_block.slot();
+        self.chain.slot_clock.set_slot(slot.as_u64());
         let fork_name = self.chain.spec.fork_name_at_slot::<E>(slot);
 
         let response = self
@@ -8110,7 +8114,7 @@ async fn get_validator_payload_attestation_data() {
     if !fork_name_from_env().is_some_and(|f| f.gloas_enabled()) {
         return;
     }
-    ApiTester::new()
+    ApiTester::new_with_hard_forks()
         .await
         .test_get_validator_payload_attestation_data()
         .await;