diff --git a/pkg/etcd/etcd_linux_test.go b/pkg/etcd/etcd_linux_test.go
index 12bc4192a71..4fab77b2547 100644
--- a/pkg/etcd/etcd_linux_test.go
+++ b/pkg/etcd/etcd_linux_test.go
@@ -399,11 +399,10 @@ func Test_UnitETCD_Start(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			if err := tt.setup(e, &tt.fields.context); err != nil {
-				t.Errorf("Setup for ETCD.Start() failed = %v", err)
-				return
+				t.Fatalf("Setup for ETCD.Start() failed = %v", err)
 			}
 			if err := e.Start(tt.fields.context.ctx, tt.args.clientAccessInfo); (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
-				t.Errorf("ETCD.Start() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
+				t.Fatalf("ETCD.Start() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
 			}
 			if !tt.wantErr {
 				memberAddr = e.address
diff --git a/tests/mock/executor.go b/tests/mock/executor.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7f8c7587e22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/mock/executor.go
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+package mock
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"net/http"
+
+	"github.com/k3s-io/k3s/pkg/cli/cmds"
+	"github.com/k3s-io/k3s/pkg/daemons/config"
+	"github.com/k3s-io/k3s/pkg/daemons/executor"
+	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/authentication/authenticator"
+)
+
+// mock executor that does not actually start anything
+type Executor struct{}
+
+func (e *Executor) Bootstrap(ctx context.Context, nodeConfig *config.Node, cfg cmds.Agent) error {
+	return errors.New("not implemented")
+}
+
+func (e *Executor) Kubelet(ctx context.Context, args []string) error {
+	return errors.New("not implemented")
+}
+
+func (e *Executor) KubeProxy(ctx context.Context, args []string) error {
+	return errors.New("not implemented")
+}
+
+func (e *Executor) APIServerHandlers(ctx context.Context) (authenticator.Request, http.Handler, error) {
+	return nil, nil, errors.New("not implemented")
+}
+
+func (e *Executor) APIServer(ctx context.Context, etcdReady <-chan struct{}, args []string) error {
+	return errors.New("not implemented")
+}
+
+func (e *Executor) Scheduler(ctx context.Context, nodeReady <-chan struct{}, args []string) error {
+	return errors.New("not implemented")
+}
+
+func (e *Executor) ControllerManager(ctx context.Context, args []string) error {
+	return errors.New("not implemented")
+}
+
+func (e *Executor) CurrentETCDOptions() (executor.InitialOptions, error) {
+	return executor.InitialOptions{}, nil
+}
+
+func (e *Executor) ETCD(ctx context.Context, args executor.ETCDConfig, extraArgs []string) error {
+	embed := &executor.Embedded{}
+	return embed.ETCD(ctx, args, extraArgs)
+}
+
+func (e *Executor) CloudControllerManager(ctx context.Context, ccmRBACReady <-chan struct{}, args []string) error {
+	return errors.New("not implemented")
+}
+
+func (e *Executor) Containerd(ctx context.Context, node *config.Node) error {
+	return errors.New("not implemented")
+}
+
+func (e *Executor) Docker(ctx context.Context, node *config.Node) error {
+	return errors.New("not implemented")
+}
+
+func (e *Executor) CRI(ctx context.Context, node *config.Node) error {
+	return errors.New("not implemented")
+}
+
+func (e *Executor) APIServerReadyChan() <-chan struct{} {
+	c := make(chan struct{})
+	close(c)
+	return c
+}
+
+func (e *Executor) CRIReadyChan() <-chan struct{} {
+	c := make(chan struct{})
+	close(c)
+	return c
+}
diff --git a/tests/unit.go b/tests/unit.go
index d385815ccc6..7f94c42be94 100644
--- a/tests/unit.go
+++ b/tests/unit.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/k3s-io/k3s/pkg/daemons/config"
 	"github.com/k3s-io/k3s/pkg/daemons/control/deps"
+	"github.com/k3s-io/k3s/pkg/daemons/executor"
 )
 
 // GenerateDataDir creates a temporary directory at "/tmp/k3s/<RANDOM_STRING>/".
@@ -43,6 +44,9 @@ func CleanupDataDir(cnf *config.Control) {
 // GenerateRuntime creates a temporary data dir and configures
 // config.ControlRuntime with all the appropriate certificate keys.
 func GenerateRuntime(cnf *config.Control) error {
+	// use mock executor that does not actually start things
+	executor.Set(&mock.Executor{})
+
 	// reuse ready channel from existing runtime if set
 	cnf.Runtime = config.NewRuntime()
 	if err := GenerateDataDir(cnf); err != nil {