diff --git a/test/integration/multicluster/multicluster-traffic/federated_test.go b/test/integration/multicluster/multicluster-traffic/federated_test.go
index b9ffb76112d1b..d7f527f3bf5c9 100644
--- a/test/integration/multicluster/multicluster-traffic/federated_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/multicluster/multicluster-traffic/federated_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package multiclustertraffic
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -95,25 +96,25 @@ func TestFederatedService(t *testing.T) {
 				}
 				remoteDiscovery, found := svc.Annotations[k8s.RemoteDiscoveryAnnotation]
 				if !found {
-					testutil.AnnotatedFatal(t, "federated service missing annotation", "federated service missing annotation: "+k8s.RemoteDiscoveryLabel)
+					return fmt.Errorf("federated service missing annotation: %s", k8s.RemoteDiscoveryLabel)
 				}
 				if remoteDiscovery != "web-svc@target" {
-					testutil.AnnotatedFatal(t, "federated service has incorrect remote discovery", fmt.Sprintf("federated service remote discovery was %s, expected %s", remoteDiscovery, "web-svc@target"))
+					return fmt.Errorf("federated service remote discovery was %s, expected %s", remoteDiscovery, "web-svc@target")
 				}
 				localDiscovery, found := svc.Annotations[k8s.LocalDiscoveryAnnotation]
 				if !found {
-					testutil.AnnotatedFatal(t, "federated service missing annotation", "federated service missing annotation: "+k8s.LocalDiscoveryAnnotation)
+					return fmt.Errorf("federated service missing annotation: %s", k8s.LocalDiscoveryAnnotation)
 				}
 				if localDiscovery != "web-svc" {
-					testutil.AnnotatedFatal(t, "federated service has incorrect local discovery", fmt.Sprintf("federated service local discovery was %s, expected %s", localDiscovery, "web-svc"))
+					return fmt.Errorf("federated service local discovery was %s, expected %s", localDiscovery, "web-svc")
 				}
 
 				_, err = TestHelper.GetEndpoints(ctx, ns, "web-svc-federated")
 				if err == nil {
-					testutil.AnnotatedFatal(t, "federated service should not have endpoints", "federated service should not have endpoints")
+					return errors.New("federated service should not have endpoints")
 				}
 				if !kerrors.IsNotFound(err) {
-					testutil.AnnotatedFatalf(t, "failed to retrieve federated service endpoints", err.Error())
+					return fmt.Errorf("failed to retrieve federated service endpoints: %w", err)
 				}
 				return nil
 			})