diff --git a/test/e2e/save_test.go b/test/e2e/save_test.go
index c0a465362b..7e7cdcb406 100644
--- a/test/e2e/save_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/save_test.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman save", func() {
 
 		save := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"save", "-q", "-o", outfile, "FOOBAR"})
 		save.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(save).To(ExitWithError())
+		Expect(save).To(ExitWithError(125, "repository name must be lowercase"))
 	})
 
 	It("podman save to directory with oci format", func() {
@@ -102,13 +102,11 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman save", func() {
 
 		save := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"save", "-q", "--compress", "--format", "docker-archive", "-o", outdir, ALPINE})
 		save.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		// should not be 0
-		Expect(save).To(ExitWithError())
+		Expect(save).To(ExitWithError(125, "--compress can only be set when --format is 'docker-dir'"))
 
 		save = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"save", "-q", "--compress", "--format", "oci-archive", "-o", outdir, ALPINE})
 		save.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		// should not be 0
-		Expect(save).To(ExitWithError())
+		Expect(save).To(ExitWithError(125, "--compress can only be set when --format is 'docker-dir'"))
 
 	})
 
@@ -117,7 +115,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman save", func() {
 
 		save := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"save", "-q", "--compress", "--format", "docker-dir", "-o", outdir, ALPINE})
 		save.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(save).To(ExitWithError())
+		Expect(save).To(ExitWithError(125, fmt.Sprintf(`invalid filename (should not contain ':') "%s"`, outdir)))
 	})
 
 	It("podman save remove signature", func() {
@@ -199,7 +197,7 @@ default-docker:
 			outfile := filepath.Join(podmanTest.TempDir, "temp.tar")
 			save := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"save", "-q", "remove-signatures=true", "-o", outfile, pushedImage})
 			save.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-			Expect(save).To(ExitWithError())
+			Expect(save).To(ExitWithError(125, "invalid reference format"))
 		}
 	})
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/search_test.go b/test/e2e/search_test.go
index 568c1bf222..16bbe87a52 100644
--- a/test/e2e/search_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/search_test.go
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import (
 	. "github.com/containers/podman/v5/test/utils"
 	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
-	. "github.com/onsi/gomega/gexec"
 )
 
 type endpoint struct {
@@ -314,9 +313,8 @@ registries = []`
 		search := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"search", image, "--tls-verify=true"})
 		search.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
 
-		Expect(search).Should(Exit(125))
+		Expect(search).Should(ExitWithError(125, fmt.Sprintf(`couldn't search registry "localhost:%d": pinging container registry localhost:%d: Get "https://localhost:%d/v2/": http: server gave HTTP response to HTTPS client`, port, port, port)))
 		Expect(search.OutputToString()).Should(BeEmpty())
-		Expect(search.ErrorToString()).To(ContainSubstring("http: server gave HTTP response to HTTPS client"))
 
 		// cleanup
 		resetRegistriesConfigEnv()
@@ -359,9 +357,8 @@ registries = []`
 		search := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"search", image})
 		search.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
 
-		Expect(search).Should(Exit(125))
+		Expect(search).Should(ExitWithError(125, fmt.Sprintf(`couldn't search registry "localhost:%d": pinging container registry localhost:%d: Get "https://localhost:%d/v2/": http: server gave HTTP response to HTTPS client`, port, port, port)))
 		Expect(search.OutputToString()).Should(BeEmpty())
-		Expect(search.ErrorToString()).To(ContainSubstring("http: server gave HTTP response to HTTPS client"))
 
 		// cleanup
 		resetRegistriesConfigEnv()
@@ -371,7 +368,7 @@ registries = []`
 	It("podman search fail with nonexistent --authfile", func() {
 		search := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"search", "--authfile", "/tmp/nonexistent", ALPINE})
 		search.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(search).To(ExitWithError())
+		Expect(search).To(ExitWithError(125, "credential file is not accessible: faccessat /tmp/nonexistent: no such file or directory"))
 	})
 
 	// Registry is unreliable (#18484), this is another super-common flake
@@ -395,22 +392,19 @@ registries = []`
 
 		search = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"search", "--filter=is-official", "--list-tags", "quay.io/podman/stable"})
 		search.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(search).To(Exit(125))
-		Expect(search.ErrorToString()).To(ContainSubstring("filters are not applicable to list tags result"))
+		Expect(search).To(ExitWithError(125, "filters are not applicable to list tags result"))
 
 		// With trailing slash
 		search = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"search", "--list-tags", "quay.io/podman/"})
 		search.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(search).To(Exit(125))
+		Expect(search).To(ExitWithError(125, `reference "podman/" must be a docker reference`))
 		Expect(search.OutputToStringArray()).To(BeEmpty())
-		Expect(search.ErrorToString()).To(ContainSubstring("must be a docker reference"))
 
 		// No trailing slash
 		search = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"search", "--list-tags", "quay.io/podman"})
 		search.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(search).To(Exit(125))
+		Expect(search).To(ExitWithError(125, "getting repository tags: fetching tags list: StatusCode: 404"))
 		Expect(search.OutputToStringArray()).To(BeEmpty())
-		Expect(search.ErrorToString()).To(ContainSubstring("fetching tags list: StatusCode: 404"))
 	})
 
 	It("podman search with limit over 100", func() {
diff --git a/test/e2e/secret_test.go b/test/e2e/secret_test.go
index ceffb527d6..1f5cee9463 100644
--- a/test/e2e/secret_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/secret_test.go
@@ -39,8 +39,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman secret", func() {
 
 		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"secret", "create", "-d", "file", "--driver-opts", "opt1=val1", "a", secretFilePath})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(session).Should(Exit(125))
-		Expect(session.ErrorToString()).To(Equal("Error: a: secret name in use"))
+		Expect(session).Should(ExitWithError(125, "Error: a: secret name in use"))
 
 		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"secret", "create", "-d", "file", "--driver-opts", "opt1=val1", "--replace", "a", secretFilePath})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
@@ -49,8 +48,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman secret", func() {
 
 		inspect = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"secret", "inspect", "-f", "{{.Spec.Driver.Options}}", secrID})
 		inspect.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(inspect).To(ExitWithError())
-		Expect(inspect.ErrorToString()).To(ContainSubstring(fmt.Sprintf("Error: inspecting secret: no secret with name or id %q: no such secret", secrID)))
+		Expect(inspect).To(ExitWithError(125, fmt.Sprintf("Error: inspecting secret: no secret with name or id %q: no such secret", secrID)))
 
 		inspect = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"secret", "inspect", "-f", "{{.Spec.Driver.Options}}", "a"})
 		inspect.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
@@ -66,14 +64,12 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman secret", func() {
 		badName := "foo/bar"
 		session := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"secret", "create", badName, secretFilePath})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(session).To(ExitWithError())
-		Expect(session.ErrorToString()).To(Equal(fmt.Sprintf("Error: secret name %q can not include '=', '/', ',', or the '\\0' (NULL) and be between 1 and 253 characters: invalid secret name", badName)))
+		Expect(session).To(ExitWithError(125, fmt.Sprintf("Error: secret name %q can not include '=', '/', ',', or the '\\0' (NULL) and be between 1 and 253 characters: invalid secret name", badName)))
 
 		badName = "foo=bar"
 		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"secret", "create", badName, secretFilePath})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(session).To(ExitWithError())
-		Expect(session.ErrorToString()).To(Equal(fmt.Sprintf("Error: secret name %q can not include '=', '/', ',', or the '\\0' (NULL) and be between 1 and 253 characters: invalid secret name", badName)))
+		Expect(session).To(ExitWithError(125, fmt.Sprintf("Error: secret name %q can not include '=', '/', ',', or the '\\0' (NULL) and be between 1 and 253 characters: invalid secret name", badName)))
 	})
 
 	It("podman secret inspect", func() {
@@ -164,7 +160,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman secret", func() {
 
 		inspect := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"secret", "inspect", "bogus"})
 		inspect.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(inspect).To(ExitWithError())
+		Expect(inspect).To(ExitWithError(125, `inspecting secret: no secret with name or id "bogus": no such secret`))
 	})
 
 	It("podman secret ls", func() {
@@ -352,7 +348,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman secret", func() {
 		// no env variable set, should fail
 		session := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"secret", "create", "--env", "a", "MYENVVAR"})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(session).To(ExitWithError())
+		Expect(session).To(ExitWithError(125, "cannot create store secret data: environment variable MYENVVAR is not set"))
 
 		os.Setenv("MYENVVAR", "somedata")
 		if IsRemote() {
diff --git a/test/e2e/start_test.go b/test/e2e/start_test.go
index 887121a030..12ad669083 100644
--- a/test/e2e/start_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/start_test.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import (
 	. "github.com/containers/podman/v5/test/utils"
 	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
-	. "github.com/onsi/gomega/gexec"
 )
 
 var _ = Describe("Podman start", func() {
@@ -18,7 +17,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman start", func() {
 	It("podman start bogus container", func() {
 		session := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"start", "123"})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(session).Should(Exit(125))
+		Expect(session).Should(ExitWithError(125, `no container with name or ID "123" found: no such container`))
 	})
 
 	It("podman start single container by id", func() {
@@ -37,10 +36,10 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman start", func() {
 		Expect(session).Should(ExitCleanly())
 		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"start", "test"})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(session).Should(Exit(125))
+		Expect(session).Should(ExitWithError(125, "not found in $PATH"))
 		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"container", "exists", "test"})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(session).To(ExitWithError())
+		Expect(session).To(ExitWithError(1))
 	})
 
 	It("podman start --rm --attach removed on failure", func() {
@@ -50,10 +49,10 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman start", func() {
 		cid := session.OutputToString()
 		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"start", "--attach", cid})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(session).Should(Exit(125))
+		Expect(session).Should(ExitWithError(125, "not found in $PATH"))
 		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"container", "exists", cid})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(session).To(ExitWithError())
+		Expect(session).To(ExitWithError(1))
 	})
 
 	It("podman container start single container by id", func() {
@@ -98,7 +97,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman start", func() {
 		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"start", "--attach", cid})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
 		// It should forward the signal
-		Expect(session).Should(Exit(1))
+		Expect(session).Should(ExitWithError(1))
 	})
 
 	It("podman start multiple containers", func() {
@@ -119,7 +118,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman start", func() {
 		cid1 := session.OutputToString()
 		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"start", cid1, "doesnotexist"})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(session).Should(Exit(125))
+		Expect(session).Should(ExitWithError(125, `no container with name or ID "doesnotexist" found: no such container`))
 	})
 
 	It("podman multiple containers -- attach should fail", func() {
@@ -131,7 +130,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman start", func() {
 		Expect(session).Should(ExitCleanly())
 		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"start", "-a", "foobar1", "foobar2"})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(session).Should(Exit(125))
+		Expect(session).Should(ExitWithError(125, "you cannot start and attach multiple containers at once"))
 	})
 
 	It("podman failed to start with --rm should delete the container", func() {
@@ -144,7 +143,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman start", func() {
 
 		wait := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"wait", "test1"})
 		wait.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(wait).To(ExitWithError())
+		Expect(wait).To(ExitWithError(125, `no container with name or ID "test1" found: no such container`))
 
 		Eventually(podmanTest.NumberOfContainers, defaultWaitTimeout, 3.0).Should(BeZero())
 	})
@@ -156,19 +155,19 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman start", func() {
 
 		start := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"start", session.OutputToString()})
 		start.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(start).To(ExitWithError())
+		Expect(start).To(ExitWithError(125, "not found in $PATH"))
 
 		Eventually(podmanTest.NumberOfContainers, defaultWaitTimeout, 3.0).Should(Equal(1))
 	})
 
 	It("podman start --sig-proxy should not work without --attach", func() {
-		session := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"create", ALPINE, "ls"})
+		session := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"create", "--name", "sigproxyneedsattach", ALPINE, "ls"})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
 		Expect(session).Should(ExitCleanly())
 
-		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"start", "-l", "--sig-proxy"})
+		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"start", "--sig-proxy", "sigproxyneedsattach"})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(session).Should(Exit(125))
+		Expect(session).Should(ExitWithError(125, "you cannot use sig-proxy without --attach: invalid argument"))
 	})
 
 	It("podman start container with special pidfile", func() {
diff --git a/test/e2e/stats_test.go b/test/e2e/stats_test.go
index 5aa1d0d84c..3ab2ea3ed7 100644
--- a/test/e2e/stats_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/stats_test.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	. "github.com/containers/podman/v5/test/utils"
 	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
-	. "github.com/onsi/gomega/gexec"
 )
 
 // TODO: we need to check the output. Currently, we only check the exit codes
@@ -25,7 +24,12 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman stats", func() {
 	It("podman stats with bogus container", func() {
 		session := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"stats", "--no-stream", "123"})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(session).Should(Exit(125))
+		expect := `unable to get list of containers: unable to look up container 123: no container with name or ID "123" found: no such container`
+		// FIXME: #22612
+		if IsRemote() {
+			expect = "types.ContainerStatsReport.Error: decode non empty interface: can not unmarshal into nil, error found in #9 byte"
+		}
+		Expect(session).Should(ExitWithError(125, expect))
 	})
 
 	It("podman stats on a running container", func() {
@@ -81,7 +85,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman stats", func() {
 		Expect(session).Should(ExitCleanly())
 		stats := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"stats", "-a", "--no-reset", "--no-stream", "--format", "\"table {{.ID}} {{.NoSuchField}} \""})
 		stats.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(stats).To(ExitWithError())
+		Expect(stats).To(ExitWithError(125, `template: stats:1:28: executing "stats" at <.NoSuchField>: can't evaluate field NoSuchField in type containers.containerStats`))
 	})
 
 	It("podman stats with negative interval", func() {
@@ -90,7 +94,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman stats", func() {
 		Expect(session).Should(ExitCleanly())
 		stats := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"stats", "-a", "--no-reset", "--no-stream", "--interval=-1"})
 		stats.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(stats).To(ExitWithError())
+		Expect(stats).To(ExitWithError(125, "invalid interval, must be a positive number greater zero"))
 	})
 
 	It("podman stats with zero interval", func() {
@@ -99,7 +103,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman stats", func() {
 		Expect(session).Should(ExitCleanly())
 		stats := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"stats", "-a", "--no-reset", "--no-stream", "--interval=0"})
 		stats.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(stats).To(ExitWithError())
+		Expect(stats).To(ExitWithError(125, "invalid interval, must be a positive number greater zero"))
 	})
 
 	It("podman stats with interval", func() {
diff --git a/test/e2e/system_df_test.go b/test/e2e/system_df_test.go
index 5fad53c510..45945f605b 100644
--- a/test/e2e/system_df_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/system_df_test.go
@@ -95,8 +95,7 @@ var _ = Describe("podman system df", func() {
 	It("podman system df --format with --verbose", func() {
 		session := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"system", "df", "--format", "json", "--verbose"})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		Expect(session).To(ExitWithError())
-		Expect(session.ErrorToString()).To(Equal("Error: cannot combine --format and --verbose flags"))
+		Expect(session).To(ExitWithError(125, "Error: cannot combine --format and --verbose flags"))
 	})
 
 	It("podman system df --format json", func() {