diff --git a/cmd/interchaintest/interchaintest_test.go b/cmd/interchaintest/interchaintest_test.go
index c46718578..66a16ebb5 100644
--- a/cmd/interchaintest/interchaintest_test.go
+++ b/cmd/interchaintest/interchaintest_test.go
@@ -100,11 +100,14 @@ func setUpTestMatrix() error {
 	if extraFlags.MatrixFile == "" {
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "No matrix file provided, falling back to rly with gaia and osmosis")
 
+		numValsOne := 1
+		numFullNodesZero := 0
+
 		testMatrix.Relayers = []string{"rly", "hermes"}
 		testMatrix.ChainSets = [][]*interchaintest.ChainSpec{
 			{
-				{Name: "gaia", Version: "v7.0.1"},
-				{Name: "osmosis", Version: "v7.2.0"},
+				{Name: "gaia", Version: "v7.0.1", NumValidators: &numValsOne, NumFullNodes: &numFullNodesZero},
+				{Name: "osmosis", Version: "v7.2.0", NumValidators: &numValsOne, NumFullNodes: &numFullNodesZero},
 			},
 		}
 
diff --git a/examples/cosmos/blockdb_messages_view_test.go b/examples/cosmos/blockdb_messages_view_test.go
index b4f8e5ccb..e89eeb3e2 100644
--- a/examples/cosmos/blockdb_messages_view_test.go
+++ b/examples/cosmos/blockdb_messages_view_test.go
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ func TestBlockDBMessagesView(t *testing.T) {
 	const gaia0ChainID = "g0"
 	const gaia1ChainID = "g1"
 	cf := interchaintest.NewBuiltinChainFactory(zaptest.NewLogger(t), []*interchaintest.ChainSpec{
-		{Name: "gaia", Version: "v7.0.1", ChainConfig: ibc.ChainConfig{ChainID: gaia0ChainID}},
-		{Name: "gaia", Version: "v7.0.1", ChainConfig: ibc.ChainConfig{ChainID: gaia1ChainID}},
+		{Name: "gaia", Version: "v7.0.1", ChainConfig: ibc.ChainConfig{ChainID: gaia0ChainID}, NumValidators: &numVals, NumFullNodes: &numFullNodes},
+		{Name: "gaia", Version: "v7.0.1", ChainConfig: ibc.ChainConfig{ChainID: gaia1ChainID}, NumValidators: &numVals, NumFullNodes: &numFullNodes},
 	})
 
 	chains, err := cf.Chains(t.Name())
diff --git a/examples/cosmos/chain_genesis_stake_test.go b/examples/cosmos/chain_genesis_stake_test.go
index 138cf43c4..2e70fa00f 100644
--- a/examples/cosmos/chain_genesis_stake_test.go
+++ b/examples/cosmos/chain_genesis_stake_test.go
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ func TestChainGenesisUnequalStake(t *testing.T) {
 			ChainName:     "gaia",
 			Version:       "v15.1.0",
 			NumValidators: &validators,
+			NumFullNodes:  &numFullNodesZero,
 			ChainConfig: ibc.ChainConfig{
 				Denom: denom,
 				ModifyGenesisAmounts: func(i int) (sdk.Coin, sdk.Coin) {
diff --git a/examples/cosmos/chain_param_change_test.go b/examples/cosmos/chain_param_change_test.go
index 65a6c9222..707742e71 100644
--- a/examples/cosmos/chain_param_change_test.go
+++ b/examples/cosmos/chain_param_change_test.go
@@ -26,9 +26,6 @@ func CosmosChainParamChangeTest(t *testing.T, name, version string) {
 
 	t.Parallel()
 
-	numVals := 1
-	numFullNodes := 1
-
 	// SDK v45 params for Juno genesis
 	shortVoteGenesis := []cosmos.GenesisKV{
 		cosmos.NewGenesisKV("app_state.gov.voting_params.voting_period", votingPeriod),
@@ -41,7 +38,7 @@ func CosmosChainParamChangeTest(t *testing.T, name, version string) {
 		ModifyGenesis: cosmos.ModifyGenesis(shortVoteGenesis),
 	}
 
-	chains := interchaintest.CreateChainWithConfig(t, numVals, numFullNodes, name, version, cfg)
+	chains := interchaintest.CreateChainWithConfig(t, numVals, numFullNodesZero, name, version, cfg)
 	chain := chains[0].(*cosmos.CosmosChain)
 
 	enableBlockDB := false
diff --git a/examples/cosmos/code_coverage_test.go b/examples/cosmos/code_coverage_test.go
index fd18d95a4..b4f38398c 100644
--- a/examples/cosmos/code_coverage_test.go
+++ b/examples/cosmos/code_coverage_test.go
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@ func TestCodeCoverage(t *testing.T) {
 		ctx                = context.Background()
 		ExternalGoCoverDir = "/tmp/interchaintest-app-coverage"
 		Denom              = "umfx"
-		vals               = 1
-		fullNodes          = 0
 	)
 
 	cfgA := ibc.ChainConfig{
@@ -53,8 +51,8 @@ func TestCodeCoverage(t *testing.T) {
 			Name:          "manifest",
 			Version:       cfgA.Images[0].Version,
 			ChainName:     cfgA.Name,
-			NumValidators: &vals,
-			NumFullNodes:  &fullNodes,
+			NumValidators: &numVals,
+			NumFullNodes:  &numFullNodesZero,
 			ChainConfig:   cfgA,
 		},
 	})
diff --git a/examples/cosmos/ethermint_test.go b/examples/cosmos/ethermint_test.go
index 04012122d..d130cb6de 100644
--- a/examples/cosmos/ethermint_test.go
+++ b/examples/cosmos/ethermint_test.go
@@ -111,6 +111,8 @@ func TestEthermintChain(t *testing.T) {
 				ExposeAdditionalPorts: []string{"8545/tcp"},
 				ConfigFileOverrides:   map[string]any{"config/app.toml": appTomlOverrides},
 			},
+			NumValidators: &numValsOne,
+			NumFullNodes:  &numFullNodesZero,
 		},
 	})
 
diff --git a/examples/cosmos/sdk_boundary_test.go b/examples/cosmos/sdk_boundary_test.go
index f7ff3e568..4e3b55e4f 100644
--- a/examples/cosmos/sdk_boundary_test.go
+++ b/examples/cosmos/sdk_boundary_test.go
@@ -34,9 +34,11 @@ func TestSDKBoundaries(t *testing.T) {
 			chainSpecs: []*interchaintest.ChainSpec{
 				{
 					Name: "gaia", ChainName: "gaia", Version: "v7.0.3", //sdk 0.45.6
+					NumValidators: &numValsOne, NumFullNodes: &numFullNodesZero,
 				},
 				{
 					Name: "ibc-go-simd", ChainName: "simd-50", Version: "feat-upgrade-sdk-v0.50", //sdk 0.50 alpha
+					NumValidators: &numValsOne, NumFullNodes: &numFullNodesZero,
 				},
 			},
 			relayerVersion: "colin-event-fix",
@@ -46,9 +48,11 @@ func TestSDKBoundaries(t *testing.T) {
 			chainSpecs: []*interchaintest.ChainSpec{
 				{
 					Name: "ibc-go-simd", ChainName: "simd-47", Version: "v7.2.0", //sdk 0.47.3
+					NumValidators: &numValsOne, NumFullNodes: &numFullNodesZero,
 				},
 				{
 					Name: "ibc-go-simd", ChainName: "simd-50", Version: "feat-upgrade-sdk-v0.50", //sdk 0.50 alpha
+					NumValidators: &numValsOne, NumFullNodes: &numFullNodesZero,
 				},
 			},
 			relayerVersion: "colin-event-fix",