--- a/tests/package.json
+++ b/tests/package.json
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
     "@zombienet/utils": "https://gitpkg.now.sh/UniqueNetwork/zombienet/javascript/packages/utils?2476ea76a368f1b1e94038dbfec29c27f114288e",
     "chai": "^4.3.6",
     "chai-subset": "^1.6.0",
+    "dotenv": "^16.1.4",
     "eslint": "^8.25.0",
     "eslint-plugin-mocha": "^10.1.0",
     "mocha": "^10.1.0",
--- a/tests/src/util/frankenstein.ts
+++ b/tests/src/util/frankenstein.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 import {usingPlaygrounds} from '.';
 import {migrations} from './frankensteinMigrate';
 import fs from 'fs';
+import * as dotenv from 'dotenv';
+dotenv.config();
 
 const ZOMBIENET_CREDENTIALS = process.env.ZOMBIENET_CREDENTIALS || '../.env';
 const NETWORK_CONFIG_FILE = process.argv[2] ?? '../launch-zombienet.toml';
--- a/tests/yarn.lock
+++ b/tests/yarn.lock
@@ -2116,6 +2116,11 @@
   dependencies:
     webidl-conversions "^7.0.0"
 
+dotenv@^16.1.4:
+  version "16.1.4"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/dotenv/-/dotenv-16.1.4.tgz#67ac1a10cd9c25f5ba604e4e08bc77c0ebe0ca8c"
+  integrity sha512-m55RtE8AsPeJBpOIFKihEmqUcoVncQIwo7x9U8ZwLEZw9ZpXboz2c+rvog+jUaJvVrZ5kBOeYQBX5+8Aa/OZQw==
+
 ecc-jsbn@~0.1.1:
   version "0.1.2"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/ecc-jsbn/-/ecc-jsbn-0.1.2.tgz#3a83a904e54353287874c564b7549386849a98c9"