diff --git a/detox/e2e/init.js b/detox/e2e/init.js
index 5e60f7b72..535a0248f 100644
--- a/detox/e2e/init.js
+++ b/detox/e2e/init.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {System, User} from '@support/server_api';
 
 beforeAll(async () => {
     // Login as sysadmin and reset server configuration
+    await System.apiCheckSystemHealth();
     await User.apiAdminLogin();
     await System.apiUpdateConfig();
 
diff --git a/detox/e2e/support/server_api/common.js b/detox/e2e/support/server_api/common.js
index 01ee9bc46..8cf96f766 100644
--- a/detox/e2e/support/server_api/common.js
+++ b/detox/e2e/support/server_api/common.js
@@ -2,7 +2,20 @@
 // See LICENSE.txt for license information.
 
 export const getResponseFromError = (err) => {
-    const {response: {data, status}} = err;
+    const {response} = err;
+    if (!response) {
+        const message = `No response from server at "${err.config.baseURL}".
+If testing against a server other than the default local instance, you may set the server URL via "SITE_URL" environment variable.
+`;
+
+        // Throw an error instead of failing silently
+        throw new Error(message);
+    }
+
+    const {data, status} = response;
+
+    // Explicitly print out response data from server for ease of debugging
+    console.warn(data); // eslint-disable-line no-console
 
     return {error: data, status};
 };
diff --git a/detox/e2e/support/server_api/setup.js b/detox/e2e/support/server_api/setup.js
index d6696988b..63f48afd6 100644
--- a/detox/e2e/support/server_api/setup.js
+++ b/detox/e2e/support/server_api/setup.js
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 import Channel from './channel';
 import Team from './team';
 import User from './user';
-import {getResponseFromError} from './common';
 
 /**
  * Creates new user, channel and team for test isolation.
@@ -16,22 +15,18 @@ export const apiInit = async ({
     teamOptions = {type: 'O', prefix: 'team'},
     userOptions = {prefix: 'user'},
 } = {}) => {
-    try {
-        const {team} = await Team.apiCreateTeam(teamOptions);
-        const {channel} = await Channel.apiCreateChannel({...channelOptions, teamId: team.id});
-        const {user} = await User.apiCreateUser(userOptions);
+    const {team} = await Team.apiCreateTeam(teamOptions);
+    const {channel} = await Channel.apiCreateChannel({...channelOptions, teamId: team.id});
+    const {user} = await User.apiCreateUser(userOptions);
 
-        await Team.apiAddUserToTeam(user.id, team.id);
-        await Channel.apiAddUserToChannel(user.id, channel.id);
+    await Team.apiAddUserToTeam(user.id, team.id);
+    await Channel.apiAddUserToChannel(user.id, channel.id);
 
-        return {
-            channel,
-            team,
-            user,
-        };
-    } catch (err) {
-        return getResponseFromError(err);
-    }
+    return {
+        channel,
+        team,
+        user,
+    };
 };
 
 export const Setup = {
diff --git a/detox/e2e/support/server_api/system.js b/detox/e2e/support/server_api/system.js
index 97c55e268..3fe93ad12 100644
--- a/detox/e2e/support/server_api/system.js
+++ b/detox/e2e/support/server_api/system.js
@@ -21,6 +21,20 @@ import defaultServerConfig from './default_config.json';
 // - return value defined by `@return`
 // ****************************************************************
 
+/**
+ * Check system health.
+ * See https://api.mattermost.com/#tag/system/paths/~1system~1ping/get
+ * @return {Object} returns {data} on success or {error, status} on error
+ */
+export const apiCheckSystemHealth = async () => {
+    try {
+        const response = await client.get('/api/v4/system/ping?get_server_status=true');
+        return {data: response.data};
+    } catch (err) {
+        return getResponseFromError(err);
+    }
+};
+
 /**
  * Get configuration.
  * See https://api.mattermost.com/#tag/system/paths/~1config/get
@@ -65,6 +79,7 @@ const getDefaultConfig = () => {
 };
 
 export const System = {
+    apiCheckSystemHealth,
     apiGetConfig,
     apiUpdateConfig,
 };