diff --git a/crates/e2e_test/src/cluster_multidrive_pool_test.rs b/crates/e2e_test/src/cluster_multidrive_pool_test.rs
index dbdc11c44..3f9193984 100644
--- a/crates/e2e_test/src/cluster_multidrive_pool_test.rs
+++ b/crates/e2e_test/src/cluster_multidrive_pool_test.rs
@@ -87,12 +87,6 @@ async fn cluster_two_pool_smoke() -> TestResult {
 
     let mut cluster =
         RustFSTestClusterEnvironment::with_topology(ClusterTopology::per_node_pools(2, vec![vec![0], vec![1]])).await?;
-    cluster.access_key = "custom-two-pool-access".to_string();
-    cluster.secret_key = "custom-two-pool-secret".to_string();
-    // Override any inherited test-runner value with an explicit blank. The
-    // credentials getter treats blank as absent and must derive one stable RPC
-    // secret from the shared non-default credential pair on every node.
-    cluster.set_env("RUSTFS_RPC_SECRET", "");
 
     // The two-pool layout must emit one ellipses argument per pool.
     let volumes = cluster.rustfs_volumes_arg();
diff --git a/crates/e2e_test/src/common.rs b/crates/e2e_test/src/common.rs
index c602227b1..b95af36c3 100644
--- a/crates/e2e_test/src/common.rs
+++ b/crates/e2e_test/src/common.rs
@@ -979,6 +979,7 @@ impl RustFSTestClusterEnvironment {
         }
 
         let mut extra_env = Vec::new();
+        extra_env.push(("RUSTFS_RPC_SECRET".to_string(), String::new()));
         if multidrive {
             extra_env.push(("RUSTFS_UNSAFE_BYPASS_DISK_CHECK".to_string(), "true".to_string()));
         }
@@ -986,8 +987,8 @@ impl RustFSTestClusterEnvironment {
         Ok(Self {
             nodes,
             temp_dir,
-            access_key: DEFAULT_ACCESS_KEY.to_string(),
-            secret_key: DEFAULT_SECRET_KEY.to_string(),
+            access_key: "rustfs-cluster-test-access".to_string(),
+            secret_key: "rustfs-cluster-test-secret".to_string(),
             extra_env,
             topology,
         })