diff --git a/tests/test_26444.py b/tests/test_26444.py
index c413be81e48a9ba9f2b988e3351c46dcce9dfb63..d23c01e8a83d389eb1e6b07d2273236391334039 100644
--- a/tests/test_26444.py
+++ b/tests/test_26444.py
@@ -70,17 +70,27 @@ for s in scripts:
                 dec_opts = ""
                 diff_opts = ""
 
-
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("test_tag", list(test_dict.keys()))
-def test_evs_26444(test_tag):
+def test_evs_26444(runner_frontend, test_tag):
     enc_opts, dec_opts, diff_opts = test_dict[test_tag]
-
+    
+    result = None
     if enc_opts:
         enc_opts = enc_opts.replace("./", TEST_DIR + "/")
-        subprocess.run(["./IVAS_cod", "-q"] + enc_opts.split()[1:])
+        enc_opts = enc_opts.replace("-rf rf_config.cfg", "-rf " + TEST_DIR + "/rf_config.cfg") # Special handling of this arguments since the path is missing
+        cmd = ["./IVAS_cod", "-q"] + enc_opts.split()[1:]
+        print(" ".join(["Encoder command: "] + cmd))
+        runner_frontend.run(cmd)
     if dec_opts:
         dec_opts = dec_opts.replace("./", TEST_DIR + "/")
-        subprocess.run(["./IVAS_dec", "-q"] + dec_opts.split()[1:])
+        cmd = ["./IVAS_dec", "-q"] + dec_opts.split()[1:]
+        print(" ".join(["Decoder command: "] + cmd))
+        runner_frontend.run(cmd)
+
+    result = runner_frontend.result
+
+    if result != None and result.returncode:
+        pytest.fail("Non-zero returncode for command: " + " ".join(cmd))
 
     diff_opts = diff_opts.replace("./", TEST_DIR + "/")
     if ";" in diff_opts:
@@ -95,3 +105,27 @@ def test_evs_26444(test_tag):
         result2 = True
     if not (result1 and result2):
         pytest.fail("Output differs")
+
+
+class Runner:
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        self.returncode = None
+        self.result = None
+
+    def run(self, cmd: str) -> None:
+        result = subprocess.run(cmd, capture_output=True, check=False)
+        self.result = result
+        self.returncode = result.returncode
+
+    def _check_run(self):
+        if self.returncode is not None:
+            if self.returncode:
+                pytest.fail( "Command terminated with a non-0 return code" )
+        
+@pytest.fixture(scope="function")
+def runner_frontend() -> Runner:
+    runner = Runner()
+    yield runner
+
+    # Fixture teardown
+    runner._check_run()