diff --git a/tests/framework/utils/k8s_helper.go b/tests/framework/utils/k8s_helper.go
index 688d4c264..5c5fc7c91 100644
--- a/tests/framework/utils/k8s_helper.go
+++ b/tests/framework/utils/k8s_helper.go
@@ -186,6 +186,25 @@ func (k8sh *K8sHelper) KubectlWithStdin(stdin string, args ...string) (string, e
 }
 
 func getManifestFromURL(url string) (string, error) {
+	var lastErr error
+	// retry the download since fetches from raw.githubusercontent.com fail
+	// transiently in CI
+	for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
+		if i > 0 {
+			time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
+		}
+		manifest, err := downloadManifest(url)
+		if err != nil {
+			logger.Warningf("failed to get manifest, will retry. %v", err)
+			lastErr = err
+			continue
+		}
+		return manifest, nil
+	}
+	return "", lastErr
+}
+
+func downloadManifest(url string) (string, error) {
 	req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", url, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
@@ -195,6 +214,9 @@ func getManifestFromURL(url string) (string, error) {
 		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to get manifest from url %s", url)
 	}
 	defer res.Body.Close()
+	if res.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
+		return "", errors.Errorf("failed to get manifest from url %s. status: %s", url, res.Status)
+	}
 	body, err := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to read manifest from url %s", url)
diff --git a/tests/framework/utils/snapshot.go b/tests/framework/utils/snapshot.go
index 966a89810..60566a0fe 100644
--- a/tests/framework/utils/snapshot.go
+++ b/tests/framework/utils/snapshot.go
@@ -62,6 +62,21 @@ func (k8sh *K8sHelper) CheckSnapshotISReadyToUse(name, namespace string, retries
 	return false, fmt.Errorf("giving up waiting for %q snapshot in namespace %q", name, namespace)
 }
 
+// kubectlWithURLRetry runs kubectl with a manifest URL argument, retrying on
+// failure since fetching manifests from raw.githubusercontent.com fails
+// transiently in CI.
+func (k8sh *K8sHelper) kubectlWithURLRetry(args ...string) error {
+	var err error
+	for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
+		if _, err = k8sh.Kubectl(args...); err == nil {
+			return nil
+		}
+		logger.Warningf("failed to run kubectl %v, will retry. %v", args, err)
+		time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
 // snapshotController creates/applies or deletes the snapshotcontroller and required RBAC
 func (k8sh *K8sHelper) snapshotController(action string) error {
 	controllerURL := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s", repoURL, snapshotterVersion, controllerPath)
@@ -78,11 +93,7 @@ func (k8sh *K8sHelper) snapshotController(action string) error {
 	}
 
 	rbac := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s", repoURL, snapshotterVersion, rbacPath)
-	_, err = k8sh.Kubectl(action, "-f", rbac)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	return nil
+	return k8sh.kubectlWithURLRetry(action, "-f", rbac)
 }
 
 // WaitForSnapshotController check snapshotcontroller is ready within given
@@ -130,39 +141,19 @@ func (k8sh *K8sHelper) snapshotCRD(action string) error {
 		}
 		return a
 	}
-	snapshotClassCRD := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s", repoURL, snapshotterVersion, snapshotClassCRDPath)
-	_, err := k8sh.Kubectl(args(snapshotClassCRD)...)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+	crdPaths := []string{
+		snapshotClassCRDPath,
+		volumeSnapshotContentsCRDPath,
+		volumeSnapshotCRDPath,
+		volumeGroupSnapshotClassCRDPath,
+		volumeGroupSnapshotContentsCRDPath,
+		volumeGroupSnapshotCRDPath,
 	}
-
-	snapshotContentsCRD := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s", repoURL, snapshotterVersion, volumeSnapshotContentsCRDPath)
-	_, err = k8sh.Kubectl(args(snapshotContentsCRD)...)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	snapshotCRD := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s", repoURL, snapshotterVersion, volumeSnapshotCRDPath)
-	_, err = k8sh.Kubectl(args(snapshotCRD)...)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	vgsClassCRD := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s", repoURL, snapshotterVersion, volumeGroupSnapshotClassCRDPath)
-	_, err = k8sh.Kubectl(args(vgsClassCRD)...)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	vgsContentsCRD := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s", repoURL, snapshotterVersion, volumeGroupSnapshotContentsCRDPath)
-	_, err = k8sh.Kubectl(args(vgsContentsCRD)...)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	vgsCRD := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s", repoURL, snapshotterVersion, volumeGroupSnapshotCRDPath)
-	_, err = k8sh.Kubectl(args(vgsCRD)...)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+	for _, crdPath := range crdPaths {
+		crdURL := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s", repoURL, snapshotterVersion, crdPath)
+		if err := k8sh.kubectlWithURLRetry(args(crdURL)...); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/tests/integration/ceph_base_file_test.go b/tests/integration/ceph_base_file_test.go
index 28a7290d8..1d756f9a4 100644
--- a/tests/integration/ceph_base_file_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/ceph_base_file_test.go
@@ -151,7 +151,8 @@ func fileSystemCSISnapshotTest(helper *clients.TestClient, k8sh *utils.K8sHelper
 		require.NoError(s.T(), err)
 	}()
 	logger.Infof("check snapshot controller is running")
-	err = k8sh.WaitForSnapshotController(15)
+	// the snapshot-controller image pull can take a few minutes in CI
+	err = k8sh.WaitForSnapshotController(90)
 	require.NoError(s.T(), err)
 	// create snapshot class
 	snapshotDeletePolicy := "Delete"