diff --git a/tests/integration/helpers.py b/tests/integration/helpers.py
index db64ec13d..889561243 100644
--- a/tests/integration/helpers.py
+++ b/tests/integration/helpers.py
@@ -155,7 +155,6 @@ async def get_application_relation_data(
 
     # Filter the data based on the relation name.
     relation_data = [v for v in data[unit_name]["relation-info"] if v["endpoint"] == relation_name]
-
     if relation_id:
         # Filter the data based on the relation id.
         relation_data = [v for v in relation_data if v["relation-id"] == relation_id]
@@ -212,13 +211,15 @@ async def check_or_scale_app(ops_test: OpsTest, user_app_name: str, required_uni
     # check if we need to scale
     current_units = len(ops_test.model.applications[user_app_name].units)
 
-    if current_units > required_units:
+    if current_units == required_units:
+        return
+    elif current_units > required_units:
         for i in range(0, current_units):
             unit_to_remove = [ops_test.model.applications[user_app_name].units[i].name]
             await ops_test.model.destroy_units(*unit_to_remove)
             await ops_test.model.wait_for_idle()
-
-    units_to_add = required_units - current_units
+    else:
+        units_to_add = required_units - current_units
     await ops_test.model.applications[user_app_name].add_unit(count=units_to_add)
     await ops_test.model.wait_for_idle()
 
diff --git a/tests/integration/metrics_tests/test_metrics.py b/tests/integration/metrics_tests/test_metrics.py
index 0a6a5b0bc..d7a9eec5c 100644
--- a/tests/integration/metrics_tests/test_metrics.py
+++ b/tests/integration/metrics_tests/test_metrics.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ async def test_build_and_deploy(ops_test: OpsTest) -> None:
     """Build and deploy one unit of MongoDB."""
     app_name = await get_app_name(ops_test)
     if app_name:
-        return check_or_scale_app(ops_test, app_name, len(UNIT_IDS))
+        return await check_or_scale_app(ops_test, app_name, len(UNIT_IDS))
     if await get_app_name(ops_test):
         return
 
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_charm.py b/tests/integration/test_charm.py
index 82ed8ff7c..7ffb6b783 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_charm.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_charm.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ async def test_build_and_deploy(ops_test: OpsTest) -> None:
     # is a pre-existing cluster.
     app_name = await get_app_name(ops_test)
     if app_name:
-        return check_or_scale_app(ops_test, app_name, len(UNIT_IDS))
+        return await check_or_scale_app(ops_test, app_name, len(UNIT_IDS))
 
     my_charm = await ops_test.build_charm(".")
     await ops_test.model.deploy(my_charm, num_units=len(UNIT_IDS))
diff --git a/tests/integration/tls_tests/test_tls.py b/tests/integration/tls_tests/test_tls.py
index cd0e4640b..8ef6c32b1 100644
--- a/tests/integration/tls_tests/test_tls.py
+++ b/tests/integration/tls_tests/test_tls.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ async def test_build_and_deploy(ops_test: OpsTest) -> None:
     # is a pre-existing cluster.
     app_name = await get_app_name(ops_test)
     if app_name:
-        check_or_scale_app(ops_test, app_name, len(UNIT_IDS))
+        await check_or_scale_app(ops_test, app_name, len(UNIT_IDS))
     else:
         app_name = DATABASE_APP_NAME
         async with ops_test.fast_forward():