diff --git a/bin/install-package-tests b/bin/install-package-tests
index 304744214..2646ebb1b 100755
--- a/bin/install-package-tests
+++ b/bin/install-package-tests
@@ -12,9 +12,13 @@
 is_numeric() {
     case $1 in
         ''|*[!0-9]*) return 1;;  # returns 1 if not numeric
-        *) return 0;;           # returns 0 if numeric
+        *) return 0;;            # returns 0 if numeric
     esac
 }
+# Promt color vars.
+C_RED="\033[31m"
+C_BLUE="\033[34m"
+NO_FORMAT="\033[0m"
 
 HOST=localhost
 PORT=""
@@ -28,36 +32,57 @@ if [ -n "${WP_CLI_TEST_DBHOST}" ]; then
 	if [ -n "${PORT}" ]; then
 		# If the port is not numeric, then we assume it is a socket path.
 		if is_numeric "${PORT}"; then
+			echo "Connecting to custom host: ${C_BLUE}${HOST}${NO_FORMAT} on port ${C_BLUE}${PORT}${NO_FORMAT}"
 			HOST_STRING="${HOST_STRING} --port=${PORT} --protocol=tcp"
 		else
+			echo "Connecting to custom host: ${C_BLUE}${HOST}${NO_FORMAT} on socket ${C_BLUE}${PORT}${NO_FORMAT}"
 			HOST_STRING="${HOST_STRING} --socket=${PORT} --protocol=socket"
 		fi
+	else
+		echo "Connecting to custom host: ${C_BLUE}${HOST}${NO_FORMAT}"
 	fi
+else
+	echo "Connecting to default host: ${C_BLUE}${HOST}${NO_FORMAT}"
 fi
 
 USER=root
 if [ -n "${WP_CLI_TEST_DBROOTUSER}" ]; then
-  USER="${WP_CLI_TEST_DBROOTUSER}"
+	echo "Connecting with custom root user: ${C_BLUE}${WP_CLI_TEST_DBROOTUSER}${NO_FORMAT}"
+	USER="${WP_CLI_TEST_DBROOTUSER}"
+else
+	echo "Connecting with default root user: ${C_BLUE}${USER}${NO_FORMAT}"
 fi
 
 PASSWORD_STRING=""
 if [ -n "${WP_CLI_TEST_DBROOTPASS}" ]; then
-  PASSWORD_STRING="-p${WP_CLI_TEST_DBROOTPASS}"
+	echo "Connecting with custom root password: ${C_BLUE}${WP_CLI_TEST_DBROOTPASS}${NO_FORMAT}"
+	PASSWORD_STRING="-p${WP_CLI_TEST_DBROOTPASS}"
+else
+	echo "Connecting with default root password: ${C_BLUE}empty${NO_FORMAT}"
 fi
 
 TEST_DB=wp_cli_test
 if [ -n "${WP_CLI_TEST_DBNAME}" ]; then
-  TEST_DB="${WP_CLI_TEST_DBNAME}"
+	echo "Using custom test database: ${C_BLUE}${WP_CLI_TEST_DBNAME}${NO_FORMAT}"
+	TEST_DB="${WP_CLI_TEST_DBNAME}"
+else
+	echo "Using default test database: ${C_BLUE}${TEST_DB}${NO_FORMAT}"
 fi
 
 TEST_USER=wp_cli_test
 if [ -n "${WP_CLI_TEST_DBUSER}" ]; then
-  TEST_USER="${WP_CLI_TEST_DBUSER}"
+	echo "Using custom test user: ${C_BLUE}${WP_CLI_TEST_DBUSER}${NO_FORMAT}"
+	TEST_USER="${WP_CLI_TEST_DBUSER}"
+else
+	echo "Using default test user: ${C_BLUE}${TEST_USER}${NO_FORMAT}"
 fi
 
 TEST_PASSWORD=password1
 if [ -n "${WP_CLI_TEST_DBPASS}" ]; then
-  TEST_PASSWORD="${WP_CLI_TEST_DBPASS}"
+	echo "Using custom test password: ${C_BLUE}${WP_CLI_TEST_DBPASS}${NO_FORMAT}"
+	TEST_PASSWORD="${WP_CLI_TEST_DBPASS}"
+else
+	echo "Using default test password: ${C_BLUE}${TEST_PASSWORD}${NO_FORMAT}"
 fi
 
 echo "Detecting database version..."
@@ -71,6 +96,15 @@ case "${CLIENT_VERSION}" in
 		;;
 esac
 
+if [ -z "$PS1" ]; then
+	# These vars are because github actions gave problems in the past.
+	MYSQL_TRIES=36
+	MYSQL_WAIT=5
+else
+	MYSQL_TRIES=1
+	MYSQL_WAIT=0
+fi
+
 if [ "${TYPE}" = "MySQL" ]; then
 	SERVER_VERSION=$(mysql -e "SELECT VERSION()" --skip-column-names ${HOST_STRING} -u"${USER}" "${PASSWORD_STRING}")
 else
@@ -88,42 +122,54 @@ echo 'Checking if database is ready...'
 if [ "${TYPE}" = "MySQL" ]; then
 	while ! mysql ${HOST_STRING} --user="${USER}" "${PASSWORD_STRING}" --execute="SHOW DATABASES;" | grep 'information_schema' >/dev/null;
 	do
-		echo 'Waiting for database...'
-		sleep 5
 		i=$((i+1))
-		if [ $i -gt 36 ]; then
-		echo 'Database failed to start. Aborting.'
-		exit 1
+		if [ "${MYSQL_TRIES}" -gt 1 ]; then
+			echo "Waiting for MySQL(${i}/${MYSQL_TRIES})..."
+			sleep ${MYSQL_WAIT}
+		fi
+
+		if [ $i -ge $MYSQL_TRIES ]; then
+			echo "${C_RED}MySQL failed to start. Aborting.${NO_FORMAT}"
+			echo "Cannot connect to MySQL server. For all available variables, check the documentation at:"
+			echo " ${C_BLUE}https://github.com/wp-cli/wp-cli-tests?tab=readme-ov-file#the-database-credentials${NO_FORMAT}"
+			exit 1
 		fi
 	done
 else
 	while ! mariadb ${HOST_STRING} --user="${USER}" "${PASSWORD_STRING}" --execute="SHOW DATABASES;" | grep 'information_schema' >/dev/null;
 	do
-		echo 'Waiting for database...'
-		sleep 5
 		i=$((i+1))
-		if [ $i -gt 36 ]; then
-		echo 'Database failed to start. Aborting.'
-		exit 1
+		if [ "${MYSQL_TRIES}" -gt 1 ]; then
+			echo "Waiting for MariaDB(${i}/${MYSQL_TRIES})..."
+			sleep ${MYSQL_WAIT}
+		fi
+
+		if [ $i -ge $MYSQL_TRIES ]; then
+			echo "${C_RED}MariaDB failed to start. Aborting.${NO_FORMAT}"
+			echo "Cannot connect to MariaDB server. For all available variables, check the documentation at:"
+			echo " ${C_BLUE}https://github.com/wp-cli/wp-cli-tests?tab=readme-ov-file#the-database-credentials${NO_FORMAT}"
+			exit 1
 		fi
 	done
 fi
 
 # Prepare the database for running the tests with a MySQL version 8.0 or higher.
 install_mysql_db_8_0_plus() {
-	set -ex
+	set -ex # print all the commands.
 	mysql -e "CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS \`${TEST_DB}\`;" ${HOST_STRING} -u"${USER}" "${PASSWORD_STRING}"
 	mysql -e "CREATE USER IF NOT EXISTS \`${TEST_USER}\`@'%' IDENTIFIED WITH caching_sha2_password BY '${TEST_PASSWORD}'" ${HOST_STRING} -u"${USER}" "${PASSWORD_STRING}"
 	mysql -e "GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON \`${TEST_DB}\`.* TO '${TEST_USER}'@'%'" ${HOST_STRING} -u"${USER}" "${PASSWORD_STRING}"
 	mysql -e "GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON \`${TEST_DB}_scaffold\`.* TO '${TEST_USER}'@'%'" ${HOST_STRING} -u"${USER}" "${PASSWORD_STRING}"
+	{ set +ex; } 2> /dev/null # stop printing the commands
 }
 
 # Prepare the database for running the tests with a MySQL version lower than 8.0.
 install_mysql_db_lower_than_8_0() {
-	set -ex
+	set -ex # print all the commands.
 	mysql -e "CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS \`${TEST_DB}\`;" ${HOST_STRING} -u"${USER}" "${PASSWORD_STRING}"
 	mysql -e "GRANT ALL ON \`${TEST_DB}\`.* TO '${TEST_USER}'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY '${TEST_PASSWORD}'" ${HOST_STRING} -u"${USER}" "${PASSWORD_STRING}"
 	mysql -e "GRANT ALL ON \`${TEST_DB}_scaffold\`.* TO '${TEST_USER}'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY '${TEST_PASSWORD}'" ${HOST_STRING} -u"${USER}" "${PASSWORD_STRING}"
+	{ set +ex; } 2> /dev/null # stop printing the commands
 }
 
 # Prepare the database for running the tests with MariaDB
@@ -142,3 +188,6 @@ elif [ "${MAJOR}" -ge 8 ]; then
 else
 	install_mysql_db_lower_than_8_0
 fi
+
+echo "Succesfully prepared the database for running tests."
+echo "This command does not have to be run again."
diff --git a/src/Context/FeatureContext.php b/src/Context/FeatureContext.php
index d726369fa..4f3fdb7ba 100644
--- a/src/Context/FeatureContext.php
+++ b/src/Context/FeatureContext.php
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 use SebastianBergmann\CodeCoverage\CodeCoverage;
 use SebastianBergmann\Environment\Runtime;
 use RuntimeException;
+use WP_CLI;
 use DirectoryIterator;
 use WP_CLI\Process;
 use WP_CLI\ProcessRun;
@@ -866,6 +867,7 @@ public function __construct() {
 
 		$this->variables['CORE_CONFIG_SETTINGS'] = Utils\assoc_args_to_str( self::$db_settings );
 
+		$this->test_connection();
 		$this->drop_db();
 		$this->set_cache_dir();
 	}
@@ -1110,8 +1112,9 @@ private function set_cache_dir(): void {
 	 * @param string                $sql_cmd      Command to run.
 	 * @param array<string, string> $assoc_args   Optional. Associative array of options. Default empty.
 	 * @param bool                  $add_database Optional. Whether to add dbname to the $sql_cmd. Default false.
+	 * @return array{stdout: string, stderr: string, exit_code: int}
 	 */
-	private static function run_sql( $sql_cmd, $assoc_args = [], $add_database = false ): void {
+	private static function run_sql( $sql_cmd, $assoc_args = [], $add_database = false ) {
 		$default_assoc_args = [
 			'host' => self::$db_settings['dbhost'],
 			'user' => self::$db_settings['dbuser'],
@@ -1120,11 +1123,19 @@ private static function run_sql( $sql_cmd, $assoc_args = [], $add_database = fal
 		if ( $add_database ) {
 			$sql_cmd .= ' ' . escapeshellarg( self::$db_settings['dbname'] );
 		}
+		$send_to_shell = true;
+		if ( isset( $assoc_args['send_to_shell'] ) ) {
+			$send_to_shell = (bool) $assoc_args['send_to_shell'];
+			unset( $assoc_args['send_to_shell'] );
+		}
+
 		$start_time = microtime( true );
-		Utils\run_mysql_command( $sql_cmd, array_merge( $assoc_args, $default_assoc_args ) );
+		$result     = Utils\run_mysql_command( $sql_cmd, array_merge( $assoc_args, $default_assoc_args ), null, $send_to_shell );
 		if ( self::$log_run_times ) {
 			self::log_proc_method_run_time( 'run_sql ' . $sql_cmd, $start_time );
 		}
+
+		return array_combine( [ 'stdout', 'stderr', 'exit_code' ], $result );
 	}
 
 	public function create_db(): void {
@@ -1136,6 +1147,37 @@ public function create_db(): void {
 		self::run_sql( self::$mysql_binary . ' --no-defaults', [ 'execute' => "CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS $dbname" ] );
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Test if the database connection is working.
+	 */
+	public function test_connection(): void {
+		if ( 'sqlite' === self::$db_type ) {
+			return;
+		}
+
+		$sql_result = self::run_sql(
+			self::$mysql_binary . ' --no-defaults',
+			[
+				'execute'       => 'SELECT 1',
+				'send_to_shell' => false,
+			]
+		);
+
+		if ( 0 !== $sql_result['exit_code'] ) {
+			# WP_CLI output functions are suppressed in behat context.
+			echo 'There was an error connecting to the database:' . \PHP_EOL;
+			if ( ! empty( $sql_result['stderr'] ) ) {
+				echo '  ' . trim( $sql_result['stderr'] ) . \PHP_EOL;
+			}
+			echo 'run `composer prepare-tests` to connect to the database.' . \PHP_EOL;
+			die( $sql_result['exit_code'] );
+		} elseif ( ! empty( $sql_result['stderr'] ) ) {
+			// There is "error" output but not an exit code.
+			// Probably a warning, still display it.
+			echo trim( $sql_result['stderr'] ) . \PHP_EOL;
+		}
+	}
+
 	public function drop_db(): void {
 		if ( 'sqlite' === self::$db_type ) {
 			return;