diff --git a/frontend/packages/console-app/src/components/nodes/NodeTerminal.tsx b/frontend/packages/console-app/src/components/nodes/NodeTerminal.tsx
index 75f7e2c4512..29b5dc338c8 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/console-app/src/components/nodes/NodeTerminal.tsx
+++ b/frontend/packages/console-app/src/components/nodes/NodeTerminal.tsx
@@ -244,16 +244,22 @@ const NodeTerminal: FC<NodeTerminalProps> = ({ obj: node }) => {
     createDebugPod();
     window.addEventListener('beforeunload', closeTab);
     return () => {
-      deleteNamespace(namespace.metadata.name);
+      if (namespace) {
+        deleteNamespace(namespace.metadata.name);
+      }
       window.removeEventListener('beforeunload', closeTab);
     };
   }, [nodeName, isWindows]);
 
-  return errorMessage ? (
-    <NodeTerminalError error={errorMessage} />
-  ) : (
-    <NodeTerminalInner pod={pod} loaded={loaded} loadError={loadError} />
-  );
+  if (errorMessage) {
+    return <NodeTerminalError error={errorMessage} />;
+  }
+
+  if (!podName) {
+    return <LoadingBox />;
+  }
+
+  return <NodeTerminalInner pod={pod} loaded={loaded} loadError={loadError} />;
 };
 
 export default NodeTerminal;
diff --git a/frontend/packages/console-app/src/components/nodes/__tests__/NodeTerminal.spec.tsx b/frontend/packages/console-app/src/components/nodes/__tests__/NodeTerminal.spec.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4760e2f2927
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/packages/console-app/src/components/nodes/__tests__/NodeTerminal.spec.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+import { render, screen, act } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { useK8sWatchResource } from '@console/internal/components/utils/k8s-watch-hook';
+import type { NodeKind, PodKind } from '@console/internal/module/k8s';
+import { k8sCreate, k8sGet, k8sKillByName } from '@console/internal/module/k8s';
+import NodeTerminal from '../NodeTerminal';
+
+jest.mock('@console/internal/components/utils/k8s-watch-hook', () => ({
+  useK8sWatchResource: jest.fn(),
+}));
+
+jest.mock('@console/internal/components/pod', () => ({
+  PodConnectLoader: jest.fn(() => 'PodConnectLoader'),
+}));
+
+jest.mock('@console/internal/module/k8s', () => ({
+  k8sCreate: jest.fn(),
+  k8sGet: jest.fn(),
+  k8sKillByName: jest.fn(),
+}));
+
+const mockNode = {
+  apiVersion: 'v1',
+  kind: 'Node',
+  metadata: { name: 'test-node', uid: 'test-uid' },
+  status: { nodeInfo: { operatingSystem: 'linux' } },
+} as NodeKind;
+
+const mockNamespace = { metadata: { name: 'openshift-debug-abc' } };
+
+const mockPod = {
+  apiVersion: 'v1',
+  kind: 'Pod',
+  metadata: { name: 'test-node-debug', namespace: 'openshift-debug-abc' },
+};
+
+const setupPodCreation = () => {
+  (k8sCreate as jest.Mock).mockResolvedValueOnce(mockNamespace).mockResolvedValueOnce(mockPod);
+  (k8sGet as jest.Mock).mockRejectedValue(new Error('not found'));
+  (k8sKillByName as jest.Mock).mockResolvedValue({});
+};
+
+const renderAndCreatePod = async () => {
+  jest.useFakeTimers();
+  await act(async () => {
+    render(<NodeTerminal obj={mockNode} />);
+  });
+  await act(async () => {
+    jest.advanceTimersByTime(1100);
+  });
+  jest.useRealTimers();
+};
+
+describe('NodeTerminal', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    jest.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation();
+    jest.spyOn(console, 'error').mockImplementation();
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    jest.restoreAllMocks();
+    jest.useRealTimers();
+  });
+
+  it('should show loading spinner while debug pod is being created', () => {
+    (k8sCreate as jest.Mock).mockReturnValue(new Promise(() => {}));
+    (k8sGet as jest.Mock).mockReturnValue(new Promise(() => {}));
+    (useK8sWatchResource as jest.Mock).mockReturnValue([undefined, true, undefined]);
+
+    render(<NodeTerminal obj={mockNode} />);
+
+    expect(screen.getByRole('progressbar')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByText('Debug pod not found or was deleted.')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('should show error when watch returns a load error', async () => {
+    setupPodCreation();
+    (useK8sWatchResource as jest.Mock).mockImplementation((resource) =>
+      resource ? [{}, true, new Error('Connection refused')] : [undefined, true, undefined],
+    );
+
+    await renderAndCreatePod();
+
+    expect(screen.getByText('Connection refused')).toBeVisible();
+  });
+
+  it('should show loading when watch has not loaded yet', async () => {
+    setupPodCreation();
+    (useK8sWatchResource as jest.Mock).mockImplementation((resource) =>
+      resource ? [{}, false, undefined] : [undefined, true, undefined],
+    );
+
+    await renderAndCreatePod();
+
+    expect(screen.getByRole('progressbar')).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('should show not found error when pod is loaded but missing', async () => {
+    setupPodCreation();
+    (useK8sWatchResource as jest.Mock).mockImplementation((resource) =>
+      resource ? [undefined, true, undefined] : [undefined, true, undefined],
+    );
+
+    await renderAndCreatePod();
+
+    expect(screen.getByText('Debug pod not found or was deleted.')).toBeVisible();
+  });
+
+  it('should show error with message when pod phase is Failed', async () => {
+    const failedPod = ({
+      ...mockPod,
+      status: { phase: 'Failed', message: 'ImagePullBackOff' },
+    } as unknown) as PodKind;
+
+    setupPodCreation();
+    (useK8sWatchResource as jest.Mock).mockImplementation((resource) =>
+      resource ? [failedPod, true, undefined] : [undefined, true, undefined],
+    );
+
+    await renderAndCreatePod();
+
+    expect(screen.getByText(/The debug pod failed.*ImagePullBackOff/)).toBeVisible();
+  });
+
+  it('should render terminal when pod is Running', async () => {
+    const runningPod = ({
+      ...mockPod,
+      status: { phase: 'Running' },
+    } as unknown) as PodKind;
+
+    setupPodCreation();
+    (useK8sWatchResource as jest.Mock).mockImplementation((resource) =>
+      resource ? [runningPod, true, undefined] : [undefined, true, undefined],
+    );
+
+    await renderAndCreatePod();
+
+    expect(screen.getByText('PodConnectLoader')).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('should show error when pod creation fails', async () => {
+    (k8sCreate as jest.Mock).mockRejectedValue(new Error('Forbidden'));
+    (k8sGet as jest.Mock).mockRejectedValue(new Error('not found'));
+    (k8sKillByName as jest.Mock).mockResolvedValue({});
+    (useK8sWatchResource as jest.Mock).mockReturnValue([undefined, true, undefined]);
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      render(<NodeTerminal obj={mockNode} />);
+    });
+
+    expect(screen.getByText('Forbidden')).toBeVisible();
+  });
+});