diff --git a/.github/workflows/canary-integration-test.yml b/.github/workflows/canary-integration-test.yml
index e92f79f35fd74..bc727a91f6145 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/canary-integration-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/canary-integration-test.yml
@@ -953,6 +953,19 @@ jobs:
     - name: write an object to one cluster, read from the other
       run: tests/scripts/github-action-helper.sh write_object_to_cluster1_read_from_cluster2
 
+    # if this test fails, it could mean the RGW `period get` or `period update` output has changed
+    - name: RGW configuration period should be committed on first reconcile and not be committed on second reconcile
+      run: |
+        ns_name_primary='"rook-ceph/multisite-store"' # double quotes intended
+        ns_name_secondary='"rook-ceph-secondary/zone-b-multisite-store"' # double quotes intended
+        committed_msg="committing changes to RGW configuration period for CephObjectStore"
+        tests/scripts/github-action-helper.sh verify_operator_log_message "${committed_msg} ${ns_name_primary}"
+        tests/scripts/github-action-helper.sh verify_operator_log_message "${committed_msg} ${ns_name_secondary}"
+        tests/scripts/github-action-helper.sh restart_operator
+        not_committed_msg="there are no changes to commit for RGW configuration period for CephObjectStore"
+        tests/scripts/github-action-helper.sh wait_for_operator_log_message "${not_committed_msg} ${ns_name_primary}" 60
+        tests/scripts/github-action-helper.sh wait_for_operator_log_message "${not_committed_msg} ${ns_name_secondary}" 20
+
     - name: upload test result
       uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
       if: always()
diff --git a/pkg/operator/ceph/object/admin.go b/pkg/operator/ceph/object/admin.go
index 2f8e89491c668..b671832269161 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/ceph/object/admin.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/ceph/object/admin.go
@@ -318,9 +318,12 @@ func CommitConfigChanges(c *Context) error {
 	// DO NOT MODIFY nsName here. It is part of the integration test checks noted below.
 	nsName := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", c.clusterInfo.Namespace, c.Name)
 	if !shouldCommit {
-		logger.Debugf("not committing changes to RGW configuration period for CephObjectStore %q", nsName)
+		// DO NOT MODIFY THE MESSAGE BELOW. It is checked in integration tests.
+		logger.Infof("there are no changes to commit for RGW configuration period for CephObjectStore %q", nsName)
 		return nil
 	}
+	// DO NOT MODIFY THE MESSAGE BELOW. It is checked in integration tests.
+	logger.Infof("committing changes to RGW configuration period for CephObjectStore %q", nsName)
 	// don't expect json output since we don't intend to use the output from the command
 	_, err = runAdminCommand(c, false, "period", "update", "--commit")
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/tests/scripts/github-action-helper.sh b/tests/scripts/github-action-helper.sh
index 3f5d913c0e24c..ed7bde8a07be8 100755
--- a/tests/scripts/github-action-helper.sh
+++ b/tests/scripts/github-action-helper.sh
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-set -xe
+set -xeEo pipefail
 
 #############
 # VARIABLES #
@@ -145,8 +145,8 @@ function validate_yaml() {
 }
 
 function create_cluster_prerequisites() {
-  cd cluster/examples/kubernetes/ceph
-  kubectl create -f crds.yaml -f common.yaml
+  # this might be called from another function that has already done a cd
+  ( cd cluster/examples/kubernetes/ceph && kubectl create -f crds.yaml -f common.yaml )
 }
 
 function deploy_manifest_with_local_build() {
@@ -169,23 +169,22 @@ function deploy_cluster() {
 }
 
 function wait_for_prepare_pod() {
-  timeout 180 bash <<-'EOF'
-    while true; do
-      if [[ "$(kubectl -n rook-ceph get pod -l app=rook-ceph-osd-prepare --field-selector=status.phase=Running)" -gt 1 ]]; then
-        break
-      fi
-      sleep 5
-    done
-    kubectl -n rook-ceph logs --follow pod/$(kubectl -n rook-ceph get pod -l app=rook-ceph-osd-prepare -o jsonpath='{.items[0].metadata.name}')
-EOF
-  timeout 60 bash <<-'EOF'
-  until kubectl -n rook-ceph logs $(kubectl -n rook-ceph get pod -l app=rook-ceph-osd,ceph_daemon_id=0 -o jsonpath='{.items[*].metadata.name}') --all-containers || true; do
-    echo "waiting for osd container"
-    sleep 1
-  done
-EOF
-  kubectl -n rook-ceph describe job/"$(kubectl -n rook-ceph get pod -l app=rook-ceph-osd-prepare -o jsonpath='{.items[*].metadata.name}')" || true
-  kubectl -n rook-ceph describe deploy/rook-ceph-osd-0 || true
+  get_pod_cmd=(kubectl --namespace rook-ceph get pod --no-headers --output name)
+  timeout 180 bash -c \
+    "until [[ -n \"\$(${get_pod_cmd[*]} --selector app=rook-ceph-osd-prepare --field-selector=status.phase=Running)\" ]]; do \
+      echo waiting for osd prepare pod to be running && sleep 5; \
+    done"
+  pod="$("${get_pod_cmd[@]}" --selector app=rook-ceph-osd-prepare)"
+  kubectl --namespace rook-ceph logs --follow "$pod"
+  timeout 60 bash -c \
+    "until [[ -n \"\$(${get_pod_cmd[*]} --selector app=rook-ceph-osd,ceph_daemon_id=0 --field-selector=status.phase=Running)\" ]]; do \
+      echo waiting for osd pod to be running && sleep 1; \
+    done"
+  pod="$("${get_pod_cmd[@]}" --selector app=rook-ceph-osd,ceph_daemon_id=0)" || true
+  kubectl --namespace rook-ceph logs "$pod" || true
+  job="$(kubectl --namespace rook-ceph get job --selector app=rook-ceph-osd-prepare --output name)" || true
+  kubectl -n rook-ceph describe "$job" || true
+  kubectl -n rook-ceph describe deployment/rook-ceph-osd-0 || true
 }
 
 function wait_for_ceph_to_be_ready() {
@@ -217,12 +216,26 @@ function create_LV_on_disk() {
 
 function deploy_first_rook_cluster() {
   BLOCK=$(sudo lsblk|awk '/14G/ {print $1}'| head -1)
+  create_cluster_prerequisites
   cd cluster/examples/kubernetes/ceph/
-  kubectl create -f crds.yaml -f common.yaml -f operator.yaml
+  deploy_manifest_with_local_build operator.yaml
   yq w -i -d1 cluster-test.yaml spec.dashboard.enabled false
   yq w -i -d1 cluster-test.yaml spec.storage.useAllDevices false
   yq w -i -d1 cluster-test.yaml spec.storage.deviceFilter "${BLOCK}"1
-  kubectl create -f cluster-test.yaml -f toolbox.yaml
+  kubectl create -f cluster-test.yaml
+  deploy_manifest_with_local_build toolbox.yaml
+}
+
+function deploy_second_rook_cluster() {
+  BLOCK=$(sudo lsblk|awk '/14G/ {print $1}'| head -1)
+  cd cluster/examples/kubernetes/ceph/
+  NAMESPACE=rook-ceph-secondary envsubst < common-second-cluster.yaml | kubectl create -f -
+  sed -i 's/namespace: rook-ceph/namespace: rook-ceph-secondary/g' cluster-test.yaml
+  yq w -i -d1 cluster-test.yaml spec.storage.deviceFilter "${BLOCK}"2
+  yq w -i -d1 cluster-test.yaml spec.dataDirHostPath "/var/lib/rook-external"
+  kubectl create -f cluster-test.yaml
+  yq w -i toolbox.yaml metadata.namespace rook-ceph-secondary
+  deploy_manifest_with_local_build toolbox.yaml toolbox.yaml
 }
 
 function wait_for_rgw_pods() {
@@ -237,15 +250,33 @@ function wait_for_rgw_pods() {
 
 }
 
-function deploy_second_rook_cluster() {
-  BLOCK=$(sudo lsblk|awk '/14G/ {print $1}'| head -1)
-  cd cluster/examples/kubernetes/ceph/
-  NAMESPACE=rook-ceph-secondary envsubst < common-second-cluster.yaml | kubectl create -f -
-  sed -i 's/namespace: rook-ceph/namespace: rook-ceph-secondary/g' cluster-test.yaml
-  yq w -i -d1 cluster-test.yaml spec.storage.deviceFilter "${BLOCK}"2
-  yq w -i -d1 cluster-test.yaml spec.dataDirHostPath "/var/lib/rook-external"
-  yq w -i toolbox.yaml metadata.namespace rook-ceph-secondary
-  kubectl create -f cluster-test.yaml -f toolbox.yaml
+function verify_operator_log_message() {
+  local message="$1"  # param 1: the message to verify exists
+  local namespace="${2:-rook-ceph}"  # optional param 2: the namespace of the CephCluster (default: rook-ceph)
+  kubectl --namespace "$namespace" logs deployment/rook-ceph-operator | grep "$message"
+}
+
+function wait_for_operator_log_message() {
+  local message="$1"  # param 1: the message to look for
+  local timeout="$2"  # param 2: the timeout for waiting for the message to exist
+  local namespace="${3:-rook-ceph}"  # optional param 3: the namespace of the CephCluster (default: rook-ceph)
+  start_time="${SECONDS}"
+  while [[ $(( SECONDS - start_time )) -lt $timeout ]]; do
+    if verify_operator_log_message "$message" "$namespace"; then return 0; fi
+    sleep 5
+  done
+  echo "timed out" >&2 && return 1
+}
+
+function restart_operator () {
+  local namespace="${1:-rook-ceph}"  # optional param 1: the namespace of the CephCluster (default: rook-ceph)
+  get_pod_cmd=(kubectl --namespace "$namespace" get pod --selector app=rook-ceph-operator --no-headers)
+  pod="$("${get_pod_cmd[@]}" --output name)"
+  # --output name gives "pod/<name>", so don't specify the kind here
+  kubectl --namespace "$namespace" delete "$pod" # waits for pod to be deleted but not new pod to be running
+  timeout 20 bash -c \
+    "until [[ -n \"\$(${get_pod_cmd[*]} --field-selector=status.phase=Running 2>/dev/null)\" ]] ; do echo waiting && sleep 1; done"
+  "${get_pod_cmd[@]}"
 }
 
 function write_object_to_cluster1_read_from_cluster2() {
@@ -275,7 +306,5 @@ EOF
 FUNCTION="$1"
 shift # remove function arg now that we've recorded it
 # call the function with the remainder of the user-provided args
-if ! $FUNCTION "$@"; then
-  echo "Call to $FUNCTION was not successful" >&2
-  exit 1
-fi
+# -e, -E, and -o=pipefail will ensure this script returns a failure if a part of the function fails
+$FUNCTION "$@"