diff --git a/mapchete_eo/base.py b/mapchete_eo/base.py
index eb9bdec..225b593 100644
--- a/mapchete_eo/base.py
+++ b/mapchete_eo/base.py
@@ -500,12 +500,6 @@ def __init__(
         self.area = self._init_area(input_params)
         self.time = self.params.time
 
-        self.eo_bands = [
-            eo_band
-            for source in self.params.source
-            for eo_band in source.eo_bands(base_dir=self.conf_dir)
-        ]
-
         if self.readonly:  # pragma: no cover
             return
         # don't use preprocessing tasks for Sentinel-2 products:
@@ -533,6 +527,17 @@ def __init__(
                 ]
             )
 
+    @cached_property
+    def eo_bands(self) -> List[str]:
+        if self.area.is_empty:
+            logger.debug("Input area is empty, nothing to be found here.")
+            return []
+        return [
+            eo_band
+            for source in self.params.source
+            for eo_band in source.eo_bands(base_dir=self.conf_dir)
+        ]
+
     def _init_area(self, input_params: dict) -> BaseGeometry:
         """Returns valid driver area for this process."""
         process_area = input_params["delimiters"]["effective_area"]
@@ -556,6 +561,9 @@ def _init_area(self, input_params: dict) -> BaseGeometry:
         return process_area
 
     def source_items(self) -> Generator[Item, None, None]:
+        if self.area.is_empty:
+            logger.debug("Input area is empty, nothing to be found here.")
+            return
         already_returned = set()
         for source in self.params.source:
             area = reproject_geometry(
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 2448d61..19d89db 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import os
 
+from httpx import Client
 import numpy as np
 import numpy.ma as ma
 from pystac import Item
@@ -20,6 +21,14 @@
 from mapchete_eo.types import TimeRange
 
 
+def check_cdse_endpoint():
+    response = Client().get(
+        "https://stac.dataspace.copernicus.eu/v1/collections/sentinel-2-l2a"
+    )
+    if response.is_error:
+        pytest.skip(f"CDSE endpoint is experiencing issues: {response.text}")
+
+
 @pytest.fixture
 def tmp_mpath(tmp_path):
     return MPath.from_inp(tmp_path)
@@ -131,6 +140,7 @@ def s2_stac_item_jp2():
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def s2_stac_item_cdse_jp2():
+    check_cdse_endpoint()
     item = Item.from_file(
         "https://stac.dataspace.copernicus.eu/v1/collections/sentinel-2-l2a/items/S2B_MSIL2A_20230810T094549_N0509_R079_T33TWM_20230810T130104"
     )
@@ -173,6 +183,7 @@ def stac_mapchete(tmp_path, testdata_dir):
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def stac_cdse_copernicus_dem_mapchete(tmp_path, testdata_dir):
+    check_cdse_endpoint()
     with ProcessFixture(
         testdata_dir / "stac_cdse_copernicus_dem.mapchete",
         output_tempdir=tmp_path,
@@ -218,6 +229,7 @@ def sentinel2_mapchete(tmp_path, testdata_dir):
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def sentinel2_aws_cdse_mapchete(tmp_path, testdata_dir):
+    check_cdse_endpoint()
     with ProcessFixture(
         testdata_dir / "sentinel2_aws_cdse.mapchete",
         output_tempdir=tmp_path,
@@ -227,6 +239,7 @@ def sentinel2_aws_cdse_mapchete(tmp_path, testdata_dir):
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def sentinel2_cdse_mapchete(tmp_path, testdata_dir):
+    check_cdse_endpoint()
     with ProcessFixture(
         testdata_dir / "sentinel2_cdse.mapchete",
         output_tempdir=tmp_path,
diff --git a/tests/platforms/sentinel2/test_base.py b/tests/platforms/sentinel2/test_base.py
index 4ea7e2c..fb7e5e3 100644
--- a/tests/platforms/sentinel2/test_base.py
+++ b/tests/platforms/sentinel2/test_base.py
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ def test_remote_s2_read_xarray(mapchete_config):
     "mapchete_config",
     [lazy_fixture("sentinel2_cdse_mapchete")],
 )
+@pytest.mark.xfail(reason="CDSE endpoint is flaky")
 def test_remote_s2_read_xarray_cdse(mapchete_config):
     with mapchete_config.process_mp().open("inp") as cube:
         assert isinstance(cube.read(assets=["coastal"]), xr.Dataset)
@@ -487,6 +488,7 @@ def test_footprint_buffer(sentinel2_stac_mapchete, test_edge_tile):
 
 
 @pytest.mark.remote
+@pytest.mark.xfail(reason="CDSE endpoint is flaky")
 def test_multiple_sources(sentinel2_multiple_sources_mapchete):
     mp = sentinel2_multiple_sources_mapchete.mp()
     input_data = list(mp.config.inputs.values())[0]
diff --git a/tests/platforms/sentinel2/test_sources.py b/tests/platforms/sentinel2/test_sources.py
index ab0e3c1..323bd2c 100644
--- a/tests/platforms/sentinel2/test_sources.py
+++ b/tests/platforms/sentinel2/test_sources.py
@@ -34,5 +34,7 @@ def test_known_sources(collection):
 @pytest.mark.remote
 @pytest.mark.use_cdse_test_env
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("collection", ["CDSE"])
-def test_known_sources_cdse(collection):
+@pytest.mark.xfail(reason="CDSE endpoint is flaky")
+def test_known_sources_cdse(collection, sentinel2_cdse_mapchete):
+    # using sentinel2_cdse_mapchete fixture to trigger CDSE endpoint check
     test_known_sources(collection)
diff --git a/tests/test_eostac.py b/tests/test_eostac.py
index 5c5e197..07ee525 100644
--- a/tests/test_eostac.py
+++ b/tests/test_eostac.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ def test_preprocessing(stac_mapchete):
 
 @pytest.mark.remote
 @pytest.mark.use_cdse_test_env
+@pytest.mark.xfail(reason="CDSE endpoint is flaky")
 def test_stac_read_xarray_dem(stac_cdse_copernicus_dem_mapchete, test_tile):
     with stac_cdse_copernicus_dem_mapchete.process_mp(tile=test_tile).open(
         "inp"