diff --git a/acceptance/framework/connhelper/connect_helper.go b/acceptance/framework/connhelper/connect_helper.go
index 8695e74d56..684c8d8637 100644
--- a/acceptance/framework/connhelper/connect_helper.go
+++ b/acceptance/framework/connhelper/connect_helper.go
@@ -117,14 +117,19 @@ func (c *ConnectHelper) DeployClientAndServer(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Check that both static-server and static-client have been injected and
 	// now have 2 containers.
-	for _, labelSelector := range []string{"app=static-server", "app=static-client"} {
-		podList, err := c.Ctx.KubernetesClient(t).CoreV1().Pods(c.Ctx.KubectlOptions(t).Namespace).List(context.Background(), metav1.ListOptions{
-			LabelSelector: labelSelector,
+	retry.RunWith(
+		&retry.Timer{Timeout: 30 * time.Second, Wait: 100 * time.Millisecond}, t,
+		func(r *retry.R) {
+			for _, labelSelector := range []string{"app=static-server", "app=static-client"} {
+				podList, err := c.Ctx.KubernetesClient(t).CoreV1().Pods(c.Ctx.KubectlOptions(t).Namespace).List(context.Background(), metav1.ListOptions{
+					LabelSelector: labelSelector,
+					FieldSelector: `status.phase=Running`,
+				})
+				require.NoError(r, err)
+				require.Len(r, podList.Items, 1)
+				require.Len(r, podList.Items[0].Spec.Containers, 2)
+			}
 		})
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-		require.Len(t, podList.Items, 1)
-		require.Len(t, podList.Items[0].Spec.Containers, 2)
-	}
 }
 
 // TestConnectionFailureWithoutIntention ensures the connection to the static