diff --git a/tests/common.bash b/tests/common.bash
index 46dc9064a1..8497542ead 100644
--- a/tests/common.bash
+++ b/tests/common.bash
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ function clean_env_ctr()
 	info "Wait until the containers gets removed"
 
 	for task_id in "${running_tasks[@]}"; do
-		sudo timeout -s SIGKILL 30s ctr t kill -a -s SIGTERM ${task_id} >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+		sudo timeout -s SIGKILL 30s ctr t kill -a -s SIGKILL ${task_id} >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
 		sleep 0.5
 	done
 
@@ -179,6 +179,7 @@ function clean_env_ctr()
 		[ "$count_running" -eq 0 ] && break
 
 		remaining_attempts=$((remaining_attempts-1))
+		sleep 0.5
 	done
 
 	count_tasks="$(sudo ctr t list -q | wc -l)"
diff --git a/tests/metrics/lib/common.bash b/tests/metrics/lib/common.bash
index 9fefd39a55..e7d253136d 100755
--- a/tests/metrics/lib/common.bash
+++ b/tests/metrics/lib/common.bash
@@ -176,13 +176,12 @@ function init_env()
 
 	# restart docker only if it is not masked by systemd
 	docker_masked="$(systemctl list-unit-files --state=masked | grep -c docker)" || true
-	if [ "${docker_masked}" -eq 0 ]; then
-		sudo systemctl restart docker
-	fi
+	[ "${docker_masked}" -eq 0 ] && sudo systemctl restart docker
 
 	# This clean up is more aggressive, this is in order to
 	# decrease the factors that could affect the metrics results.
 	kill_processes_before_start
+	check_processes
 	info "init environment complete"
 }
 
@@ -201,9 +200,11 @@ function kill_processes_before_start()
 	CTR_PROCS=$(sudo "${CTR_EXE}" t list -q)
 	[[ -n "${CTR_PROCS}" ]] && clean_env_ctr
 
-	kill_kata_components && sleep 1
+	restart_containerd_service
+
+	# Remove all running containers
+	# and kills all the kata components
 	kill_kata_components
-	check_processes
 }
 
 # Generate a random name - generally used when creating containers, but can