diff --git a/tests/integration/kubernetes/tests_common.sh b/tests/integration/kubernetes/tests_common.sh
index 77ec29f55f..670d57fd8e 100644
--- a/tests/integration/kubernetes/tests_common.sh
+++ b/tests/integration/kubernetes/tests_common.sh
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ setup_common() {
 	node_start_time=$(exec_host "${node}" date +\"%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S\")
 	# If node_start_time is empty, try again 3 times with a 5 seconds sleep between each try.
 	count=0
-	while [[ -z "${node_start_time}" ]] && [[ ${count} -lt 3 ]]; do
+	while [[ -z "${node_start_time}" ]] && [[ "${count}" -lt 3 ]]; do
 		echo "node_start_time is empty, trying again..."
 		sleep 5
 		node_start_time=$(exec_host "${node}" date +\"%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S\")