diff --git a/tests/integration/kubernetes/k8s-confidential.bats b/tests/integration/kubernetes/k8s-confidential.bats
index c78c7d5184..bf56ac3636 100644
--- a/tests/integration/kubernetes/k8s-confidential.bats
+++ b/tests/integration/kubernetes/k8s-confidential.bats
@@ -30,15 +30,19 @@ setup() {
 	# Check pod creation
 	kubectl wait --for=condition=Ready --timeout=$timeout pod "${pod_name}"
 
-	pod_ip=$(kubectl get pod -o wide | grep "confidential-unencrypted" | awk '{print $6;}')
-
-	# Run the remote command
-	coco_enabled=$(ssh -i ${SSH_KEY_FILE} -o "StrictHostKeyChecking no" -o "PasswordAuthentication=no" root@${pod_ip} /bin/sh -c "$(get_remote_command_per_hypervisor)" || true)
-
-	if [ -z "$coco_enabled" ]; then
-		>&2 echo -e "Confidential compute is expected but not enabled."
-		return 1
-	fi
+	coco_enabled=""
+	for i in {1..6}; do
+		if ! pod_ip=$(kubectl get pod -o wide | grep "confidential-unencrypted" | awk '{print $6;}'); then
+			warn "Failed to get pod IP address."
+		else
+			info "Pod IP address: ${pod_ip}"
+			coco_enabled=$(ssh -i ${SSH_KEY_FILE} -o "StrictHostKeyChecking no" -o "PasswordAuthentication=no" root@${pod_ip} /bin/sh -c "$(get_remote_command_per_hypervisor)") && break
+			warn "Failed to connect to pod."
+		fi
+		sleep 5
+	done
+	[ -z "$coco_enabled" ] && die "Confidential compute is expected but not enabled."
+	info "ssh client output: ${coco_enabled}"
 }
 
 teardown() {