diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_runtime.go b/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_runtime.go
index 36b3839eb74..c87fbe8f836 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_runtime.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_runtime.go
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ import (
 	runtimeapi "k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/runtime/v1"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/features"
-	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/metrics"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/util"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/probe/exec"
 
@@ -807,15 +806,17 @@ func (r *remoteRuntimeService) CheckpointContainer(ctx context.Context, options
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (r *remoteRuntimeService) GetContainerEvents(containerEventsCh chan *runtimeapi.ContainerEventResponse) error {
+func (r *remoteRuntimeService) GetContainerEvents(containerEventsCh chan *runtimeapi.ContainerEventResponse, connectionEstablishedCallback func(runtimeapi.RuntimeService_GetContainerEventsClient)) error {
 	containerEventsStreamingClient, err := r.runtimeClient.GetContainerEvents(context.Background(), &runtimeapi.GetEventsRequest{})
 	if err != nil {
 		klog.ErrorS(err, "GetContainerEvents failed to get streaming client")
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// The connection is successfully established and we have a streaming client ready for use.
-	metrics.EventedPLEGConn.Inc()
+	if connectionEstablishedCallback != nil {
+		// The connection is successfully established and we have a streaming client ready for use.
+		connectionEstablishedCallback(containerEventsStreamingClient)
+	}
 
 	for {
 		resp, err := containerEventsStreamingClient.Recv()
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/instrumented_services.go b/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/instrumented_services.go
index 3630d3d2b36..23a9c76081c 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/instrumented_services.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/instrumented_services.go
@@ -335,11 +335,11 @@ func (in instrumentedRuntimeService) CheckpointContainer(ctx context.Context, op
 	return err
 }
 
-func (in instrumentedRuntimeService) GetContainerEvents(containerEventsCh chan *runtimeapi.ContainerEventResponse) error {
+func (in instrumentedRuntimeService) GetContainerEvents(containerEventsCh chan *runtimeapi.ContainerEventResponse, connectionEstablishedCallback func(runtimeapi.RuntimeService_GetContainerEventsClient)) error {
 	const operation = "get_container_events"
 	defer recordOperation(operation, time.Now())
 
-	err := in.service.GetContainerEvents(containerEventsCh)
+	err := in.service.GetContainerEvents(containerEventsCh, connectionEstablishedCallback)
 	recordError(operation, err)
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/pleg/evented.go b/pkg/kubelet/pleg/evented.go
index ef44ff5c994..1cdaff88d88 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/pleg/evented.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/pleg/evented.go
@@ -192,7 +192,9 @@ func (e *EventedPLEG) watchEventsChannel() {
 				}
 			}
 
-			err := e.runtimeService.GetContainerEvents(containerEventsResponseCh)
+			err := e.runtimeService.GetContainerEvents(containerEventsResponseCh, func(runtimeapi.RuntimeService_GetContainerEventsClient) {
+				metrics.EventedPLEGConn.Inc()
+			})
 			if err != nil {
 				metrics.EventedPLEGConnErr.Inc()
 				numAttempts++
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/services.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/services.go
index eb073de989b..e6c0bfebc55 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/services.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/services.go
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ type ContainerManager interface {
 	// CheckpointContainer checkpoints a container
 	CheckpointContainer(ctx context.Context, options *runtimeapi.CheckpointContainerRequest) error
 	// GetContainerEvents gets container events from the CRI runtime
-	GetContainerEvents(containerEventsCh chan *runtimeapi.ContainerEventResponse) error
+	GetContainerEvents(containerEventsCh chan *runtimeapi.ContainerEventResponse, connectionEstablishedCallback func(runtimeapi.RuntimeService_GetContainerEventsClient)) error
 }
 
 // PodSandboxManager contains methods for operating on PodSandboxes. The methods
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/testing/fake_runtime_service.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/testing/fake_runtime_service.go
index 332aa71d52a..989d281709b 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/testing/fake_runtime_service.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/testing/fake_runtime_service.go
@@ -716,7 +716,7 @@ func (r *FakeRuntimeService) CheckpointContainer(_ context.Context, options *run
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (f *FakeRuntimeService) GetContainerEvents(containerEventsCh chan *runtimeapi.ContainerEventResponse) error {
+func (f *FakeRuntimeService) GetContainerEvents(containerEventsCh chan *runtimeapi.ContainerEventResponse, connectionEstablishedCallback func(runtimeapi.RuntimeService_GetContainerEventsClient)) error {
 	return nil
 }