diff --git a/test/e2e_node/container_lifecycle_pod_construction.go b/test/e2e_node/container_lifecycle_pod_construction.go
index b8220919c49..9c69d7254ba 100644
--- a/test/e2e_node/container_lifecycle_pod_construction.go
+++ b/test/e2e_node/container_lifecycle_pod_construction.go
@@ -179,24 +179,6 @@ func (o containerOutputList) StartsBefore(lhs, rhs string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// DoesntStartAfter returns an error if lhs started after rhs
-func (o containerOutputList) DoesntStartAfter(lhs, rhs string) error {
-	rhsStart := o.findIndex(rhs, "Starting", 0)
-
-	if rhsStart == -1 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("couldn't find that %s ever started, got\n%v", rhs, o)
-	}
-
-	// this works even for the same names (restart case)
-	lhsStart := o.findIndex(lhs, "Started", rhsStart+1)
-
-	if lhsStart != -1 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("expected %s to not start after %s, got\n%v", lhs, rhs, o)
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
-
 // ExitsBefore returns an error if lhs did not end before rhs
 func (o containerOutputList) ExitsBefore(lhs, rhs string) error {
 	lhsExit := o.findIndex(lhs, "Exiting", 0)
diff --git a/test/e2e_node/container_lifecycle_test.go b/test/e2e_node/container_lifecycle_test.go
index 0c6150f9c61..5ed99eabb25 100644
--- a/test/e2e_node/container_lifecycle_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e_node/container_lifecycle_test.go
@@ -1631,7 +1631,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe(nodefeature.SidecarContainers, "Containers Lifecycle", func(
 				results = parseOutput(context.TODO(), f, podSpec)
 			})
 			ginkgo.It("should not restart a restartable init container", func() {
-				framework.ExpectNoError(results.DoesntStartAfter(restartableInit1, regular1))
+				framework.ExpectNoError(results.HasNotRestarted(restartableInit1))
 			})
 			ginkgo.It("should run a regular container to completion", func() {
 				framework.ExpectNoError(results.Exits(regular1))
@@ -2033,7 +2033,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe(nodefeature.SidecarContainers, "Containers Lifecycle", func(
 				results = parseOutput(context.TODO(), f, podSpec)
 			})
 			ginkgo.It("should not restart a restartable init container", func() {
-				framework.ExpectNoError(results.DoesntStartAfter(restartableInit1, regular1))
+				framework.ExpectNoError(results.HasNotRestarted(restartableInit1))
 			})
 			ginkgo.It("should run a regular container to completion", func() {
 				framework.ExpectNoError(results.Exits(regular1))
@@ -2454,7 +2454,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe(nodefeature.SidecarContainers, "Containers Lifecycle", func(
 			})
 
 			ginkgo.It("should not restart a restartable init container", func() {
-				framework.ExpectNoError(results.DoesntStartAfter(restartableInit1, regular1))
+				framework.ExpectNoError(results.HasNotRestarted(restartableInit1))
 			})
 			// this test case is different from restartPolicy=Never
 			ginkgo.It("should start a regular container", func() {