diff --git a/test/e2e_node/container_lifecycle_pod_construction.go b/test/e2e_node/container_lifecycle_pod_construction.go
index db48dd1018d04..09545bde74c06 100644
--- a/test/e2e_node/container_lifecycle_pod_construction.go
+++ b/test/e2e_node/container_lifecycle_pod_construction.go
@@ -122,23 +122,30 @@ func (o containerOutputList) String() string {
 // RunTogether returns an error the lhs and rhs run together
 func (o containerOutputList) RunTogether(lhs, rhs string) error {
 	lhsStart := o.findIndex(lhs, "Started", 0)
-	rhsStart := o.findIndex(rhs, "Started", 0)
-
-	lhsFinish := o.findIndex(lhs, "Exiting", 0)
-	rhsFinish := o.findIndex(rhs, "Exiting", 0)
-
 	if lhsStart == -1 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("couldn't find that %s ever started, got\n%v", lhs, o)
 	}
+
+	rhsStart := o.findIndex(rhs, "Started", lhsStart+1)
 	if rhsStart == -1 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("couldn't find that %s ever started, got\n%v", rhs, o)
 	}
 
-	if lhsFinish != -1 && rhsStart > lhsFinish {
+	lhsExit := o.findIndex(lhs, "Exiting", lhsStart+1)
+	if lhsExit == -1 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("couldn't find that %s ever exited, got\n%v", lhs, o)
+	}
+
+	if rhsStart > lhsExit {
 		return fmt.Errorf("expected %s to start before exiting %s, got\n%v", rhs, lhs, o)
 	}
 
-	if rhsFinish != -1 && lhsStart > rhsFinish {
+	rhsExit := o.findIndex(rhs, "Exiting", rhsStart+1)
+	if rhsExit == -1 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("couldn't find that %s ever exited, got\n%v", rhs, o)
+	}
+
+	if lhsStart > rhsExit {
 		return fmt.Errorf("expected %s to start before exiting %s, got\n%v", lhs, rhs, o)
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/e2e_node/container_lifecycle_test.go b/test/e2e_node/container_lifecycle_test.go
index 35250abc23135..660735efd07a0 100644
--- a/test/e2e_node/container_lifecycle_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e_node/container_lifecycle_test.go
@@ -1006,7 +1006,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe(nodefeature.SidecarContainers, "Containers Lifecycle", func(
 		})
 
 		ginkgo.It("should run both restartable init containers and third init container together", func() {
-			framework.ExpectNoError(results.RunTogether(restartableInit2, restartableInit1))
+			framework.ExpectNoError(results.RunTogether(restartableInit1, restartableInit2))
 			framework.ExpectNoError(results.RunTogether(restartableInit1, init3))
 			framework.ExpectNoError(results.RunTogether(restartableInit2, init3))
 		})