diff --git a/integration-tests/src/test/java/oracle/weblogic/kubernetes/utils/DbUtils.java b/integration-tests/src/test/java/oracle/weblogic/kubernetes/utils/DbUtils.java
index 1534678326e..fa3b5bb0ebc 100644
--- a/integration-tests/src/test/java/oracle/weblogic/kubernetes/utils/DbUtils.java
+++ b/integration-tests/src/test/java/oracle/weblogic/kubernetes/utils/DbUtils.java
@@ -281,6 +281,12 @@ public static synchronized void startOracleDB(String dbBaseImageName, int dbPort
     }
 
     // wait for the Oracle DB pod to be ready
+    testUntil(
+        assertDoesNotThrow(() -> checkDBPodNameReady(dbNamespace, dbPodNamePrefix),
+            String.format("DB pod %s is not ready yet in namespace %s", dbPodNamePrefix, dbNamespace)),
+        logger,
+            "Oracle DB pod to be ready in namespace {0}", dbNamespace);
+
     String dbPodName = assertDoesNotThrow(() -> getPodNameOfDb(dbNamespace, dbPodNamePrefix),
         String.format("Get Oracle DB pod name failed with ApiException for oracleDBService in namespace %s",
             dbNamespace));
@@ -301,6 +307,17 @@ public static synchronized void startOracleDB(String dbBaseImageName, int dbPort
     dbMap.put(dbNamespace, dbPodName);
   }
 
+  private static Callable<Boolean> checkDBPodNameReady(String dbNamespace, String dbPodNamePrefix) {
+    return (() -> {
+      // wait for the Oracle DB pod to be ready
+      String dbPodName = assertDoesNotThrow(() -> getPodNameOfDb(dbNamespace, dbPodNamePrefix),
+          String.format("Get Oracle DB pod name failed with ApiException for oracleDBService in namespace %s",
+              dbNamespace));
+
+      return (dbPodName != null);
+    });
+  }
+
   /**
    * Create a RCU schema in the namespace.
    *