diff --git a/tests/model_registry/negative_tests/test_db_migration.py b/tests/model_registry/negative_tests/test_db_migration.py
index d43721e51..d6abae820 100644
--- a/tests/model_registry/negative_tests/test_db_migration.py
+++ b/tests/model_registry/negative_tests/test_db_migration.py
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
 from utilities.constants import DscComponents
 from tests.model_registry.constants import MR_INSTANCE_NAME
 from kubernetes.dynamic.client import DynamicClient
-from utilities.general import wait_for_pods_by_labels, wait_for_container_status
-
+from utilities.general import wait_for_container_status
+from tests.model_registry.utils import wait_for_new_running_mr_pod
 
 LOGGER = get_logger(name=__name__)
 
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ def test_db_migration_negative(
         admin_client: DynamicClient,
         model_registry_db_instance_pod: Pod,
         set_mr_db_dirty: int,
+        model_registry_pod: Pod,
         delete_mr_deployment: None,
     ):
         """
@@ -43,23 +44,23 @@ def test_db_migration_negative(
         The test will:
         1. Set the dirty flag to 1 for the latest migration version
         2. Delete the model registry deployment
-        3. Check the logs for the expected error
+        3. Wait for the old pods to be terminated
+        4. Check the logs for the expected error
         """
-        mr_pods = wait_for_pods_by_labels(
+        LOGGER.info(f"Model registry pod: {model_registry_pod.name}")
+        mr_pod = wait_for_new_running_mr_pod(
             admin_client=admin_client,
+            orig_pod_name=model_registry_pod.name,
             namespace=py_config["model_registry_namespace"],
-            label_selector=f"app={MR_INSTANCE_NAME}",
-            expected_num_pods=1,
+            instance_name=MR_INSTANCE_NAME,
         )
-        mr_pod = mr_pods[0]
-        LOGGER.info("Waiting for model registry pod to crash")
+        LOGGER.info(f"Pod that should contains the container in CrashLoopBackOff state: {mr_pod.name}")
         assert wait_for_container_status(mr_pod, "rest-container", Pod.Status.CRASH_LOOPBACK_OFF)
 
         LOGGER.info("Checking the logs for the expected error")
-
         log_output = mr_pod.log(container="rest-container")
         expected_error = (
             f"Error: {{{{ALERT}}}} error connecting to datastore: Dirty database version {set_mr_db_dirty}. "
             "Fix and force version."
         )
-        assert expected_error in log_output, "Expected error message not found in logs!"
+        assert expected_error in log_output, f"Expected error message not found in logs!\n{log_output}"
diff --git a/tests/model_registry/utils.py b/tests/model_registry/utils.py
index 1fe5eb0be..ba7f833d9 100644
--- a/tests/model_registry/utils.py
+++ b/tests/model_registry/utils.py
@@ -8,12 +8,12 @@
 from ocp_resources.model_registry_modelregistry_opendatahub_io import ModelRegistry
 from kubernetes.dynamic.exceptions import ResourceNotFoundError
 from simple_logger.logger import get_logger
-from timeout_sampler import TimeoutExpiredError, TimeoutSampler
+from timeout_sampler import TimeoutExpiredError, TimeoutSampler, retry
 from kubernetes.dynamic.exceptions import NotFoundError
 from tests.model_registry.constants import MR_DB_IMAGE_DIGEST
 from tests.model_registry.exceptions import ModelRegistryResourceNotFoundError
 from utilities.exceptions import ProtocolNotSupportedError, TooManyServicesError
-from utilities.constants import Protocols, Annotations
+from utilities.constants import Protocols, Annotations, Timeout
 from model_registry import ModelRegistry as ModelRegistryClient
 from model_registry.types import RegisteredModel
 
@@ -235,6 +235,42 @@ def wait_for_pods_running(
     return None
 
 
+@retry(exceptions_dict={TimeoutError: []}, wait_timeout=Timeout.TIMEOUT_2MIN, sleep=5)
+def wait_for_new_running_mr_pod(
+    admin_client: DynamicClient,
+    orig_pod_name: str,
+    namespace: str,
+    instance_name: str,
+) -> Pod:
+    """
+    Wait for the model registry pod to be replaced.
+
+    Args:
+        admin_client (DynamicClient): The admin client.
+        orig_pod_name (str): The name of the original pod.
+        namespace (str): The namespace of the pod.
+        instance_name (str): The name of the instance.
+    Returns:
+        Pod object.
+
+    Raises:
+        TimeoutError: If the pods are not replaced.
+
+    """
+    LOGGER.info("Waiting for pod to be replaced")
+    pods = list(
+        Pod.get(
+            dyn_client=admin_client,
+            namespace=namespace,
+            label_selector=f"app={instance_name}",
+        )
+    )
+    if pods and len(pods) == 1:
+        if pods[0].name != orig_pod_name and pods[0].status == Pod.Status.RUNNING:
+            return pods[0]
+    raise TimeoutError(f"Timeout waiting for pod {orig_pod_name} to be replaced")
+
+
 def generate_namespace_name(file_path: str) -> str:
     return (file_path.removesuffix(".py").replace("/", "-").replace("_", "-"))[-63:].split("-", 1)[-1]