diff --git a/test/e2e_node/mirror_pod_grace_period_test.go b/test/e2e_node/mirror_pod_grace_period_test.go
index ec3883b3f5ce..294b5afac996 100644
--- a/test/e2e_node/mirror_pod_grace_period_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e_node/mirror_pod_grace_period_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/uuid"
 	clientset "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/framework"
+	e2epod "k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/framework/pod"
 	imageutils "k8s.io/kubernetes/test/utils/image"
 	admissionapi "k8s.io/pod-security-admission/api"
 )
@@ -134,6 +136,30 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("MirrorPodWithGracePeriod", func() {
 		})
 
 		ginkgo.Context("and the container runtime is temporarily down during pod termination [NodeConformance] [Serial] [Disruptive]", func() {
+			ginkgo.BeforeEach(func(ctx context.Context) {
+				// Ensure that prior to the test starting, no other pods are running or in the process of being terminated other than the mirror pod.
+				// This is necessary as the test verifies metrics that assume that there is only one pod (the static pod) being run, and all other pods have been terminated.
+				gomega.Eventually(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
+					podList, err := e2epod.NewPodClient(f).List(ctx, metav1.ListOptions{})
+					if err != nil {
+						return fmt.Errorf("failed listing pods while waiting for all pods to be terminated: %v", err)
+					}
+					var remainingPods []string
+
+					for _, pod := range podList.Items {
+						// The mirror pod is the only expected pod to be running
+						if pod.Name == mirrorPodName && pod.Namespace == ns {
+							continue
+						}
+						remainingPods = append(remainingPods, fmt.Sprintf("(%s/%s)", pod.Namespace, pod.Name))
+					}
+
+					if len(remainingPods) > 0 {
+						return fmt.Errorf("not all pods are terminated yet prior to starting mirror pod test: %v pods that still exist: %v", len(remainingPods), strings.Join(remainingPods, ","))
+					}
+					return nil
+				}, f.Timeouts.PodDelete, f.Timeouts.Poll).Should(gomega.Succeed())
+			})
 			ginkgo.It("the mirror pod should terminate successfully", func(ctx context.Context) {
 				ginkgo.By("verifying the pod is described as syncing in metrics")
 				gomega.Eventually(ctx, getKubeletMetrics, 5*time.Second, time.Second).Should(gstruct.MatchKeys(gstruct.IgnoreExtras, gstruct.Keys{