diff --git a/ci-operator/config/openshift/openshift-tests-private/openshift-openshift-tests-private-release-4.16__amd64-nightly-4.16-upgrade-from-stable-4.5.yaml b/ci-operator/config/openshift/openshift-tests-private/openshift-openshift-tests-private-release-4.16__amd64-nightly-4.16-upgrade-from-stable-4.5.yaml
index 983f24592256..2305b177005b 100644
--- a/ci-operator/config/openshift/openshift-tests-private/openshift-openshift-tests-private-release-4.16__amd64-nightly-4.16-upgrade-from-stable-4.5.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/config/openshift/openshift-tests-private/openshift-openshift-tests-private-release-4.16__amd64-nightly-4.16-upgrade-from-stable-4.5.yaml
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ tests:
     pre:
     - chain: ipi-conf-aws
     - chain: ipi-install
+    - ref: wait
     test:
     - as: set-upgrade-releases
       commands: echo "${RELEASE_IMAGE_INTERMEDIATE46},${RELEASE_IMAGE_INTERMEDIATE47},${RELEASE_IMAGE_INTERMEDIATE48},${RELEASE_IMAGE_INTERMEDIATE49},${RELEASE_IMAGE_INTERMEDIATE410},${RELEASE_IMAGE_INTERMEDIATE411},${RELEASE_IMAGE_INTERMEDIATE412},${RELEASE_IMAGE_INTERMEDIATE413},${RELEASE_IMAGE_INTERMEDIATE414},${RELEASE_IMAGE_INTERMEDIATE415},${RELEASE_IMAGE_TARGET}"
diff --git a/ci-operator/config/openshift/openshift-tests-private/openshift-openshift-tests-private-release-4.16__multi-nightly.yaml b/ci-operator/config/openshift/openshift-tests-private/openshift-openshift-tests-private-release-4.16__multi-nightly.yaml
index 7dc2af37f81a..0fb0a0ff09ee 100644
--- a/ci-operator/config/openshift/openshift-tests-private/openshift-openshift-tests-private-release-4.16__multi-nightly.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/config/openshift/openshift-tests-private/openshift-openshift-tests-private-release-4.16__multi-nightly.yaml
@@ -566,6 +566,7 @@ tests:
       FEATURE_SET: CustomNoUpgrade
       OCP_ARCH: arm64
     test:
+    - ref: wait
     - chain: openshift-e2e-test-qe
     workflow: cucushift-installer-rehearse-aws-ipi-ovn-efs
 - as: aws-ipi-ovn-efs-fips-amd-f9-destructive