diff --git a/tests/e2e/lib.sh b/tests/e2e/lib.sh
index 994f0b3a17612..ff3d988501a27 100755
--- a/tests/e2e/lib.sh
+++ b/tests/e2e/lib.sh
@@ -439,6 +439,45 @@ setup_automation_flavor_e2e_cluster() {
     fi
 }
 
+# When working as expected it takes less than one minute for the API server to
+# reach ready. Often times out on OSD. If this call fails in CI we need to
+# identify the source of pull/scheduling latency, request throttling, etc.
+# I tried increasing the timeout from 5m to 20m for OSD but it did not help.
+wait_for_central_db() {
+    info "Waiting for Central DB to start"
+
+    start_time="$(date '+%s')"
+    max_seconds=300
+
+    while true; do
+        central_db_json="$(kubectl -n stackrox get deploy/central-db -o json)"
+        replicas="$(jq '.status.replicas' <<<"$central_db_json")"
+        ready_replicas="$(jq '.status.readyReplicas' <<<"$central_db_json")"
+        curr_time="$(date '+%s')"
+        elapsed_seconds=$(( curr_time - start_time ))
+
+        # Ready case
+        if [[ "$replicas" == 1 && "$ready_replicas" == 1 ]]; then
+            sleep 30
+            break
+        fi
+
+        # Timeout case
+        if (( elapsed_seconds > max_seconds )); then
+            kubectl -n stackrox get pod -o wide
+            kubectl -n stackrox get deploy -o wide
+            echo >&2 "wait_for_central_db() timeout after $max_seconds seconds."
+            exit 1
+        fi
+
+        # Otherwise report and retry
+        echo "waiting ($elapsed_seconds/$max_seconds)"
+        sleep 5
+    done
+
+    info "Central DB deployment is ready."
+}
+
 if [[ "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" == "$0" ]]; then
     if [[ "$#" -lt 1 ]]; then
         usage
diff --git a/tests/upgrade/postgres_run.sh b/tests/upgrade/postgres_run.sh
index 14f4adbd81edb..499af94eaebca 100755
--- a/tests/upgrade/postgres_run.sh
+++ b/tests/upgrade/postgres_run.sh
@@ -153,8 +153,9 @@ test_upgrade_paths() {
     verifyNoPostgresAccessScopes
 
     # Now go back up to Postgres
+    CURRENT_TAG="$(make --quiet tag)"
     kubectl -n stackrox set env deploy/central ROX_POSTGRES_DATASTORE=true
-    kubectl -n stackrox set image deploy/central "central=$REGISTRY/main:$(make --quiet tag)"
+    kubectl -n stackrox set image deploy/central "central=$REGISTRY/main:$CURRENT_TAG"
     wait_for_api
     wait_for_scanner_to_be_ready
 
@@ -182,12 +183,19 @@ test_upgrade_paths() {
     wait_for_api
     kubectl -n stackrox delete po "$(kubectl -n stackrox get po -l app=central-db -o=jsonpath='{.items[0].metadata.name}')" --grace-period=0
     wait_for_api
+    wait_for_central_db
 
     checkForRocksAccessScopes
     checkForPostgresAccessScopes
 
-    validate_upgrade "01-bounce-db-after-upgrade" "bounce central db after postgres upgrade" "268c98c6-e983-4f4e-95d2-9793cebddfd7"
-    collect_and_check_stackrox_logs "$log_output_dir" "01_post_bounce-db"
+    validate_upgrade "02-bounce-db-after-upgrade" "bounce central db after postgres upgrade" "268c98c6-e983-4f4e-95d2-9793cebddfd7"
+
+    # Since we bounced the DB we may see some errors.  Those need to be allowed in the case of this test ONLY.
+    echo "# postgres was bounced, may see some connection errors" >> scripts/ci/logcheck/allowlist-patterns
+    echo "FATAL: terminating connection due to administrator command \(SQLSTATE 57P01\)" >> scripts/ci/logcheck/allowlist-patterns
+    echo >> scripts/ci/logcheck/allowlist-patterns
+
+    collect_and_check_stackrox_logs "$log_output_dir" "02_post_bounce-db"
 
     info "Fetching a sensor bundle for cluster 'remote'"
     rm -rf sensor-remote
@@ -196,10 +204,10 @@ test_upgrade_paths() {
 
     info "Installing sensor"
     ./sensor-remote/sensor.sh
-    kubectl -n stackrox set image deploy/sensor "*=$REGISTRY/main:$(make --quiet tag)"
-    kubectl -n stackrox set image deploy/admission-control "*=$REGISTRY/main:$(make --quiet tag)"
-    kubectl -n stackrox set image ds/collector "collector=$REGISTRY/collector:$(cat COLLECTOR_VERSION)" \
-        "compliance=$REGISTRY/main:$(make --quiet tag)"
+    kubectl -n stackrox set image deploy/sensor "*=$REGISTRY/main:$CURRENT_TAG"
+    kubectl -n stackrox set image deploy/admission-control "*=$REGISTRY/main:$CURRENT_TAG"
+    kubectl -n stackrox set image ds/collector "collector=$REGISTRY/collector:$CURRENT_TAG" \
+        "compliance=$REGISTRY/main:$CURRENT_TAG"
 
     sensor_wait