diff --git a/tests/integration/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/tests/integration/functions/k8s/PulsarFunctionsK8STest.java b/tests/integration/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/tests/integration/functions/k8s/PulsarFunctionsK8STest.java
index 4671c82e4eae1..307e503f0c0b0 100644
--- a/tests/integration/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/tests/integration/functions/k8s/PulsarFunctionsK8STest.java
+++ b/tests/integration/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/tests/integration/functions/k8s/PulsarFunctionsK8STest.java
@@ -119,6 +119,14 @@ public void testCreateFunctionInK8sWithSecrets()
         });
         log.info("Function created successfully");
 
+        log.info("Waiting for function to subscribe to input topic");
+        Awaitility.await().ignoreExceptions().atMost(Duration.ofSeconds(30))
+                .until(() -> {
+                    admin.topics().getSubscriptions(inputTopicName);
+                    return true;
+                });
+        log.info("Function subscribed to input topic");
+
         // Validate that k8s secrets were provided as environment variables to the function pod
         String podName = "pf-%s-%s-%s-0".formatted(fnTenant, fnNamespace, fnName);
         Exec exec = new Exec(getApiClient());
@@ -157,12 +165,8 @@ public void testCreateFunctionInK8sWithSecrets()
                 });
 
         log.info("Starting function");
-        // this seems to be flaky if the stopping of the function hasn't fully completed when it's started again.
-        // one way to reproduce is to remove the delay before starting the function and also removing the pollDelay
-        // from the await after stopFunction
-        Thread.sleep(2000);
         admin.functions().startFunction(fnTenant, fnNamespace, fnName);
-        Awaitility.await().ignoreExceptions().pollDelay(Duration.ofSeconds(1)).atMost(Duration.ofSeconds(30))
+        Awaitility.await().ignoreExceptions().pollDelay(Duration.ofSeconds(1)).atMost(Duration.ofSeconds(40))
                 .untilAsserted(() -> {
                     FunctionStatus functionStatus = admin.functions().getFunctionStatus(fnTenant, fnNamespace, fnName);
                     assertThat(functionStatus.getNumInstances()).isEqualTo(1);