diff --git a/tests/test_389ds.py b/tests/test_389ds.py
index 5dbf3081..675d49cc 100644
--- a/tests/test_389ds.py
+++ b/tests/test_389ds.py
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 """Basic tests for the 389-ds Application container image."""
 from pytest_container.runtime import LOCALHOST
+from tenacity import retry
+from tenacity import stop_after_delay
+from tenacity import wait_fixed
 
 from bci_tester.data import CONTAINER_389DS_CONTAINERS
 
@@ -8,6 +11,19 @@
 
 
 def test_ldapwhoami(auto_container_per_test):
+    # Wait for the container to have started up. This is
+    # done as a HEALTHCHECK, but HEALTHCHECKs do not exist
+    # in OCI container builds
+    # https://github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/issues/749
+
+    @retry(wait=wait_fixed(5), stop=stop_after_delay(60))
+    def wait_liveness():
+        auto_container_per_test.connection.run_expect(
+            [0], "/usr/lib/dirsrv/dscontainer -H"
+        )
+
+    wait_liveness()
+
     auto_container_per_test.connection.run_expect(
         [0],
         "dsconf localhost backend create --suffix dc=example,dc=com --be-name userRoot",