diff --git a/pkg/specgen/generate/container_create.go b/pkg/specgen/generate/container_create.go
index 266c4c5883..3b0b6c5f6c 100644
--- a/pkg/specgen/generate/container_create.go
+++ b/pkg/specgen/generate/container_create.go
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ func createContainerOptions(rt *libpod.Runtime, s *specgen.SpecGenerator, pod *l
 		retries       uint
 	)
 	// If the container is running in a pod, use the pod's restart policy for all the containers
-	if pod != nil {
+	if pod != nil && !s.IsInitContainer() {
 		podConfig := pod.ConfigNoCopy()
 		if podConfig.RestartRetries != nil {
 			retries = *podConfig.RestartRetries
diff --git a/pkg/specgen/specgen.go b/pkg/specgen/specgen.go
index ff91489dbf..52ddf3d396 100644
--- a/pkg/specgen/specgen.go
+++ b/pkg/specgen/specgen.go
@@ -586,6 +586,10 @@ func (s *SpecGenerator) GetImage() (*libimage.Image, string) {
 	return s.image, s.resolvedImageName
 }
 
+func (s *SpecGenerator) IsInitContainer() bool {
+	return len(s.InitContainerType) != 0
+}
+
 type Secret struct {
 	Source string
 	Target string
diff --git a/test/e2e/play_kube_test.go b/test/e2e/play_kube_test.go
index 99210783c6..0f724fe628 100644
--- a/test/e2e/play_kube_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/play_kube_test.go
@@ -2234,6 +2234,12 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman play kube", func() {
 		Expect(inspect).Should(Exit(0))
 		Expect(inspect.OutputToString()).To(ContainSubstring("running"))
 
+		// Init containers should not be restarted
+		inspect = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"inspect", "--format", "{{ .HostConfig.RestartPolicy.Name }}", "testPod-" + defaultCtrName})
+		inspect.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(inspect).Should(Exit(0))
+		Expect(inspect.OutputToString()).To(ContainSubstring(define.RestartPolicyNo))
+
 		// Init containers need environment too! #18384
 		logs := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"logs", "testPod-init-test"})
 		logs.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()