diff --git a/test/system/252-quadlet.bats b/test/system/252-quadlet.bats
index 26e8322f4f..2076f2d650 100644
--- a/test/system/252-quadlet.bats
+++ b/test/system/252-quadlet.bats
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ function service_setup() {
     echo "$output"
     assert $status -eq 0 "Error starting systemd unit $service"
 
+    # FIXME FIXME FIXME: this is racy with short-lived containers!
     echo "$_LOG_PROMPT systemctl status $service"
     run systemctl status "$service"
     echo "$output"
@@ -638,15 +639,16 @@ EOF
 }
 
 @test "quadlet - exit-code propagation" {
-   local quadlet_file=$PODMAN_TMPDIR/basic_$(random_string).kube
-   local yaml_file=$PODMAN_TMPDIR/$(random_string).yaml
-
    exit_tests="
 all  | true  | 0   | inactive
 all  | false | 137 | failed
 none | false | 0   | inactive
 "
    while read exit_code_prop cmd exit_code service_state; do
+      local basename=propagate-${exit_code_prop}-${cmd}-$(random_string)
+      local quadlet_file=$PODMAN_TMPDIR/$basename.kube
+      local yaml_file=$PODMAN_TMPDIR/$basename.yaml
+
       cat > $yaml_file <<EOF
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: Pod
@@ -674,19 +676,42 @@ EOF
 
       run_quadlet "$quadlet_file"
       run systemctl status $QUADLET_SERVICE_NAME
+
+      yaml_sha=$(sha256sum $yaml_file)
+      service_container="${yaml_sha:0:12}-service"
+
       service_setup $QUADLET_SERVICE_NAME
 
       # Ensure we have output. Output is synced via sd-notify (socat in Exec)
       run journalctl "--since=$STARTED_TIME" --unit="$QUADLET_SERVICE_NAME"
       is "$output" '.*Started.*\.service.*'
 
-      yaml_sha=$(sha256sum $yaml_file)
-      service_container="${yaml_sha:0:12}-service"
-      run_podman container inspect --format '{{.KubeExitCodePropagation}}' $service_container
-      is "$output" "$exit_code_prop" "service container has the expected policy set in its annotations"
-      run_podman wait $service_container
-      is "$output" "$exit_code" "service container reflects expected exit code $exit_code"
+      # Opportunistic test: confirm that the Propagation field got set.
+      # This is racy, because the container is short-lived and quadlet
+      # cleans up on exit (via kube-down in ExecStopPost). So we use '?'
+      # and only check output if the inspect succeeds.
+      run_podman '?' container inspect --format '{{.KubeExitCodePropagation}}' $service_container
+      if [[ $status -eq 0 ]]; then
+          is "$output" "$exit_code_prop" \
+             "$basename: service container has the expected policy set in its annotations"
+      else
+          assert "$output" =~ "no such container $service_container" \
+                 "$basename: unexpected error from podman container inspect"
+      fi
 
+      # Container must stop of its own accord before we call service_cleanup(),
+      # otherwise the 'systemctl stop' there may affect the unit's status.
+      # Again, use '?' to handle the abovementioned race condition.
+      run_podman '?' wait $service_container
+      if [[ $status -eq 0 ]]; then
+          assert "$output" = "$exit_code" \
+                 "$basename: service container reflects expected exit code"
+      else
+          assert "$output" =~ "no container with name or ID" \
+                 "$basename: unexpected error from podman wait"
+      fi
+
+      # This is the actual propagation check
       service_cleanup $QUADLET_SERVICE_NAME $service_state
       run_podman ps -aq
       is "$output" "" "all containers are cleaned up even in case of errors"