diff --git a/controllers/imagecollector/imagecollector_controller.go b/controllers/imagecollector/imagecollector_controller.go
index e22b34c011..8e6604aeaf 100644
--- a/controllers/imagecollector/imagecollector_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/imagecollector/imagecollector_controller.go
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ var (
 	collectorImage         = flag.String("collector-image", "", "collector image, empty value disables collect feature")
 	log                    = logf.Log.WithName("controller").WithValues("process", "imagecollector-controller")
 	repeatPeriod           = flag.Duration("repeat-period", time.Hour*24, "repeat period for collect/scan process")
+	repeatImmediate        = flag.Bool("repeat-immediate", true, "begin collect/scan process immediately")
 	deleteScanFailedImages = flag.Bool("delete-scan-failed-images", true, "whether or not to delete images for which scanning has failed")
 	scannerArgs            = utils.MultiFlag([]string{})
 	collectorArgs          = utils.MultiFlag([]string{})
@@ -156,14 +157,16 @@ func add(mgr manager.Manager, r reconcile.Reconciler) error {
 
 	go func() {
 		log.Info("Queueing first ImageCollector reconcile...")
-		ch <- event.GenericEvent{
-			Object: &eraserv1alpha1.ImageJob{
-				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
-					Name: "first-reconcile",
+		if *repeatImmediate {
+			ch <- event.GenericEvent{
+				Object: &eraserv1alpha1.ImageJob{
+					ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+						Name: "first-reconcile",
+					},
 				},
-			},
+			}
+			log.Info("Queued first ImageCollector reconcile")
 		}
-		log.Info("Queued first ImageCollector reconcile")
 	}()
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/test/e2e/tests/imagelist_rm_images/eraser_test.go b/test/e2e/tests/imagelist_rm_images/eraser_test.go
index 6998837df9..6ff4202a92 100644
--- a/test/e2e/tests/imagelist_rm_images/eraser_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/tests/imagelist_rm_images/eraser_test.go
@@ -37,16 +37,6 @@ func TestImageListTriggersEraserImageJob(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Error("Failed to create the dep", err)
 			}
 
-			client := cfg.Client()
-			err := wait.For(
-				util.NumPodsPresentForLabel(ctx, client, 0, collectorLabel),
-				wait.WithTimeout(time.Minute*2),
-				wait.WithInterval(time.Millisecond*500),
-			)
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Fatal(err)
-			}
-
 			return ctx
 		}).
 		Assess("deployment successfully deployed", func(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, cfg *envconf.Config) context.Context {
diff --git a/test/e2e/tests/imagelist_rm_images/main_test.go b/test/e2e/tests/imagelist_rm_images/main_test.go
index a66c1afd6b..c84caf4d3f 100644
--- a/test/e2e/tests/imagelist_rm_images/main_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/tests/imagelist_rm_images/main_test.go
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 			"--set", util.EraserImageTag.Set(eraserImage.Tag),
 			"--set", util.ManagerImageRepo.Set(managerImage.Repo),
 			"--set", util.ManagerImageTag.Set(managerImage.Tag),
+			"--set", util.ManagerAdditionalArgs.Set("--repeat-immediate=false").String(),
 		),
 	).Finish(
 		envfuncs.DestroyKindCluster(util.KindClusterName),