diff --git a/util/kube/portforwarder.go b/util/kube/portforwarder.go
index 94875baa99e2e..5b77ff2ce7015 100644
--- a/util/kube/portforwarder.go
+++ b/util/kube/portforwarder.go
@@ -16,10 +16,29 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/portforward"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/transport/spdy"
 	cmdutil "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/util"
+	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/util/podutils"
 
 	"github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3/util/io"
 )
 
+func selectPodForPortForward(clientSet kubernetes.Interface, namespace string, podSelectors ...string) (*corev1.Pod, error) {
+	for _, podSelector := range podSelectors {
+		pods, err := clientSet.CoreV1().Pods(namespace).List(context.Background(), metav1.ListOptions{
+			LabelSelector: podSelector,
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		for _, po := range pods.Items {
+			if po.Status.Phase == corev1.PodRunning && podutils.IsPodReady(&po) {
+				return &po, nil
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot find ready pod with selector: %v - use the --{component}-name flag in this command or set the environmental variable (Refer to https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/stable/user-guide/environment-variables), to change the Argo CD component name in the CLI", podSelectors)
+}
+
 func PortForward(targetPort int, namespace string, overrides *clientcmd.ConfigOverrides, podSelectors ...string) (int, error) {
 	loadingRules := clientcmd.NewDefaultClientConfigLoadingRules()
 	loadingRules.DefaultClientConfig = &clientcmd.DefaultClientConfig
@@ -41,24 +60,9 @@ func PortForward(targetPort int, namespace string, overrides *clientcmd.ConfigOv
 		return -1, err
 	}
 
-	var pod *corev1.Pod
-
-	for _, podSelector := range podSelectors {
-		pods, err := clientSet.CoreV1().Pods(namespace).List(context.Background(), metav1.ListOptions{
-			LabelSelector: podSelector,
-		})
-		if err != nil {
-			return -1, err
-		}
-
-		if len(pods.Items) > 0 {
-			pod = &pods.Items[0]
-			break
-		}
-	}
-
-	if pod == nil {
-		return -1, fmt.Errorf("cannot find pod with selector: %v - use the --{component}-name flag in this command or set the environmental variable (Refer to https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/stable/user-guide/environment-variables), to change the Argo CD component name in the CLI", podSelectors)
+	pod, err := selectPodForPortForward(clientSet, namespace, podSelectors...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return -1, err
 	}
 
 	url := clientSet.CoreV1().RESTClient().Post().
diff --git a/util/kube/portforwarder_test.go b/util/kube/portforwarder_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..4d1142d45ea30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/kube/portforwarder_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+package kube
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/fake"
+)
+
+func Test_selectPodForPortForward(t *testing.T) {
+	// Mock the Kubernetes client
+	client := fake.NewSimpleClientset(
+		&corev1.Pod{
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+				Name:      "test-pod",
+				Namespace: "default",
+				Labels: map[string]string{
+					"app": "test-app",
+				},
+			},
+			Status: corev1.PodStatus{
+				Conditions: []corev1.PodCondition{
+					{
+						Type:               corev1.PodReady,
+						Status:             corev1.ConditionTrue,
+						LastTransitionTime: metav1.Now(),
+					},
+				},
+				Phase: corev1.PodRunning,
+			},
+		},
+		&corev1.Pod{
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+				Name:      "test2-pod-broken",
+				Namespace: "default",
+				Labels: map[string]string{
+					"app": "test2",
+				},
+			},
+			Status: corev1.PodStatus{
+				Conditions: []corev1.PodCondition{
+					{
+						Type:               corev1.PodReady,
+						Status:             corev1.ConditionFalse,
+						LastTransitionTime: metav1.Now(),
+					},
+				},
+				Phase: corev1.PodFailed,
+			},
+		},
+		&corev1.Pod{
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+				Name:      "test2-pod-working",
+				Namespace: "default",
+				Labels: map[string]string{
+					"app": "test2",
+				},
+			},
+			Status: corev1.PodStatus{
+				Conditions: []corev1.PodCondition{
+					{
+						Type:               corev1.PodReady,
+						Status:             corev1.ConditionTrue,
+						LastTransitionTime: metav1.Now(),
+					},
+				},
+				Phase: corev1.PodRunning,
+			},
+		},
+	)
+
+	// Test selecting the pod
+	selectedPod, err := selectPodForPortForward(client, "default", "app=test-app")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, "test-pod", selectedPod.Name)
+
+	// Test selecting the working pod
+	selectedPod2, err := selectPodForPortForward(client, "default", "app=test2")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, "test2-pod-working", selectedPod2.Name)
+}