diff --git a/polkadot/zombienet_tests/functional/0019-verify-included-events.js b/polkadot/zombienet_tests/functional/0019-verify-included-events.js
index 6557a5a80e6b7..df3b1e1fdc03d 100644
--- a/polkadot/zombienet_tests/functional/0019-verify-included-events.js
+++ b/polkadot/zombienet_tests/functional/0019-verify-included-events.js
@@ -10,13 +10,21 @@ async function run(nodeName, networkInfo) {
 
     await new Promise(async (resolve, _) => {
         let block_count = 0;
+        let new_session_started = false;
         const unsubscribe = await api.query.system.events(async (events, block_hash) => {
-            block_count++;
+            if (new_session_started) {
+                block_count++;
+            }
 
             events.forEach((record) => {
                 const event = record.event;
 
-                if (event.method != 'CandidateIncluded') {
+                if (event.method == 'NewSession') {
+                    new_session_started = true;
+                    console.log(`New session started. Measuring CandidateIncluded events.`);
+                }
+
+                if (event.method != 'CandidateIncluded' || !new_session_started) {
                     return;
                 }
 
@@ -40,11 +48,6 @@ async function run(nodeName, networkInfo) {
     console.log(`Result: 2000: ${blocks_per_para[2000]}, 2001: ${blocks_per_para[2001]}`);
     // This check assumes that para 2000 runs slot based collator which respects its claim queue
     // and para 2001 runs lookahead which generates blocks for each relay parent.
-    //
-    // For 12 blocks there will be one session change. One block won't have anything backed/included.
-    // In the next there will be one backed so for 12 blocks we should expect 10 included events - no
-    // more than 4 for para 2001 and at least 6 for para 2000. This should also cover the unlucky
-    // case when we observe two session changes during the 12 block period.
     return (blocks_per_para[2000] >= 6) && (blocks_per_para[2001] <= 4);
 }