diff --git a/port_forwarding.go b/port_forwarding.go
index 107bd42d1b..bdfa7a9176 100644
--- a/port_forwarding.go
+++ b/port_forwarding.go
@@ -159,11 +159,11 @@ func exposeHostPorts(ctx context.Context, req *ContainerRequest, ports ...int) (
 		},
 	}
 
-	// after the container is ready, create the SSH tunnel
+	// before the container is created, create the SSH tunnel
 	// for each exposed port from the host.
 	sshdConnectHook = ContainerLifecycleHooks{
-		PostReadies: []ContainerHook{
-			func(ctx context.Context, _ Container) error {
+		PreCreates: []ContainerRequestHook{
+			func(ctx context.Context, req ContainerRequest) error {
 				return sshdContainer.exposeHostPort(ctx, req.HostAccessPorts...)
 			},
 		},
diff --git a/port_forwarding_test.go b/port_forwarding_test.go
index 662bc64119..5a87576207 100644
--- a/port_forwarding_test.go
+++ b/port_forwarding_test.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/testcontainers/testcontainers-go"
 	tcexec "github.com/testcontainers/testcontainers-go/exec"
 	"github.com/testcontainers/testcontainers-go/network"
+	"github.com/testcontainers/testcontainers-go/wait"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -22,12 +23,33 @@ const (
 )
 
 func TestExposeHostPorts(t *testing.T) {
-	hostPorts := make([]int, 3)
+	const numberOfPorts = 3
+
+	servers := make([]*httptest.Server, numberOfPorts)
+	hostPorts := make([]int, numberOfPorts)
+	waitStrategies := make([]wait.Strategy, numberOfPorts)
+
 	for i := range hostPorts {
 		server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
 			fmt.Fprint(w, expectedResponse)
 		}))
 		hostPorts[i] = server.Listener.Addr().(*net.TCPAddr).Port
+
+		servers[i] = server
+		freePort := server.Listener.Addr().(*net.TCPAddr).Port
+		hostPorts[i] = freePort
+
+		waitStrategies[i] = wait.
+			ForExec([]string{"wget", "-q", "-O", "-", fmt.Sprintf("http://%s:%d", testcontainers.HostInternal, freePort)}).
+			WithExitCodeMatcher(func(code int) bool {
+				return code == 0
+			}).
+			WithResponseMatcher(func(body io.Reader) bool {
+				bs, err := io.ReadAll(body)
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+				return string(bs) == expectedResponse
+			})
+
 		t.Cleanup(server.Close)
 	}