diff --git a/pkg/reconciliation/reconcile_racks.go b/pkg/reconciliation/reconcile_racks.go
index 805a178d..d40012b2 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciliation/reconcile_racks.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciliation/reconcile_racks.go
@@ -2437,9 +2437,9 @@ func (rc *ReconciliationContext) datacenterPods() []*corev1.Pod {
 	dcPods := FilterPodListByLabels(rc.clusterPods, dcSelector)
 
 	if rc.Datacenter.Status.MetadataVersion < 1 && rc.Datacenter.Status.DatacenterName != nil && *rc.Datacenter.Status.DatacenterName == rc.Datacenter.Spec.DatacenterName {
-		rc.ReqLogger.Info("Fetching with the old metadata version also")
+		rc.ReqLogger.Info("Fetching datacenter pods with the old metadata version labels")
 		dcSelector[api.DatacenterLabel] = api.CleanLabelValue(rc.Datacenter.Spec.DatacenterName)
-		rc.dcPods = append(rc.dcPods, FilterPodListByLabels(rc.clusterPods, dcSelector)...)
+		dcPods = append(dcPods, FilterPodListByLabels(rc.clusterPods, dcSelector)...)
 	}
 
 	return dcPods
diff --git a/pkg/reconciliation/reconcile_racks_test.go b/pkg/reconciliation/reconcile_racks_test.go
index bb53bd67..89cc2eee 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciliation/reconcile_racks_test.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciliation/reconcile_racks_test.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ package reconciliation
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"reflect"
@@ -16,6 +15,8 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+
 	"k8s.io/utils/ptr"
 
 	api "github.com/k8ssandra/cass-operator/apis/cassandra/v1beta1"
@@ -2780,3 +2781,96 @@ func TestDatacenterStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(err)
 	assert.Equal(float64(0), val)
 }
+
+func TestDatacenterPods(t *testing.T) {
+	rc, _, cleanupMockScr := setupTest()
+	defer cleanupMockScr()
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+
+	desiredStatefulSet, err := newStatefulSetForCassandraDatacenter(
+		nil,
+		"default",
+		rc.Datacenter,
+		3)
+	assert.NoErrorf(err, "error occurred creating statefulset")
+
+	desiredStatefulSet.Status.ReadyReplicas = *desiredStatefulSet.Spec.Replicas
+
+	trackObjects := []runtime.Object{
+		desiredStatefulSet,
+		rc.Datacenter,
+	}
+
+	mockPods := mockReadyPodsForStatefulSet(desiredStatefulSet, rc.Datacenter.Spec.ClusterName, rc.Datacenter.Name)
+	for idx := range mockPods {
+		mp := mockPods[idx]
+		trackObjects = append(trackObjects, mp)
+	}
+
+	rc.Client = fake.NewClientBuilder().WithStatusSubresource(rc.Datacenter).WithRuntimeObjects(trackObjects...).Build()
+
+	nextRack := &RackInformation{}
+	nextRack.RackName = "default"
+	nextRack.NodeCount = 1
+	nextRack.SeedCount = 1
+
+	rackInfo := []*RackInformation{nextRack}
+
+	rc.desiredRackInformation = rackInfo
+	rc.statefulSets = make([]*appsv1.StatefulSet, len(rackInfo))
+
+	rc.clusterPods = mockPods
+	assert.Equal(int(*desiredStatefulSet.Spec.Replicas), len(rc.datacenterPods()))
+}
+
+func TestDatacenterPodsOldLabels(t *testing.T) {
+	rc, _, cleanupMockScr := setupTest()
+	defer cleanupMockScr()
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+
+	// We fake the process a bit to get old style naming and labels
+	rc.Datacenter.Name = "overrideMe"
+
+	desiredStatefulSet, err := newStatefulSetForCassandraDatacenter(
+		nil,
+		"default",
+		rc.Datacenter,
+		3)
+	assert.NoErrorf(err, "error occurred creating statefulset")
+
+	desiredStatefulSet.Status.ReadyReplicas = *desiredStatefulSet.Spec.Replicas
+
+	trackObjects := []runtime.Object{
+		desiredStatefulSet,
+		rc.Datacenter,
+	}
+
+	mockPods := mockReadyPodsForStatefulSet(desiredStatefulSet, rc.Datacenter.Spec.ClusterName, rc.Datacenter.Name)
+	for idx := range mockPods {
+		mp := mockPods[idx]
+		trackObjects = append(trackObjects, mp)
+	}
+
+	rc.Client = fake.NewClientBuilder().WithStatusSubresource(rc.Datacenter).WithRuntimeObjects(trackObjects...).Build()
+
+	nextRack := &RackInformation{}
+	nextRack.RackName = "default"
+	nextRack.NodeCount = 1
+	nextRack.SeedCount = 1
+
+	rackInfo := []*RackInformation{nextRack}
+
+	rc.desiredRackInformation = rackInfo
+	rc.statefulSets = make([]*appsv1.StatefulSet, len(rackInfo))
+
+	rc.clusterPods = mockPods
+
+	// Lets modify the Datacenter names and set the status like it used to be in some older versions
+	rc.Datacenter.Spec.DatacenterName = "overrideMe"
+	rc.Datacenter.Name = "dc1"
+	rc.Datacenter.Status.DatacenterName = ptr.To[string]("overrideMe")
+	rc.Datacenter.Status.MetadataVersion = 0
+
+	// We should still find the pods
+	assert.Equal(int(*desiredStatefulSet.Spec.Replicas), len(rc.datacenterPods()))
+}
diff --git a/tests/upgrade_operator/upgrade_operator_suite_test.go b/tests/upgrade_operator/upgrade_operator_suite_test.go
index d2a0b151..126ded2a 100644
--- a/tests/upgrade_operator/upgrade_operator_suite_test.go
+++ b/tests/upgrade_operator/upgrade_operator_suite_test.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ var _ = Describe(testName, func() {
 			k := kubectl.ApplyFiles(dcYaml)
 			ns.ExecAndLog(step, k)
 
-			ns.WaitForDatacenterReady(dcName)
+			ns.WaitForDatacenterOperatorProgress(dcName, "Ready", 1800)
 
 			// Get UID of the cluster pod
 			step = "get Cassandra pods UID"