diff --git a/pkg/framework/plugins/removepodshavingtoomanyrestarts/toomanyrestarts.go b/pkg/framework/plugins/removepodshavingtoomanyrestarts/toomanyrestarts.go
index 835422b38b..946e137b9f 100644
--- a/pkg/framework/plugins/removepodshavingtoomanyrestarts/toomanyrestarts.go
+++ b/pkg/framework/plugins/removepodshavingtoomanyrestarts/toomanyrestarts.go
@@ -82,7 +82,13 @@ func New(args runtime.Object, handle frameworktypes.Handle) (frameworktypes.Plug
 				return true
 			}
 
-			for _, containerStatus := range pod.Status.ContainerStatuses {
+			containerStatuses := pod.Status.ContainerStatuses
+
+			if tooManyRestartsArgs.IncludingInitContainers {
+				containerStatuses = append(containerStatuses, pod.Status.InitContainerStatuses...)
+			}
+
+			for _, containerStatus := range containerStatuses {
 				if containerStatus.State.Waiting != nil && states.Has(containerStatus.State.Waiting.Reason) {
 					return true
 				}
diff --git a/pkg/framework/plugins/removepodshavingtoomanyrestarts/toomanyrestarts_test.go b/pkg/framework/plugins/removepodshavingtoomanyrestarts/toomanyrestarts_test.go
index 45dfd9d56a..075d0b2f09 100644
--- a/pkg/framework/plugins/removepodshavingtoomanyrestarts/toomanyrestarts_test.go
+++ b/pkg/framework/plugins/removepodshavingtoomanyrestarts/toomanyrestarts_test.go
@@ -270,6 +270,24 @@ func TestRemovePodsHavingTooManyRestarts(t *testing.T) {
 				}
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			description:             "pods pending with initContainer with states=CrashLoopBackOff, 1 pod evictions",
+			args:                    RemovePodsHavingTooManyRestartsArgs{PodRestartThreshold: 1, States: []string{"CrashLoopBackOff"}},
+			nodes:                   []*v1.Node{node1},
+			expectedEvictedPodCount: 0,
+			maxPodsToEvictPerNode:   &uint3,
+			applyFunc: func(pods []*v1.Pod) {
+				for _, pod := range pods {
+					pod.Status.InitContainerStatuses = []v1.ContainerStatus{
+						{
+							State: v1.ContainerState{
+								Waiting: &v1.ContainerStateWaiting{Reason: "CrashLoopBackOff"},
+							},
+						},
+					}
+				}
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range tests {