diff --git a/libpod/pod_api.go b/libpod/pod_api.go
index 7b143b478c..08a2e14294 100644
--- a/libpod/pod_api.go
+++ b/libpod/pod_api.go
@@ -44,10 +44,6 @@ func (p *Pod) startInitContainers(ctx context.Context) error {
 				icLock.Unlock()
 				return fmt.Errorf("failed to remove once init container %s: %w", initCon.ID(), err)
 			}
-			// Removing a container this way requires an explicit call to clean up the db
-			if err := p.runtime.state.RemoveContainerFromPod(p, initCon); err != nil {
-				logrus.Errorf("Removing container %s from database: %v", initCon.ID(), err)
-			}
 			icLock.Unlock()
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/test/system/700-play.bats b/test/system/700-play.bats
index 390e8365a5..411e88dae3 100644
--- a/test/system/700-play.bats
+++ b/test/system/700-play.bats
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ EOF
     run_podman container inspect --format "{{.HostConfig.NetworkMode}}" $infraID
     is "$output" "none" "network mode none is set for the container"
 
-    run_podman kube down - < $PODMAN_TMPDIR/test.yaml
+    run_podman kube down $PODMAN_TMPDIR/test.yaml
     run_podman 125 inspect test_pod-test
     is "$output" ".*Error: inspecting object: no such object: \"test_pod-test\""
     run_podman pod rm -a
@@ -436,6 +436,38 @@ status: {}
     run_podman rm -f -t0 myyaml
 }
 
+@test "podman play with init container" {
+    TESTDIR=$PODMAN_TMPDIR/testdir
+    mkdir -p $TESTDIR
+
+testUserYaml="
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Pod
+metadata:
+  name: pod
+spec:
+  containers:
+  - command:
+    - ls
+    - /dev/shm/test1
+    image: $IMAGE
+    name: testCtr
+  initContainers:
+  - command:
+    - touch
+    - /dev/shm/test1
+    image: $IMAGE
+    name: initCtr
+"
+    echo "$testUserYaml" > $PODMAN_TMPDIR/test.yaml
+    run_podman kube play $PODMAN_TMPDIR/test.yaml
+    assert "$output" !~ "level=" "init containers should not generate logrus.Error"
+    run_podman inspect --format "{{.State.ExitCode}}" pod-testCtr
+    is "$output" "0" "init container should have created /dev/shm/test1"
+
+    run_podman kube down $PODMAN_TMPDIR/test.yaml
+}
+
 @test "podman kube play - hostport" {
     HOST_PORT=$(random_free_port)
     echo "