diff --git a/internal/pkg/agent/application/upgrade/watcher.go b/internal/pkg/agent/application/upgrade/watcher.go
index 82f28167592..637129f82dc 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/agent/application/upgrade/watcher.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/agent/application/upgrade/watcher.go
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ type AgentWatcher struct {
 func NewAgentWatcher(ch chan error, log *logger.Logger, checkInterval time.Duration) *AgentWatcher {
 	c := client.New()
 	ec := &AgentWatcher{
-		lastPid:       -1,
 		notifyChan:    ch,
 		agentClient:   c,
 		log:           log,
@@ -124,6 +123,7 @@ func (ch *AgentWatcher) Run(ctx context.Context) {
 
 LOOP:
 	for {
+		ch.lastPid = -1
 		connectTimer := time.NewTimer(ch.checkInterval)
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
@@ -194,9 +194,9 @@ LOOP:
 				// we are now talking to a different spawned Elastic Agent
 				if ch.lastPid == -1 {
 					ch.lastPid = state.Info.PID
-					ch.log.Info("Communicating with PID %d", ch.lastPid)
+					ch.log.Info(fmt.Sprintf("Communicating with PID %d", ch.lastPid))
 				} else if ch.lastPid != state.Info.PID {
-					ch.log.Error("Communication with PID %d lost, now communicating with PID %d", ch.lastPid, state.Info.PID)
+					ch.log.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Communication with PID %d lost, now communicating with PID %d", ch.lastPid, state.Info.PID))
 					ch.lastPid = state.Info.PID
 					// count the PID change as a lost connection, but allow
 					// the communication to continue unless has become a failure
diff --git a/testing/integration/upgrade_rollback_test.go b/testing/integration/upgrade_rollback_test.go
index 7183cb78659..02a209e18eb 100644
--- a/testing/integration/upgrade_rollback_test.go
+++ b/testing/integration/upgrade_rollback_test.go
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ import (
 	"github.com/elastic/elastic-agent/testing/upgradetest"
 )
 
+const reallyFastWatcherCfg = `
+agent.upgrade.watcher:
+  grace_period: 1m
+  error_check.interval: 5s
+`
+
 // TestStandaloneUpgradeRollback tests the scenario where upgrading to a new version
 // of Agent fails due to the new Agent binary reporting an unhealthy status. It checks
 // that the Agent is rolled back to the previous version.
@@ -165,7 +171,8 @@ func TestStandaloneUpgradeRollbackOnRestarts(t *testing.T) {
 
 	err = upgradetest.PerformUpgrade(
 		ctx, startFixture, endFixture, t,
-		upgradetest.WithPostUpgradeHook(postUpgradeHook))
+		upgradetest.WithPostUpgradeHook(postUpgradeHook),
+		upgradetest.WithCustomWatcherConfig(reallyFastWatcherCfg))
 	if !errors.Is(err, ErrPostExit) {
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 	}
@@ -203,7 +210,7 @@ func TestStandaloneUpgradeRollbackOnRestarts(t *testing.T) {
 		err = install.StartService(topPath)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
-		// ensure that it's started before starting it again
+		// ensure that it's started before next loop
 		require.Eventuallyf(t, func() bool {
 			status, statusErr = install.StatusService(topPath)
 			if statusErr != nil {
diff --git a/testing/upgradetest/upgrader.go b/testing/upgradetest/upgrader.go
index 64dcb2b70ac..93aeed622a5 100644
--- a/testing/upgradetest/upgrader.go
+++ b/testing/upgradetest/upgrader.go
@@ -27,9 +27,10 @@ type CustomPGP struct {
 type upgradeOpts struct {
 	sourceURI *string
 
-	skipVerify     bool
-	skipDefaultPgp bool
-	customPgp      *CustomPGP
+	skipVerify       bool
+	skipDefaultPgp   bool
+	customPgp        *CustomPGP
+	customWatcherCfg string
 
 	preInstallHook  func() error
 	postInstallHook func() error
@@ -98,6 +99,13 @@ func WithPostUpgradeHook(hook func() error) upgradeOpt {
 	}
 }
 
+// WithCustomWatcherConfig sets a custom watcher configuration to use.
+func WithCustomWatcherConfig(cfg string) upgradeOpt {
+	return func(opts *upgradeOpts) {
+		opts.customWatcherCfg = cfg
+	}
+}
+
 // PerformUpgrade performs the upgrading of the Elastic Agent.
 func PerformUpgrade(
 	ctx context.Context,
@@ -126,7 +134,11 @@ func PerformUpgrade(
 	}
 
 	// start fixture gets the agent configured to use a faster watcher
-	err = ConfigureFastWatcher(ctx, startFixture)
+	if upgradeOpts.customWatcherCfg != "" {
+		err = startFixture.Configure(ctx, []byte(upgradeOpts.customWatcherCfg))
+	} else {
+		err = ConfigureFastWatcher(ctx, startFixture)
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed configuring the start agent with faster watcher configuration: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/testing/upgradetest/watcher.go b/testing/upgradetest/watcher.go
index d0505f5992d..fd34dc82a7f 100644
--- a/testing/upgradetest/watcher.go
+++ b/testing/upgradetest/watcher.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import (
 
 // FastWatcherCfg is configuration that makes the watcher run faster.
 const FastWatcherCfg = `
-agent.upgradetest.watcher:
+agent.upgrade.watcher:
   grace_period: 1m
   error_check.interval: 15s
   crash_check.interval: 15s