diff --git a/pkg/e2e/compose_run_build_once_test.go b/pkg/e2e/compose_run_build_once_test.go
index 9ec809f44cb..f9726bb3b31 100644
--- a/pkg/e2e/compose_run_build_once_test.go
+++ b/pkg/e2e/compose_run_build_once_test.go
@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@ import (
 	"crypto/rand"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
+	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"gotest.tools/v3/assert"
-	"gotest.tools/v3/icmd"
 )
 
 // TestRunBuildOnce tests that services with pull_policy: build are only built once
@@ -32,22 +32,19 @@ import (
 // This addresses a bug where dependencies were built twice: once in startDependencies
 // and once in ensureImagesExists.
 func TestRunBuildOnce(t *testing.T) {
-	c := NewCLI(t)
+	c := NewParallelCLI(t)
 
 	t.Run("dependency with pull_policy build is built only once", func(t *testing.T) {
 		projectName := randomProjectName("build-once")
-		res := c.RunDockerComposeCmd(t, "-p", projectName, "-f", "./fixtures/run-test/build-once.yaml", "down", "--rmi", "local", "--remove-orphans")
-		res.Assert(t, icmd.Success)
+		_ = c.RunDockerComposeCmd(t, "-p", projectName, "-f", "./fixtures/run-test/build-once.yaml", "down", "--rmi", "local", "--remove-orphans", "-v")
+		res := c.RunDockerComposeCmd(t, "-p", projectName, "-f", "./fixtures/run-test/build-once.yaml", "--verbose", "run", "--build", "--rm", "curl")
 
-		res = c.RunDockerComposeCmd(t, "-p", projectName, "-f", "./fixtures/run-test/build-once.yaml", "run", "--build", "--rm", "curl")
-		res.Assert(t, icmd.Success)
+		output := res.Stdout()
 
-		// Count how many times nginx was built by looking for its unique RUN command output
-		nginxBuilds := strings.Count(res.Combined(), "Building nginx at")
+		nginxBuilds := countServiceBuilds(output, projectName, "nginx")
 
-		// nginx should build exactly once, not twice
-		assert.Equal(t, nginxBuilds, 1, "nginx dependency should build once, but built %d times", nginxBuilds)
-		assert.Assert(t, strings.Contains(res.Combined(), "curl service"))
+		assert.Equal(t, nginxBuilds, 1, "nginx should build once, built %d times\nOutput:\n%s", nginxBuilds, output)
+		assert.Assert(t, strings.Contains(res.Stdout(), "curl service"))
 
 		c.RunDockerComposeCmd(t, "-p", projectName, "-f", "./fixtures/run-test/build-once.yaml", "down", "--remove-orphans")
 	})
@@ -55,19 +52,13 @@ func TestRunBuildOnce(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("nested dependencies build only once each", func(t *testing.T) {
 		projectName := randomProjectName("build-nested")
 		_ = c.RunDockerComposeCmd(t, "-p", projectName, "-f", "./fixtures/run-test/build-once-nested.yaml", "down", "--rmi", "local", "--remove-orphans", "-v")
-
 		res := c.RunDockerComposeCmd(t, "-p", projectName, "-f", "./fixtures/run-test/build-once-nested.yaml", "--verbose", "run", "--build", "--rm", "app")
-		res.Assert(t, icmd.Success)
-
-		output := res.Combined()
 
-		dbBuildMarker := fmt.Sprintf("naming to docker.io/library/%s-db", projectName)
-		apiBuildMarker := fmt.Sprintf("naming to docker.io/library/%s-api", projectName)
-		appBuildMarker := fmt.Sprintf("naming to docker.io/library/%s-app", projectName)
+		output := res.Stdout()
 
-		dbBuilds := strings.Count(output, dbBuildMarker)
-		apiBuilds := strings.Count(output, apiBuildMarker)
-		appBuilds := strings.Count(output, appBuildMarker)
+		dbBuilds := countServiceBuilds(output, projectName, "db")
+		apiBuilds := countServiceBuilds(output, projectName, "api")
+		appBuilds := countServiceBuilds(output, projectName, "app")
 
 		assert.Equal(t, dbBuilds, 1, "db should build once, built %d times\nOutput:\n%s", dbBuilds, output)
 		assert.Equal(t, apiBuilds, 1, "api should build once, built %d times\nOutput:\n%s", apiBuilds, output)
@@ -79,21 +70,27 @@ func TestRunBuildOnce(t *testing.T) {
 
 	t.Run("service with no dependencies builds once", func(t *testing.T) {
 		projectName := randomProjectName("build-simple")
-		res := c.RunDockerComposeCmd(t, "-p", projectName, "-f", "./fixtures/run-test/build-once-no-deps.yaml", "down", "--rmi", "local", "--remove-orphans")
-		res.Assert(t, icmd.Success)
+		_ = c.RunDockerComposeCmd(t, "-p", projectName, "-f", "./fixtures/run-test/build-once-no-deps.yaml", "down", "--rmi", "local", "--remove-orphans")
+		res := c.RunDockerComposeCmd(t, "-p", projectName, "-f", "./fixtures/run-test/build-once-no-deps.yaml", "run", "--build", "--rm", "simple")
+
+		output := res.Stdout()
 
-		res = c.RunDockerComposeCmd(t, "-p", projectName, "-f", "./fixtures/run-test/build-once-no-deps.yaml", "run", "--build", "--rm", "simple")
-		res.Assert(t, icmd.Success)
+		simpleBuilds := countServiceBuilds(output, projectName, "simple")
 
-		// Should build exactly once
-		simpleBuilds := strings.Count(res.Combined(), "Simple service built at")
-		assert.Equal(t, simpleBuilds, 1, "simple should build once, built %d times", simpleBuilds)
-		assert.Assert(t, strings.Contains(res.Combined(), "Simple service"))
+		assert.Equal(t, simpleBuilds, 1, "simple should build once, built %d times\nOutput:\n%s", simpleBuilds, output)
+		assert.Assert(t, strings.Contains(res.Stdout(), "Simple service"))
 
 		c.RunDockerComposeCmd(t, "-p", projectName, "-f", "./fixtures/run-test/build-once-no-deps.yaml", "down", "--remove-orphans")
 	})
 }
 
+// countServiceBuilds counts how many times a service was built by matching
+// the "naming to *{projectName}-{serviceName}* done" pattern in the output
+func countServiceBuilds(output, projectName, serviceName string) int {
+	pattern := regexp.MustCompile(`naming to .*` + regexp.QuoteMeta(projectName) + `-` + regexp.QuoteMeta(serviceName) + `.* done`)
+	return len(pattern.FindAllString(output, -1))
+}
+
 // randomProjectName generates a unique project name for parallel test execution
 // Format: prefix-<8 random hex chars> (e.g., "build-once-3f4a9b2c")
 func randomProjectName(prefix string) string {
diff --git a/pkg/e2e/fixtures/run-test/build-once-no-deps.yaml b/pkg/e2e/fixtures/run-test/build-once-no-deps.yaml
index bf53d951671..36f4258b380 100644
--- a/pkg/e2e/fixtures/run-test/build-once-no-deps.yaml
+++ b/pkg/e2e/fixtures/run-test/build-once-no-deps.yaml
@@ -5,6 +5,6 @@ services:
     build:
       dockerfile_inline: |
         FROM alpine
-        RUN echo "Simple service built at $(date)" > /build.txt
+        RUN echo "Simple built at $(date)" > /build.txt
         CMD echo "Simple service"
 
diff --git a/pkg/e2e/fixtures/run-test/build-once.yaml b/pkg/e2e/fixtures/run-test/build-once.yaml
index 1d86f875fc2..7a6f84dbc42 100644
--- a/pkg/e2e/fixtures/run-test/build-once.yaml
+++ b/pkg/e2e/fixtures/run-test/build-once.yaml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ services:
     build:
       dockerfile_inline: |
         FROM alpine
-        RUN echo "Building nginx at $(date)" > /build-time.txt
+        RUN echo "Nginx built at $(date)" > /build-time.txt
         CMD sleep 3600
 
   # Service that depends on nginx