diff --git a/components/crud-web-apps/jupyter/backend/apps/common/status.py b/components/crud-web-apps/jupyter/backend/apps/common/status.py
index c2a2a6fe1..6d0abe7d3 100644
--- a/components/crud-web-apps/jupyter/backend/apps/common/status.py
+++ b/components/crud-web-apps/jupyter/backend/apps/common/status.py
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ def get_status_from_container_state(notebook):
 
     # If the Notebook is initializing, the status will be waiting
     waiting_state = container_state["waiting"]
-    if ["reason"] == 'PodInitializing':
+    if waiting_state.get("reason") == 'PodInitializing':
         status_phase = status.STATUS_PHASE.WAITING
         status_message = waiting_state.get("reason", "Undetermined reason.")
         return status_phase, status_message
diff --git a/components/crud-web-apps/jupyter/backend/apps/common/status_test.py b/components/crud-web-apps/jupyter/backend/apps/common/status_test.py
index 157409195..1e789afea 100644
--- a/components/crud-web-apps/jupyter/backend/apps/common/status_test.py
+++ b/components/crud-web-apps/jupyter/backend/apps/common/status_test.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ def test_ready_container_state(self):
             (None, None)
         )
 
-    def test_no_message_container_state(self):
+    def test_pod_initializing_container_state(self):
         container_state = {
             "status": {
                 "containerState": {
@@ -45,8 +45,41 @@ def test_no_message_container_state(self):
             }
         }
 
+        self.assertEqual(
+            status.get_status_from_container_state(container_state),
+            ("waiting", "PodInitializing")
+        )
+
+    def test_no_message_container_state(self):
+        container_state = {
+            "status": {
+                "containerState": {
+                    "waiting": {
+                        "reason": "ImagePullBackOff",
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
         self.assertEqual(
             status.get_status_from_container_state(container_state),
             ("warning",
-             "PodInitializing: No available message for container state.")
+             "ImagePullBackOff: No available message for container state.")
+        )
+
+    def test_waiting_container_state_with_message(self):
+        container_state = {
+            "status": {
+                "containerState": {
+                    "waiting": {
+                        "reason": "ImagePullBackOff",
+                        "message": "Back-off pulling image",
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        self.assertEqual(
+            status.get_status_from_container_state(container_state),
+            ("warning", "ImagePullBackOff: Back-off pulling image")
         )