diff --git a/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/replica_calculator.go b/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/replica_calculator.go
index 656cf3ca51c..2ff5d4323df 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/replica_calculator.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/replica_calculator.go
@@ -501,7 +501,6 @@ func calculatePodLevelRequests(pod *v1.Pod, resource v1.ResourceName) (int64, er
 // resource by summing requests from all containers in the pod.
 // If a container name is specified, it uses only that container.
 func calculatePodRequestsFromContainers(pod *v1.Pod, container string, resource v1.ResourceName) (int64, error) {
-	// Calculate all regular containers and restartable init containers requests.
 	containers := append([]v1.Container{}, pod.Spec.Containers...)
 	for _, c := range pod.Spec.InitContainers {
 		if c.RestartPolicy != nil && *c.RestartPolicy == v1.ContainerRestartPolicyAlways {
@@ -518,7 +517,17 @@ func calculatePodRequestsFromContainers(pod *v1.Pod, container string, resource
 			}
 			request += containerRequest.MilliValue()
 		}
+		// container names are unique inside the pod
+		if container == c.Name {
+			return request, nil
+		}
 	}
+
+	// If we're looking for a specific container and didn't find it
+	if container != "" {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("container %s not found in Pod %s", container, pod.Name)
+	}
+
 	return request, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/replica_calculator_test.go b/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/replica_calculator_test.go
index fc164f7c6ab..6a9fade24af 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/replica_calculator_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/replica_calculator_test.go
@@ -2430,3 +2430,30 @@ func TestCalculateRequests(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+func TestCalculatePodRequestsFromContainers_NonExistentContainer(t *testing.T) {
+	pod := &v1.Pod{
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+			Name:      "test-pod",
+			Namespace: testNamespace,
+		},
+		Spec: v1.PodSpec{
+			Containers: []v1.Container{
+				{
+					Name: "container1",
+					Resources: v1.ResourceRequirements{
+						Requests: v1.ResourceList{
+							v1.ResourceCPU: resource.MustParse("100m"),
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	request, err := calculatePodRequestsFromContainers(pod, "non-existent-container", v1.ResourceCPU)
+
+	require.Error(t, err, "expected error for non-existent container")
+	expectedErr := "container non-existent-container not found in Pod test-pod"
+	assert.Equal(t, expectedErr, err.Error(), "error message should match expected format")
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(0), request, "request should be 0 when container does not exist")
+}