diff --git a/tests/rptest/services/kafka_cli_consumer.py b/tests/rptest/services/kafka_cli_consumer.py
index 3b581e8ff4ef..f74f1eb4025b 100644
--- a/tests/rptest/services/kafka_cli_consumer.py
+++ b/tests/rptest/services/kafka_cli_consumer.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ def __init__(self,
                  offset=None,
                  partitions=None,
                  isolation_level=None,
+                 from_beginning=False,
                  consumer_properties={}):
         super(KafkaCliConsumer, self).__init__(context, num_nodes=1)
         self._redpanda = redpanda
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ def __init__(self,
         self._offset = offset
         self._partitions = partitions
         self._isolation_level = isolation_level
+        self._from_beginning = from_beginning
         self._consumer_properties = consumer_properties
         self._stopping = threading.Event()
         assert self._partitions is not None or self._group is not None, "either partitions or group have to be set"
@@ -56,6 +58,8 @@ def _worker(self, _, node):
                 cmd += ['--partition', ','.join(self._partitions)]
             if self._isolation_level is not None:
                 cmd += ["--isolation-level", str(self._isolation_level)]
+            if self._from_beginning:
+                cmd += ["--from-beginning"]
             for k, v in self._consumer_properties.items():
                 cmd += ['--consumer-property', f"{k}={v}"]
 
diff --git a/tests/rptest/tests/fetch_long_poll_test.py b/tests/rptest/tests/fetch_long_poll_test.py
index 4e456ffa5f48..59e8eaa3e820 100644
--- a/tests/rptest/tests/fetch_long_poll_test.py
+++ b/tests/rptest/tests/fetch_long_poll_test.py
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ def fetch_long_poll_test(self):
                                     self.redpanda,
                                     topic=topic.name,
                                     group='test-gr-1',
+                                    from_beginning=True,
                                     consumer_properties={
                                         'fetch.min.bytes': 1024,
                                         'fetch.max.wait.ms': 1000,