diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/pod/utils.go b/test/e2e/framework/pod/utils.go
index 7e9c68b5d09..25188e7b9c0 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/pod/utils.go
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/pod/utils.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ const InfiniteSleepCommand = "trap exit TERM; while true; do sleep 1; done"
 //
 // This is useful for testing scenarios where the container is terminated
 // with a non-zero exit code.
-const InfiniteSleepCommandWithoutGracefulShutdown = "while true; do sleep 1; done"
+const InfiniteSleepCommandWithoutGracefulShutdown = "while true; do sleep 100000; done"
 
 // GenerateScriptCmd generates the corresponding command lines to execute a command.
 func GenerateScriptCmd(command string) []string {
diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/pod/wait.go b/test/e2e/framework/pod/wait.go
index 189d0f38d32..6d368de6beb 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/pod/wait.go
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/pod/wait.go
@@ -84,6 +84,27 @@ func BeRunningNoRetries() types.GomegaMatcher {
 	)
 }
 
+// BeRunningReadyNoRetries verifies that a pod starts running and has a ready
+// condition of status true. It's a permanent failure when the pod enters some
+// other permanent phase.
+func BeRunningReadyNoRetries() types.GomegaMatcher {
+	return gomega.And(
+		// This additional matcher checks for the final error condition.
+		gcustom.MakeMatcher(func(pod *v1.Pod) (bool, error) {
+			switch pod.Status.Phase {
+			case v1.PodFailed, v1.PodSucceeded:
+				return false, gomega.StopTrying(fmt.Sprintf("Expected pod to reach phase %q, got final phase %q instead:\n%s", v1.PodRunning, pod.Status.Phase, format.Object(pod, 1)))
+			default:
+				return true, nil
+			}
+		}),
+		BeInPhase(v1.PodRunning),
+		gcustom.MakeMatcher(func(pod *v1.Pod) (bool, error) {
+			return podutils.IsPodReady(pod), nil
+		}).WithMessage("Expected pod to have a ready condition of status true"),
+	)
+}
+
 // BeInPhase matches if pod.status.phase is the expected phase.
 func BeInPhase(phase v1.PodPhase) types.GomegaMatcher {
 	// A simple implementation of this would be:
@@ -526,6 +547,16 @@ func WaitTimeoutForPodRunningInNamespace(ctx context.Context, c clientset.Interf
 		Should(BeRunningNoRetries())
 }
 
+// WaitTimeoutForPodRunningReadyInNamespace waits the given timeout duration for the specified pod to become running
+// and have a ready condition of status true.
+// It does not need to exist yet when this function gets called and the pod is not expected to be recreated
+// when it succeeds or fails.
+func WaitTimeoutForPodRunningReadyInNamespace(ctx context.Context, c clientset.Interface, podName, namespace string, timeout time.Duration) error {
+	return framework.Gomega().Eventually(ctx, framework.RetryNotFound(framework.GetObject(c.CoreV1().Pods(namespace).Get, podName, metav1.GetOptions{}))).
+		WithTimeout(timeout).
+		Should(BeRunningReadyNoRetries())
+}
+
 // WaitForPodRunningInNamespace waits default amount of time (podStartTimeout) for the specified pod to become running.
 // Returns an error if timeout occurs first, or pod goes in to failed state.
 func WaitForPodRunningInNamespace(ctx context.Context, c clientset.Interface, pod *v1.Pod) error {
diff --git a/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/subpath.go b/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/subpath.go
index 34d35e53768..a0103b287e1 100644
--- a/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/subpath.go
+++ b/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/subpath.go
@@ -806,8 +806,8 @@ func testPodContainerRestartWithHooks(ctx context.Context, f *framework.Framewor
 	pod, err := f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Pods(f.Namespace.Name).Create(ctx, pod, metav1.CreateOptions{})
 	framework.ExpectNoError(err, "while creating pod")
 	ginkgo.DeferCleanup(e2epod.DeletePodWithWait, f.ClientSet, pod)
-	err = e2epod.WaitTimeoutForPodRunningInNamespace(ctx, f.ClientSet, pod.Name, pod.Namespace, f.Timeouts.PodStart)
-	framework.ExpectNoError(err, "while waiting for pod to be running")
+	err = e2epod.WaitTimeoutForPodRunningReadyInNamespace(ctx, f.ClientSet, pod.Name, pod.Namespace, f.Timeouts.PodStart)
+	framework.ExpectNoError(err, "while waiting for pod to be running and ready")
 
 	ginkgo.By("Failing liveness probe")
 	hooks.FailLivenessProbe(pod, probeFilePath)