diff --git a/test/e2e/addon_update.go b/test/e2e/addon_update.go
index c4496e10c3d..c953ffe4dc5 100644
--- a/test/e2e/addon_update.go
+++ b/test/e2e/addon_update.go
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ var _ = framework.KubeDescribe("Addon update", func() {
 
 		var err error
 		sshClient, err = getMasterSSHClient()
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "Failed to get the master SSH client.")
 	})
 
 	AfterEach(func() {
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ var _ = framework.KubeDescribe("Addon update", func() {
 
 		for _, p := range remoteFiles {
 			err := writeRemoteFile(sshClient, p.data, temporaryRemotePath, p.fileName, 0644)
-			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "Failed to write file %q at remote path %q with ssh client %+v", p.fileName, temporaryRemotePath, sshClient)
 		}
 
 		// directory on kubernetes-master
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ var _ = framework.KubeDescribe("Addon update", func() {
 
 		// cleanup from previous tests
 		_, _, _, err := sshExec(sshClient, fmt.Sprintf("sudo rm -rf %s", destinationDirPrefix))
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "Failed to remove remote dir %q with ssh client %+v", destinationDirPrefix, sshClient)
 
 		defer sshExec(sshClient, fmt.Sprintf("sudo rm -rf %s", destinationDirPrefix)) // ignore result in cleanup
 		sshExecAndVerify(sshClient, fmt.Sprintf("sudo mkdir -p %s", destinationDir))
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ func getMasterSSHClient() (*ssh.Client, error) {
 
 func sshExecAndVerify(client *ssh.Client, cmd string) {
 	_, _, rc, err := sshExec(client, cmd)
-	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "Failed to execute %q with ssh client %+v", cmd, client)
 	Expect(rc).To(Equal(0), "error return code from executing command on the cluster: %s", cmd)
 }
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/common/configmap.go b/test/e2e/common/configmap.go
index fe2d2fdaaca..c93eeeead7a 100644
--- a/test/e2e/common/configmap.go
+++ b/test/e2e/common/configmap.go
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ var _ = framework.KubeDescribe("ConfigMap", func() {
 		configMap.ResourceVersion = "" // to force update
 		configMap.Data["data-1"] = "value-2"
 		_, err = f.Client.ConfigMaps(f.Namespace.Name).Update(configMap)
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "Failed to update configmap %q in namespace %q", configMap.Name, f.Namespace.Name)
 
 		By("waiting to observe update in volume")
 		Eventually(pollLogs, podLogTimeout, framework.Poll).Should(ContainSubstring("value-2"))
diff --git a/test/e2e/common/downwardapi_volume.go b/test/e2e/common/downwardapi_volume.go
index 6d0773e5988..7e763c1f4ab 100644
--- a/test/e2e/common/downwardapi_volume.go
+++ b/test/e2e/common/downwardapi_volume.go
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ var _ = framework.KubeDescribe("Downward API volume", func() {
 		podClient.CreateSync(pod)
 
 		pod, err := podClient.Get(pod.Name)
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "Failed to get pod %q", pod.Name)
 
 		Eventually(func() (string, error) {
 			return framework.GetPodLogs(f.Client, f.Namespace.Name, pod.Name, containerName)
diff --git a/test/e2e/common/pods.go b/test/e2e/common/pods.go
index c49660b5c70..e04dbb32d8f 100644
--- a/test/e2e/common/pods.go
+++ b/test/e2e/common/pods.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func testHostIP(podClient *framework.PodClient, pod *api.Pod) {
 	t := time.Now()
 	for {
 		p, err := podClient.Get(pod.Name)
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "Failed to get pod %q", pod.Name)
 		if p.Status.HostIP != "" {
 			framework.Logf("Pod %s has hostIP: %s", p.Name, p.Status.HostIP)
 			break