diff --git a/test/e2e/apimachinery/garbage_collector.go b/test/e2e/apimachinery/garbage_collector.go
index a7c76779cf4..6870a11f285 100644
--- a/test/e2e/apimachinery/garbage_collector.go
+++ b/test/e2e/apimachinery/garbage_collector.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/framework"
 	e2emetrics "k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/framework/metrics"
 	e2enode "k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/framework/node"
+	e2epod "k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/framework/pod"
 	e2eskipper "k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/framework/skipper"
 
 	"github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
@@ -443,6 +444,9 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("Garbage collector", func() {
 			framework.Failf("expect %d pods, got %d pods", e, a)
 		}
 		gatherMetrics(f)
+		if err = e2epod.DeletePodsWithGracePeriod(clientSet, pods.Items, 0); err != nil {
+			framework.Logf("WARNING: failed to delete pods: %v", err)
+		}
 	})
 
 	// deleteOptions.OrphanDependents is deprecated in 1.7 and preferred to use the PropagationPolicy.
@@ -489,6 +493,9 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("Garbage collector", func() {
 			framework.Failf("expect %d pods, got %d pods", e, a)
 		}
 		gatherMetrics(f)
+		if err = e2epod.DeletePodsWithGracePeriod(clientSet, pods.Items, 0); err != nil {
+			framework.Logf("WARNING: failed to delete pods: %v", err)
+		}
 	})
 
 	/*
@@ -827,6 +834,9 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("Garbage collector", func() {
 			}
 		}
 		gatherMetrics(f)
+		if err = e2epod.DeletePodsWithGracePeriod(clientSet, pods.Items, 0); err != nil {
+			framework.Logf("WARNING: failed to delete pods: %v", err)
+		}
 	})
 
 	// TODO: should be an integration test
diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/pod/delete.go b/test/e2e/framework/pod/delete.go
index 2da92d4d8e0..af28bcd938a 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/pod/delete.go
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/pod/delete.go
@@ -69,3 +69,31 @@ func DeletePodWithWaitByName(c clientset.Interface, podName, podNamespace string
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+// DeletePodWithGracePeriod deletes the passed-in pod. Resilient to the pod not existing.
+func DeletePodWithGracePeriod(c clientset.Interface, pod *v1.Pod, grace int64) error {
+	return DeletePodWithGracePeriodByName(c, pod.GetName(), pod.GetNamespace(), grace)
+}
+
+// DeletePodsWithGracePeriod deletes the passed-in pods. Resilient to the pods not existing.
+func DeletePodsWithGracePeriod(c clientset.Interface, pods []v1.Pod, grace int64) error {
+	for _, pod := range pods {
+		if err := DeletePodWithGracePeriod(c, &pod, grace); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// DeletePodWithGracePeriodByName deletes a pod by name and namespace. Resilient to the pod not existing.
+func DeletePodWithGracePeriodByName(c clientset.Interface, podName, podNamespace string, grace int64) error {
+	e2elog.Logf("Deleting pod %q in namespace %q", podName, podNamespace)
+	err := c.CoreV1().Pods(podNamespace).Delete(context.TODO(), podName, *metav1.NewDeleteOptions(grace))
+	if err != nil {
+		if apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
+			return nil // assume pod was already deleted
+		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("pod Delete API error: %v", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}