diff --git a/test/e2e/apps/statefulset.go b/test/e2e/apps/statefulset.go
index 1a3a6943c6d..ea136f0af4b 100644
--- a/test/e2e/apps/statefulset.go
+++ b/test/e2e/apps/statefulset.go
@@ -787,6 +787,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("StatefulSet", func() {
 			framework.ExpectEqual(scale.Status.Replicas, int32(1))
 
 			ginkgo.By("updating a scale subresource")
+			scale.ResourceVersion = "" // indicate the scale update should be unconditional
 			scale.Spec.Replicas = 2
 			scaleResult, err := c.AppsV1().StatefulSets(ns).UpdateScale(ssName, scale)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/service/jig.go b/test/e2e/framework/service/jig.go
index af27b2ba1eb..e387071a517 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/service/jig.go
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/service/jig.go
@@ -680,6 +680,7 @@ func (j *TestJig) Scale(replicas int) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get scale for RC %q: %v", rc, err)
 	}
 
+	scale.ResourceVersion = "" // indicate the scale update should be unconditional
 	scale.Spec.Replicas = int32(replicas)
 	_, err = j.Client.CoreV1().ReplicationControllers(j.Namespace).UpdateScale(rc, scale)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/test/e2e/network/ingress.go b/test/e2e/network/ingress.go
index 93131e99b5a..cb33dbfd026 100644
--- a/test/e2e/network/ingress.go
+++ b/test/e2e/network/ingress.go
@@ -350,6 +350,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("Loadbalancing: L7", func() {
 				scale, err := f.ClientSet.AppsV1().Deployments(ns).GetScale(name, metav1.GetOptions{})
 				framework.ExpectNoError(err)
 				if scale.Spec.Replicas != int32(num) {
+					scale.ResourceVersion = "" // indicate the scale update should be unconditional
 					scale.Spec.Replicas = int32(num)
 					_, err = f.ClientSet.AppsV1().Deployments(ns).UpdateScale(name, scale)
 					framework.ExpectNoError(err)
@@ -400,6 +401,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("Loadbalancing: L7", func() {
 			ginkgo.By(fmt.Sprintf("Scale backend replicas to %d", replicas))
 			scale, err := f.ClientSet.AppsV1().Deployments(ns).GetScale(name, metav1.GetOptions{})
 			framework.ExpectNoError(err)
+			scale.ResourceVersion = "" // indicate the scale update should be unconditional
 			scale.Spec.Replicas = int32(replicas)
 			_, err = f.ClientSet.AppsV1().Deployments(ns).UpdateScale(name, scale)
 			framework.ExpectNoError(err)
@@ -448,6 +450,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("Loadbalancing: L7", func() {
 				scale, err := f.ClientSet.AppsV1().Deployments(ns).GetScale(name, metav1.GetOptions{})
 				framework.ExpectNoError(err)
 				if scale.Spec.Replicas != int32(num) {
+					scale.ResourceVersion = "" // indicate the scale update should be unconditional
 					scale.Spec.Replicas = int32(num)
 					_, err = f.ClientSet.AppsV1().Deployments(ns).UpdateScale(name, scale)
 					framework.ExpectNoError(err)