diff --git a/test/e2e/apps/statefulset.go b/test/e2e/apps/statefulset.go
index 1a3456f824b..b5e938350bb 100644
--- a/test/e2e/apps/statefulset.go
+++ b/test/e2e/apps/statefulset.go
@@ -24,15 +24,19 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
 	"github.com/onsi/gomega"
+
 	appsv1 "k8s.io/api/apps/v1"
 	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/fields"
 	klabels "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/intstr"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/watch"
 	clientset "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/cache"
 	watchtools "k8s.io/client-go/tools/watch"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/framework"
 	e2enode "k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/framework/node"
@@ -572,8 +576,14 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("StatefulSet", func() {
 		*/
 		framework.ConformanceIt("Scaling should happen in predictable order and halt if any stateful pod is unhealthy [Slow]", func() {
 			psLabels := klabels.Set(labels)
+			w := &cache.ListWatch{
+				WatchFunc: func(options metav1.ListOptions) (i watch.Interface, e error) {
+					options.LabelSelector = psLabels.AsSelector().String()
+					return f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Pods(ns).Watch(context.TODO(), options)
+				},
+			}
 			ginkgo.By("Initializing watcher for selector " + psLabels.String())
-			watcher, err := f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Pods(ns).Watch(context.TODO(), metav1.ListOptions{
+			pl, err := f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Pods(ns).List(context.TODO(), metav1.ListOptions{
 				LabelSelector: psLabels.AsSelector().String(),
 			})
 			framework.ExpectNoError(err)
@@ -602,7 +612,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("StatefulSet", func() {
 			expectedOrder := []string{ssName + "-0", ssName + "-1", ssName + "-2"}
 			ctx, cancel := watchtools.ContextWithOptionalTimeout(context.Background(), statefulSetTimeout)
 			defer cancel()
-			_, err = watchtools.UntilWithoutRetry(ctx, watcher, func(event watch.Event) (bool, error) {
+			_, err = watchtools.Until(ctx, pl.ResourceVersion, w, func(event watch.Event) (bool, error) {
 				if event.Type != watch.Added {
 					return false, nil
 				}
@@ -616,7 +626,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("StatefulSet", func() {
 			framework.ExpectNoError(err)
 
 			ginkgo.By("Scale down will halt with unhealthy stateful pod")
-			watcher, err = f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Pods(ns).Watch(context.TODO(), metav1.ListOptions{
+			pl, err = f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Pods(ns).List(context.TODO(), metav1.ListOptions{
 				LabelSelector: psLabels.AsSelector().String(),
 			})
 			framework.ExpectNoError(err)
@@ -635,7 +645,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("StatefulSet", func() {
 			expectedOrder = []string{ssName + "-2", ssName + "-1", ssName + "-0"}
 			ctx, cancel = watchtools.ContextWithOptionalTimeout(context.Background(), statefulSetTimeout)
 			defer cancel()
-			_, err = watchtools.UntilWithoutRetry(ctx, watcher, func(event watch.Event) (bool, error) {
+			_, err = watchtools.Until(ctx, pl.ResourceVersion, w, func(event watch.Event) (bool, error) {
 				if event.Type != watch.Deleted {
 					return false, nil
 				}
@@ -738,12 +748,21 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("StatefulSet", func() {
 
 			var initialStatefulPodUID types.UID
 			ginkgo.By("Waiting until stateful pod " + statefulPodName + " will be recreated and deleted at least once in namespace " + f.Namespace.Name)
-			w, err := f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Pods(f.Namespace.Name).Watch(context.TODO(), metav1.SingleObject(metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: statefulPodName}))
-			framework.ExpectNoError(err)
+			fieldSelector := fields.OneTermEqualSelector("metadata.name", statefulPodName).String()
+			lw := &cache.ListWatch{
+				ListFunc: func(options metav1.ListOptions) (object runtime.Object, e error) {
+					options.FieldSelector = fieldSelector
+					return f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Pods(f.Namespace.Name).List(context.TODO(), options)
+				},
+				WatchFunc: func(options metav1.ListOptions) (i watch.Interface, e error) {
+					options.FieldSelector = fieldSelector
+					return f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Pods(f.Namespace.Name).Watch(context.TODO(), options)
+				},
+			}
 			ctx, cancel := watchtools.ContextWithOptionalTimeout(context.Background(), statefulPodTimeout)
 			defer cancel()
 			// we need to get UID from pod in any state and wait until stateful set controller will remove pod at least once
-			_, err = watchtools.UntilWithoutRetry(ctx, w, func(event watch.Event) (bool, error) {
+			_, err = watchtools.ListWatchUntil(ctx, lw, func(event watch.Event) (bool, error) {
 				pod := event.Object.(*v1.Pod)
 				switch event.Type {
 				case watch.Deleted: