diff --git a/test/e2e/auth/service_accounts.go b/test/e2e/auth/service_accounts.go
index 926f63241e9..52200122d12 100644
--- a/test/e2e/auth/service_accounts.go
+++ b/test/e2e/auth/service_accounts.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package auth
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"path"
 	"regexp"
@@ -29,9 +30,11 @@ import (
 	rbacv1 "k8s.io/api/rbac/v1"
 	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/uuid"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
+	watch "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/watch"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/plugin/pkg/admission/serviceaccount"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/framework"
 	e2ekubectl "k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/framework/kubectl"
@@ -621,6 +624,92 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("ServiceAccounts", func() {
 		framework.ExpectNoError(podErr)
 		framework.Logf("completed pod")
 	})
+
+	ginkgo.It("should run through the lifecycle of a ServiceAccount", func() {
+		testNamespaceName := f.Namespace.Name
+		testServiceAccountName := "testserviceaccount"
+		testSecretName := "testsecret"
+		testServiceAccountStaticLabels := map[string]string{"test-serviceaccount-static": "true"}
+		testServiceAccountStaticLabelsFlat := "test-serviceaccount-static=true"
+
+		ginkgo.By("creating a ServiceAccount")
+		testServiceAccount := v1.ServiceAccount{
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+				Name:   testServiceAccountName,
+				Labels: testServiceAccountStaticLabels,
+			},
+		}
+		_, err := f.ClientSet.CoreV1().ServiceAccounts(testNamespaceName).Create(context.TODO(), &testServiceAccount, metav1.CreateOptions{})
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err, "failed to create a ServiceAccount")
+		ginkgo.By("creating a Secret")
+		testSecret := v1.Secret{
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+				Name: testSecretName,
+			},
+			Data: map[string][]byte{
+				"test-field": []byte("test-value"),
+			},
+			Type: "Opaque",
+		}
+		_, err = f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Secrets(testNamespaceName).Create(context.TODO(), &testSecret, metav1.CreateOptions{})
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err, "failed to create a Secret")
+
+		fmt.Println("watching for the ServiceAccount to be added")
+		resourceWatchTimeoutSeconds := int64(180)
+		resourceWatch, err := f.ClientSet.CoreV1().ServiceAccounts(testNamespaceName).Watch(context.TODO(), metav1.ListOptions{LabelSelector: testServiceAccountStaticLabelsFlat, TimeoutSeconds: &resourceWatchTimeoutSeconds})
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Println(err, "failed to setup watch on newly created ServiceAccount")
+			return
+		}
+
+		resourceWatchChan := resourceWatch.ResultChan()
+		for watchEvent := range resourceWatchChan {
+			if watchEvent.Type == watch.Added {
+				break
+			}
+		}
+
+		defer func() {
+			ginkgo.By("deleting the ServiceAccount")
+			err = f.ClientSet.CoreV1().ServiceAccounts(testNamespaceName).DeleteCollection(context.TODO(), metav1.DeleteOptions{}, metav1.ListOptions{})
+			framework.ExpectNoError(err, "failed to delete the ServiceAccount by Collection")
+			for watchEvent := range resourceWatchChan {
+				if watchEvent.Type == watch.Deleted {
+					break
+				}
+			}
+
+			ginkgo.By("deleting the Secret")
+			err = f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Secrets(testNamespaceName).Delete(context.TODO(), testSecretName, metav1.DeleteOptions{})
+			framework.ExpectNoError(err, "failed to delete the Secret")
+		}()
+
+		ginkgo.By("patching the ServiceAccount")
+		testServiceAccountPatchData, err := json.Marshal(map[string]interface{}{
+			"secrets": []map[string]interface{}{{
+				"name": testSecretName,
+			}},
+		})
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err, "failed to marshal JSON patch for the ServiceAccount")
+		_, err = f.ClientSet.CoreV1().ServiceAccounts(testNamespaceName).Patch(context.TODO(), testServiceAccountName, types.StrategicMergePatchType, []byte(testServiceAccountPatchData), metav1.PatchOptions{})
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err, "failed to patch the ServiceAccount")
+		for watchEvent := range resourceWatchChan {
+			if watchEvent.Type == watch.Modified {
+				break
+			}
+		}
+
+		ginkgo.By("finding ServiceAccount in list of all ServiceAccounts (by LabelSelector)")
+		serviceAccountList, err := f.ClientSet.CoreV1().ServiceAccounts("").List(context.TODO(), metav1.ListOptions{LabelSelector: testServiceAccountStaticLabelsFlat})
+		foundServiceAccount := false
+		for _, serviceAccountItem := range serviceAccountList.Items {
+			if serviceAccountItem.ObjectMeta.Name == testServiceAccountName && serviceAccountItem.ObjectMeta.Namespace == testNamespaceName && serviceAccountItem.Secrets[0].Name == testSecretName {
+				foundServiceAccount = true
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		framework.ExpectEqual(foundServiceAccount, true, "failed to find the created ServiceAccount")
+	})
 })
 
 var reportLogsParser = regexp.MustCompile("([a-zA-Z0-9-_]*)=([a-zA-Z0-9-_]*)$")