diff --git a/test/e2e/cluster_upgrade.go b/test/e2e/cluster_upgrade.go
index 86949d0cfa7..b07ab994b53 100644
--- a/test/e2e/cluster_upgrade.go
+++ b/test/e2e/cluster_upgrade.go
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"regexp"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -122,10 +124,7 @@ var _ = framework.KubeDescribe("Downgrade [Feature:Downgrade]", func() {
 
 	// Create the frameworks here because we can only create them
 	// in a "Describe".
-	testFrameworks := map[string]*framework.Framework{}
-	for _, t := range upgradeTests {
-		testFrameworks[t.Name()] = framework.NewDefaultFramework(t.Name())
-	}
+	testFrameworks := createUpgradeFrameworks()
 
 	framework.KubeDescribe("cluster downgrade", func() {
 		It("should maintain a functioning cluster [Feature:ClusterDowngrade]", func() {
@@ -236,9 +235,12 @@ func finalizeUpgradeTest(start time.Time, tc *junit.TestCase) {
 }
 
 func createUpgradeFrameworks() map[string]*framework.Framework {
+	nsFilter := regexp.MustCompile("[^[:word:]-]+") // match anything that's not a word character or hyphen
 	testFrameworks := map[string]*framework.Framework{}
 	for _, t := range upgradeTests {
-		testFrameworks[t.Name()] = framework.NewDefaultFramework(t.Name())
+		ns := nsFilter.ReplaceAllString(t.Name(), "-") // and replace with a single hyphen
+		ns = strings.Trim(ns, "-")
+		testFrameworks[t.Name()] = framework.NewDefaultFramework(ns)
 	}
 	return testFrameworks
 }