diff --git a/test/e2e_node/dra_test.go b/test/e2e_node/dra_test.go
index 9234558ef31..3b336f89d5f 100644
--- a/test/e2e_node/dra_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e_node/dra_test.go
@@ -1056,7 +1056,7 @@ func newRegistrar(ctx context.Context, clientSet kubernetes.Interface, nodeName,
 	allOpts = append(allOpts, opts...)
 
 	registrar, err := testdriver.StartPlugin(
-		ctx,
+		context.WithoutCancel(ctx), // It gets stopped during test cleanup or when requested earlier.
 		cdiDir,
 		driverName,
 		clientSet,
@@ -1065,6 +1065,7 @@ func newRegistrar(ctx context.Context, clientSet kubernetes.Interface, nodeName,
 		allOpts...,
 	)
 	framework.ExpectNoError(err, "start only Kubelet plugin registrar")
+	ginkgo.DeferCleanup(registrar.Stop)
 	return registrar
 }
 
@@ -1159,6 +1160,10 @@ func draServiceCleanup(ctx context.Context, clientSet kubernetes.Interface, driv
 	ginkgo.By("Deleting pods and waiting for ResourceClaims to be released...")
 	framework.ExpectNoError(clientSet.CoreV1().Pods(testNamespace).DeleteCollection(ctx, metav1.DeleteOptions{}, metav1.ListOptions{}))
 
+	// Failing here is a bit more obvious than in the metric check below.
+	// The metrics get checked, too, because we want to be certain that those go down.
+	gomega.Eventually(ctx, framework.ListObjects(clientSet.CoreV1().Pods(testNamespace).List, metav1.ListOptions{})).Should(gomega.HaveField("Items", gomega.BeEmpty()), "All pods should be deleted, shut down and removed.")
+
 	// We allow for a delay because it takes a while till the kubelet fully deals with pod deletion.
 	// Typically there is no dra_resource_claims_in_use entry for the driver (covered by gstruct.IgnoreMissing).
 	// If there is one, it must be zero.