diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_instances.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_instances.go
index c6e31dee61e..0d551a29dd0 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_instances.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_instances.go
@@ -294,6 +294,24 @@ func (gce *GCECloud) GetAllZones() (sets.String, error) {
 	return zones, nil
 }
 
+// ListInstanceNames returns a string of instance names seperated by spaces.
+func (gce *GCECloud) ListInstanceNames(project, zone string) (string, error) {
+	res, err := gce.service.Instances.List(project, zone).Fields("items(name)").Do()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	var output string
+	for _, item := range res.Items {
+		output += item.Name + " "
+	}
+	return output, nil
+}
+
+// DeleteInstance deletes an instance specified by project, zone, and name
+func (gce *GCECloud) DeleteInstance(project, zone, name string) (*compute.Operation, error) {
+	return gce.service.Instances.Delete(project, zone, name).Do()
+}
+
 // Implementation of Instances.CurrentNodeName
 func (gce *GCECloud) CurrentNodeName(hostname string) (types.NodeName, error) {
 	return types.NodeName(hostname), nil
diff --git a/test/e2e/storage/pd.go b/test/e2e/storage/pd.go
index 68ae3afdc00..5885f7c4d2c 100644
--- a/test/e2e/storage/pd.go
+++ b/test/e2e/storage/pd.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ package storage
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	mathrand "math/rand"
-	"os/exec"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -450,16 +449,18 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("Pod Disks", func() {
 		// Verify that disk shows up in node 0's volumeInUse list
 		framework.ExpectNoError(waitForPDInVolumesInUse(nodeClient, diskName, host0Name, nodeStatusTimeout, true /* should exist*/))
 
-		output, err := exec.Command("gcloud", "compute", "instances", "list", "--project="+framework.TestContext.CloudConfig.ProjectID).CombinedOutput()
+		gceCloud, err := framework.GetGCECloud()
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err, fmt.Sprintf("Unable to create gcloud client err=%v", err))
+
+		output, err := gceCloud.ListInstanceNames(framework.TestContext.CloudConfig.ProjectID, framework.TestContext.CloudConfig.Zone)
 		framework.ExpectNoError(err, fmt.Sprintf("Unable to get list of node instances err=%v output=%s", err, output))
 		Expect(true, strings.Contains(string(output), string(host0Name)))
 
 		By("deleting host0")
+		resp, err := gceCloud.DeleteInstance(framework.TestContext.CloudConfig.ProjectID, framework.TestContext.CloudConfig.Zone, string(host0Name))
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err, fmt.Sprintf("Failed to delete host0pod: err=%v response=%#v", err, resp))
 
-		output, err = exec.Command("gcloud", "compute", "instances", "delete", string(host0Name), "--project="+framework.TestContext.CloudConfig.ProjectID, "--zone="+framework.TestContext.CloudConfig.Zone).CombinedOutput()
-		framework.ExpectNoError(err, fmt.Sprintf("Failed to delete host0pod: err=%v output=%s", err, output))
-
-		output, err = exec.Command("gcloud", "compute", "instances", "list", "--project="+framework.TestContext.CloudConfig.ProjectID).CombinedOutput()
+		output, err = gceCloud.ListInstanceNames(framework.TestContext.CloudConfig.ProjectID, framework.TestContext.CloudConfig.Zone)
 		framework.ExpectNoError(err, fmt.Sprintf("Unable to get list of node instances err=%v output=%s", err, output))
 		Expect(false, strings.Contains(string(output), string(host0Name)))