diff --git a/test/e2e/auth/BUILD b/test/e2e/auth/BUILD
index c7f31b02098..7ae174611a3 100644
--- a/test/e2e/auth/BUILD
+++ b/test/e2e/auth/BUILD
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ go_library(
         "//pkg/security/podsecuritypolicy/util:go_default_library",
         "//plugin/pkg/admission/serviceaccount:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/api/apps/v1:go_default_library",
+        "//staging/src/k8s.io/api/authentication/v1:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/api/batch/v1:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/api/certificates/v1beta1:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/api/core/v1:go_default_library",
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ go_library(
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types:go_default_library",
+        "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/uuid:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/apis/audit:go_default_library",
diff --git a/test/e2e/auth/service_accounts.go b/test/e2e/auth/service_accounts.go
index 2941a65320d..5ba059475e1 100644
--- a/test/e2e/auth/service_accounts.go
+++ b/test/e2e/auth/service_accounts.go
@@ -18,11 +18,14 @@ package auth
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"path"
 	"time"
 
+	authenticationv1 "k8s.io/api/authentication/v1"
 	"k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/uuid"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/plugin/pkg/admission/serviceaccount"
@@ -163,23 +166,25 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("ServiceAccounts", func() {
 	                Account mount path MUST be auto mounted to the Container.
 	*/
 	framework.ConformanceIt("should mount an API token into pods ", func() {
-		var tokenContent string
 		var rootCAContent string
 
+		sa, err := f.ClientSet.CoreV1().ServiceAccounts(f.Namespace.Name).Create(&v1.ServiceAccount{ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "mount-test"}})
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
+
 		// Standard get, update retry loop
 		framework.ExpectNoError(wait.Poll(time.Millisecond*500, framework.ServiceAccountProvisionTimeout, func() (bool, error) {
 			By("getting the auto-created API token")
-			sa, err := f.ClientSet.CoreV1().ServiceAccounts(f.Namespace.Name).Get("default", metav1.GetOptions{})
+			sa, err := f.ClientSet.CoreV1().ServiceAccounts(f.Namespace.Name).Get("mount-test", metav1.GetOptions{})
 			if apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
-				framework.Logf("default service account was not found")
+				framework.Logf("mount-test service account was not found")
 				return false, nil
 			}
 			if err != nil {
-				framework.Logf("error getting default service account: %v", err)
+				framework.Logf("error getting mount-test service account: %v", err)
 				return false, err
 			}
 			if len(sa.Secrets) == 0 {
-				framework.Logf("default service account has no secret references")
+				framework.Logf("mount-test service account has no secret references")
 				return false, nil
 			}
 			for _, secretRef := range sa.Secrets {
@@ -189,7 +194,6 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("ServiceAccounts", func() {
 					continue
 				}
 				if secret.Type == v1.SecretTypeServiceAccountToken {
-					tokenContent = string(secret.Data[v1.ServiceAccountTokenKey])
 					rootCAContent = string(secret.Data[v1.ServiceAccountRootCAKey])
 					return true, nil
 				}
@@ -199,49 +203,46 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("ServiceAccounts", func() {
 			return false, nil
 		}))
 
-		pod := &v1.Pod{
+		zero := int64(0)
+		pod, err := f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Pods(f.Namespace.Name).Create(&v1.Pod{
 			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
-				GenerateName: "pod-service-account-" + string(uuid.NewUUID()) + "-",
+				Name: "pod-service-account-" + string(uuid.NewUUID()),
 			},
 			Spec: v1.PodSpec{
-				Containers: []v1.Container{
-					{
-						Name:  "token-test",
-						Image: mountImage,
-						Args: []string{
-							fmt.Sprintf("--file_content=%s/%s", serviceaccount.DefaultAPITokenMountPath, v1.ServiceAccountTokenKey),
-						},
-					},
-					{
-						Name:  "root-ca-test",
-						Image: mountImage,
-						Args: []string{
-							fmt.Sprintf("--file_content=%s/%s", serviceaccount.DefaultAPITokenMountPath, v1.ServiceAccountRootCAKey),
-						},
-					},
-				},
-				RestartPolicy: v1.RestartPolicyNever,
-			},
-		}
-
-		pod.Spec.Containers = append(pod.Spec.Containers, v1.Container{
-			Name:  "namespace-test",
-			Image: mountImage,
-			Args: []string{
-				fmt.Sprintf("--file_content=%s/%s", serviceaccount.DefaultAPITokenMountPath, v1.ServiceAccountNamespaceKey),
+				ServiceAccountName: sa.Name,
+				Containers: []v1.Container{{
+					Name:    "test",
+					Image:   imageutils.GetE2EImage(imageutils.BusyBox),
+					Command: []string{"sleep", "100000"}, // run and pause
+				}},
+				TerminationGracePeriodSeconds: &zero,                 // terminate quickly when deleted
+				RestartPolicy:                 v1.RestartPolicyNever, // never restart
 			},
 		})
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
+		framework.ExpectNoError(framework.WaitForPodRunningInNamespace(f.ClientSet, pod))
 
-		f.TestContainerOutput("consume service account token", pod, 0, []string{
-			fmt.Sprintf(`content of file "%s/%s": %s`, serviceaccount.DefaultAPITokenMountPath, v1.ServiceAccountTokenKey, tokenContent),
-		})
-		f.TestContainerOutput("consume service account root CA", pod, 1, []string{
-			fmt.Sprintf(`content of file "%s/%s": %s`, serviceaccount.DefaultAPITokenMountPath, v1.ServiceAccountRootCAKey, rootCAContent),
-		})
+		mountedToken, err := f.ReadFileViaContainer(pod.Name, pod.Spec.Containers[0].Name, path.Join(serviceaccount.DefaultAPITokenMountPath, v1.ServiceAccountTokenKey))
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
+		mountedCA, err := f.ReadFileViaContainer(pod.Name, pod.Spec.Containers[0].Name, path.Join(serviceaccount.DefaultAPITokenMountPath, v1.ServiceAccountRootCAKey))
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
+		mountedNamespace, err := f.ReadFileViaContainer(pod.Name, pod.Spec.Containers[0].Name, path.Join(serviceaccount.DefaultAPITokenMountPath, v1.ServiceAccountNamespaceKey))
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
 
-		f.TestContainerOutput("consume service account namespace", pod, 2, []string{
-			fmt.Sprintf(`content of file "%s/%s": %s`, serviceaccount.DefaultAPITokenMountPath, v1.ServiceAccountNamespaceKey, f.Namespace.Name),
-		})
+		// CA and namespace should be identical
+		Expect(mountedCA).To(Equal(rootCAContent))
+		Expect(mountedNamespace).To(Equal(f.Namespace.Name))
+		// Token should be a valid credential that identifies the pod's service account
+		tokenReview := &authenticationv1.TokenReview{Spec: authenticationv1.TokenReviewSpec{Token: mountedToken}}
+		tokenReview, err = f.ClientSet.AuthenticationV1().TokenReviews().Create(tokenReview)
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
+		Expect(tokenReview.Status.Authenticated).To(Equal(true))
+		Expect(tokenReview.Status.Error).To(Equal(""))
+		Expect(tokenReview.Status.User.Username).To(Equal("system:serviceaccount:" + f.Namespace.Name + ":" + sa.Name))
+		groups := sets.NewString(tokenReview.Status.User.Groups...)
+		Expect(groups.Has("system:authenticated")).To(Equal(true), fmt.Sprintf("expected system:authenticated group, had %v", groups.List()))
+		Expect(groups.Has("system:serviceaccounts")).To(Equal(true), fmt.Sprintf("expected system:serviceaccounts group, had %v", groups.List()))
+		Expect(groups.Has("system:serviceaccounts:"+f.Namespace.Name)).To(Equal(true), fmt.Sprintf("expected system:serviceaccounts:"+f.Namespace.Name+" group, had %v", groups.List()))
 	})
 
 	/*