diff --git a/test/e2e_node/hugepages_test.go b/test/e2e_node/hugepages_test.go
index 74c715333cc..cfd3d4188cb 100644
--- a/test/e2e_node/hugepages_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e_node/hugepages_test.go
@@ -337,16 +337,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("HugePages [Serial] [Feature:HugePages][NodeSpecialFeature:H
 			setHugepages()
 
 			ginkgo.By("restarting kubelet to pick up pre-allocated hugepages")
-			// stop the kubelet and wait until the server will restart it automatically
-			stopKubelet()
-			// wait until the kubelet health check will fail
-			gomega.Eventually(func() bool {
-				return kubeletHealthCheck(kubeletHealthCheckURL)
-			}, time.Minute, time.Second).Should(gomega.BeFalse())
-			// wait until the kubelet health check will pass
-			gomega.Eventually(func() bool {
-				return kubeletHealthCheck(kubeletHealthCheckURL)
-			}, 2*time.Minute, 10*time.Second).Should(gomega.BeTrue())
+			restartKubelet(true)
 
 			waitForHugepages()
 
@@ -364,8 +355,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("HugePages [Serial] [Feature:HugePages][NodeSpecialFeature:H
 			releaseHugepages()
 
 			ginkgo.By("restarting kubelet to pick up pre-allocated hugepages")
-			// stop the kubelet and wait until the server will restart it automatically
-			stopKubelet()
+			restartKubelet(true)
 
 			waitForHugepages()
 		})