diff --git a/hack/e2e.go b/hack/e2e.go
index 0f7dcd5f304..26228d6b490 100644
--- a/hack/e2e.go
+++ b/hack/e2e.go
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ func tryUp() bool {
 }
 
 func Test() (failed, passed []string) {
+	defer runBashUntil("watchEvents", "$KUBECTL --watch-only get events")()
 	// run tests!
 	dir, err := os.Open(filepath.Join(*root, "hack", "e2e-suite"))
 	if err != nil {
@@ -175,6 +176,24 @@ func runBash(stepName, bashFragment string) bool {
 	return finishRunning(stepName, cmd)
 }
 
+// call the returned anonymous function to stop.
+func runBashUntil(stepName, bashFragment string) func() {
+	cmd := exec.Command("bash", "-s")
+	cmd.Stdin = strings.NewReader(bashWrap(bashFragment))
+	log.Printf("Running in background: %v", stepName)
+	stdout, stderr := bytes.NewBuffer(nil), bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
+	cmd.Stdout, cmd.Stderr = stdout, stderr
+	if err := cmd.Start(); err != nil {
+		log.Printf("Unable to start '%v': '%v'", stepName, err)
+		return func() {}
+	}
+	return func() {
+		cmd.Process.Signal(os.Interrupt)
+		fmt.Printf("%v stdout:\n------\n%v\n------\n", stepName, string(stdout.Bytes()))
+		fmt.Printf("%v stderr:\n------\n%v\n------\n", stepName, string(stderr.Bytes()))
+	}
+}
+
 func run(stepName, cmdPath string) bool {
 	return finishRunning(stepName, exec.Command(filepath.Join(*root, cmdPath)))
 }
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/get.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/get.go
index 45e7859d8ca..301ed8a8f3a 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/get.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/get.go
@@ -73,11 +73,13 @@ Examples:
 			obj, err := restHelper.Get(namespace, name, labelSelector)
 			checkErr(err)
 
-			if err := printer.PrintObj(obj, out); err != nil {
-				checkErr(fmt.Errorf("Unable to output the provided object: %v", err))
+			if !GetFlagBool(cmd, "watch-only") {
+				if err := printer.PrintObj(obj, out); err != nil {
+					checkErr(fmt.Errorf("Unable to output the provided object: %v", err))
+				}
 			}
 
-			if GetFlagBool(cmd, "watch") {
+			if GetFlagBool(cmd, "watch") || GetFlagBool(cmd, "watch-only") {
 				vi, err := latest.InterfacesFor(outputVersion)
 				checkErr(err)
 
@@ -97,5 +99,6 @@ Examples:
 	cmd.Flags().StringP("template", "t", "", "Template string or path to template file to use when --output=template or --output=templatefile")
 	cmd.Flags().StringP("selector", "l", "", "Selector (label query) to filter on")
 	cmd.Flags().BoolP("watch", "w", false, "After listing/getting the requested object, watch for changes.")
+	cmd.Flags().Bool("watch-only", false, "Watch for changes to the requseted object(s), without listing/getting first.")
 	return cmd
 }