diff --git a/test/e2e/network/dns.go b/test/e2e/network/dns.go
index a07aa0f77f8..910af0feb06 100644
--- a/test/e2e/network/dns.go
+++ b/test/e2e/network/dns.go
@@ -80,16 +80,17 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("DNS", func() {
 		}
 		headlessService := framework.CreateServiceSpec(dnsTestServiceName, "", true, testServiceSelector)
 		_, err := f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Services(f.Namespace.Name).Create(headlessService)
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to create headless service: %s", dnsTestServiceName)
 		defer func() {
 			By("deleting the test headless service")
 			defer GinkgoRecover()
 			f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Services(f.Namespace.Name).Delete(headlessService.Name, nil)
 		}()
 
-		regularService := framework.CreateServiceSpec("test-service-2", "", false, testServiceSelector)
+		regularServiceName := "test-service-2"
+		regularService := framework.CreateServiceSpec(regularServiceName, "", false, testServiceSelector)
 		regularService, err = f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Services(f.Namespace.Name).Create(regularService)
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to create regular service: %s", regularServiceName)
 		defer func() {
 			By("deleting the test service")
 			defer GinkgoRecover()
@@ -130,7 +131,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("DNS", func() {
 		podHostname := "dns-querier-2"
 		headlessService := framework.CreateServiceSpec(serviceName, "", true, testServiceSelector)
 		_, err := f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Services(f.Namespace.Name).Create(headlessService)
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to create headless service: %s", serviceName)
 		defer func() {
 			By("deleting the test headless service")
 			defer GinkgoRecover()
@@ -161,7 +162,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("DNS", func() {
 		serviceName := "dns-test-service-3"
 		externalNameService := framework.CreateServiceSpec(serviceName, "foo.example.com", false, nil)
 		_, err := f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Services(f.Namespace.Name).Create(externalNameService)
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to create ExternalName service: %s", serviceName)
 		defer func() {
 			By("deleting the test externalName service")
 			defer GinkgoRecover()
@@ -185,7 +186,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("DNS", func() {
 		_, err = framework.UpdateService(f.ClientSet, f.Namespace.Name, serviceName, func(s *v1.Service) {
 			s.Spec.ExternalName = "bar.example.com"
 		})
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to change externalName of service: %s", serviceName)
 		wheezyProbeCmd, wheezyFileName = createTargetedProbeCommand(hostFQDN, "CNAME", "wheezy")
 		jessieProbeCmd, jessieFileName = createTargetedProbeCommand(hostFQDN, "CNAME", "jessie")
 		By("Running these commands on wheezy: " + wheezyProbeCmd + "\n")
@@ -205,7 +206,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("DNS", func() {
 				{Port: 80, Name: "http", Protocol: v1.ProtocolTCP},
 			}
 		})
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to change service type to ClusterIP for service: %s", serviceName)
 		wheezyProbeCmd, wheezyFileName = createTargetedProbeCommand(hostFQDN, "A", "wheezy")
 		jessieProbeCmd, jessieFileName = createTargetedProbeCommand(hostFQDN, "A", "jessie")
 		By("Running these commands on wheezy: " + wheezyProbeCmd + "\n")
@@ -216,7 +217,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("DNS", func() {
 		pod3 := createDNSPod(f.Namespace.Name, wheezyProbeCmd, jessieProbeCmd, dnsTestPodHostName, dnsTestServiceName)
 
 		svc, err := f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Services(f.Namespace.Name).Get(externalNameService.Name, metav1.GetOptions{})
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to get service: %s", externalNameService.Name)
 
 		validateTargetedProbeOutput(f, pod3, []string{wheezyFileName, jessieFileName}, svc.Spec.ClusterIP)
 	})
@@ -232,7 +233,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("DNS", func() {
 			testDNSNameFull: testInjectedIP,
 		})
 		testServerPod, err := f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Pods(f.Namespace.Name).Create(testServerPod)
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to create pod %s", testServerPod.Name)
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to create pod: %s", testServerPod.Name)
 		framework.Logf("Created pod %v", testServerPod)
 		defer func() {
 			framework.Logf("Deleting pod %s...", testServerPod.Name)
@@ -263,7 +264,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("DNS", func() {
 			},
 		}
 		testUtilsPod, err = f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Pods(f.Namespace.Name).Create(testUtilsPod)
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to create pod %s", testUtilsPod.Name)
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to create pod: %s", testUtilsPod.Name)
 		framework.Logf("Created pod %v", testUtilsPod)
 		defer func() {
 			framework.Logf("Deleting pod %s...", testUtilsPod.Name)
diff --git a/test/e2e/network/dns_common.go b/test/e2e/network/dns_common.go
index e910626bbc4..7eae2a2dd28 100644
--- a/test/e2e/network/dns_common.go
+++ b/test/e2e/network/dns_common.go
@@ -65,8 +65,9 @@ func (t *dnsTestCommon) init() {
 	label := labels.SelectorFromSet(labels.Set(map[string]string{"k8s-app": "kube-dns"}))
 	options := metav1.ListOptions{LabelSelector: label.String()}
 
-	pods, err := t.f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Pods("kube-system").List(options)
-	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+	namespace := "kube-system"
+	pods, err := t.f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Pods(namespace).List(options)
+	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to list pods in namespace: %s", namespace)
 	Expect(len(pods.Items)).Should(BeNumerically(">=", 1))
 
 	t.dnsPod = &pods.Items[0]
@@ -155,23 +156,23 @@ func (t *dnsTestCommon) setConfigMap(cm *v1.ConfigMap) {
 		}.AsSelector().String(),
 	}
 	cmList, err := t.c.CoreV1().ConfigMaps(t.ns).List(options)
-	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to list ConfigMaps in namespace: %s", t.ns)
 
 	if len(cmList.Items) == 0 {
 		By(fmt.Sprintf("Creating the ConfigMap (%s:%s) %+v", t.ns, t.name, *cm))
 		_, err := t.c.CoreV1().ConfigMaps(t.ns).Create(cm)
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to create ConfigMap (%s:%s) %+v", t.ns, t.name, *cm)
 	} else {
 		By(fmt.Sprintf("Updating the ConfigMap (%s:%s) to %+v", t.ns, t.name, *cm))
 		_, err := t.c.CoreV1().ConfigMaps(t.ns).Update(cm)
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to update ConfigMap (%s:%s) to %+v", t.ns, t.name, *cm)
 	}
 }
 
 func (t *dnsTestCommon) fetchDNSConfigMapData() map[string]string {
 	if t.name == "coredns" {
 		pcm, err := t.c.CoreV1().ConfigMaps(metav1.NamespaceSystem).Get(t.name, metav1.GetOptions{})
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to get DNS ConfigMap: %s", t.name)
 		return pcm.Data
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -190,7 +191,7 @@ func (t *dnsTestCommon) deleteConfigMap() {
 	By(fmt.Sprintf("Deleting the ConfigMap (%s:%s)", t.ns, t.name))
 	t.cm = nil
 	err := t.c.CoreV1().ConfigMaps(t.ns).Delete(t.name, nil)
-	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to delete config map: %s", t.name)
 }
 
 func (t *dnsTestCommon) createUtilPodLabel(baseName string) {
@@ -222,9 +223,9 @@ func (t *dnsTestCommon) createUtilPodLabel(baseName string) {
 
 	var err error
 	t.utilPod, err = t.c.CoreV1().Pods(t.f.Namespace.Name).Create(t.utilPod)
-	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to create pod: %v", t.utilPod)
 	framework.Logf("Created pod %v", t.utilPod)
-	Expect(t.f.WaitForPodRunning(t.utilPod.Name)).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+	Expect(t.f.WaitForPodRunning(t.utilPod.Name)).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "pod failed to start running: %v", t.utilPod)
 
 	t.utilService = &v1.Service{
 		TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
@@ -247,7 +248,7 @@ func (t *dnsTestCommon) createUtilPodLabel(baseName string) {
 	}
 
 	t.utilService, err = t.c.CoreV1().Services(t.f.Namespace.Name).Create(t.utilService)
-	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to create service: %s/%s", t.f.Namespace.Name, t.utilService.ObjectMeta.Name)
 	framework.Logf("Created service %v", t.utilService)
 }
 
@@ -270,7 +271,7 @@ func (t *dnsTestCommon) deleteCoreDNSPods() {
 
 	for _, pod := range pods.Items {
 		err = podClient.Delete(pod.Name, metav1.NewDeleteOptions(0))
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to delete pod: %s", pod.Name)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -313,13 +314,13 @@ func (t *dnsTestCommon) createDNSPodFromObj(pod *v1.Pod) {
 
 	var err error
 	t.dnsServerPod, err = t.c.CoreV1().Pods(t.f.Namespace.Name).Create(t.dnsServerPod)
-	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to create pod: %v", t.dnsServerPod)
 	framework.Logf("Created pod %v", t.dnsServerPod)
-	Expect(t.f.WaitForPodRunning(t.dnsServerPod.Name)).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+	Expect(t.f.WaitForPodRunning(t.dnsServerPod.Name)).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "pod failed to start running: %v", t.dnsServerPod)
 
 	t.dnsServerPod, err = t.c.CoreV1().Pods(t.f.Namespace.Name).Get(
 		t.dnsServerPod.Name, metav1.GetOptions{})
-	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to get pod: %s", t.dnsServerPod.Name)
 }
 
 func (t *dnsTestCommon) createDNSServer(aRecords map[string]string) {
diff --git a/test/e2e/network/example_cluster_dns.go b/test/e2e/network/example_cluster_dns.go
index edf62976924..d7c2503c1de 100644
--- a/test/e2e/network/example_cluster_dns.go
+++ b/test/e2e/network/example_cluster_dns.go
@@ -81,8 +81,9 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("ClusterDns [Feature:Example]", func() {
 		namespaces := []*v1.Namespace{nil, nil}
 		for i := range namespaces {
 			var err error
-			namespaces[i], err = f.CreateNamespace(fmt.Sprintf("dnsexample%d", i), nil)
-			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			namespaceName := fmt.Sprintf("dnsexample%d", i)
+			namespaces[i], err = f.CreateNamespace(namespaceName, nil)
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to create namespace: %s", namespaceName)
 		}
 
 		for _, ns := range namespaces {
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("ClusterDns [Feature:Example]", func() {
 			label := labels.SelectorFromSet(labels.Set(map[string]string{"name": backendRcName}))
 			options := metav1.ListOptions{LabelSelector: label.String()}
 			pods, err := c.CoreV1().Pods(ns.Name).List(options)
-			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to list pods in namespace: %s", ns.Name)
 			err = framework.PodsResponding(c, ns.Name, backendPodName, false, pods)
 			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "waiting for all pods to respond")
 			framework.Logf("found %d backend pods responding in namespace %s", len(pods.Items), ns.Name)
@@ -151,7 +152,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("ClusterDns [Feature:Example]", func() {
 		// wait for pods to print their result
 		for _, ns := range namespaces {
 			_, err := framework.LookForStringInLog(ns.Name, frontendPodName, frontendPodContainerName, podOutput, framework.PodStartTimeout)
-			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "pod %s failed to print result in logs", frontendPodName)
 		}
 	})
 })
@@ -163,10 +164,10 @@ func getNsCmdFlag(ns *v1.Namespace) string {
 // pass enough context with the 'old' parameter so that it replaces what your really intended.
 func prepareResourceWithReplacedString(inputFile, old, new string) string {
 	f, err := os.Open(inputFile)
-	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to open file: %s", inputFile)
 	defer f.Close()
 	data, err := ioutil.ReadAll(f)
-	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to read from file: %s", inputFile)
 	podYaml := strings.Replace(string(data), old, new, 1)
 	return podYaml
 }