diff --git a/test/e2e/node/kubelet.go b/test/e2e/node/kubelet.go
index 420a2f9f20f..832848b7fdc 100644
--- a/test/e2e/node/kubelet.go
+++ b/test/e2e/node/kubelet.go
@@ -94,42 +94,6 @@ func waitTillNPodsRunningOnNodes(c clientset.Interface, nodeNames sets.String, p
 	})
 }
 
-// updates labels of nodes given by nodeNames.
-// In case a given label already exists, it overwrites it. If label to remove doesn't exist
-// it silently ignores it.
-// TODO: migrate to use framework.AddOrUpdateLabelOnNode/framework.RemoveLabelOffNode
-func updateNodeLabels(c clientset.Interface, nodeNames sets.String, toAdd, toRemove map[string]string) {
-	const maxRetries = 5
-	for nodeName := range nodeNames {
-		var node *v1.Node
-		var err error
-		for i := 0; i < maxRetries; i++ {
-			node, err = c.CoreV1().Nodes().Get(nodeName, metav1.GetOptions{})
-			if err != nil {
-				framework.Logf("Error getting node %s: %v", nodeName, err)
-				continue
-			}
-			if toAdd != nil {
-				for k, v := range toAdd {
-					node.ObjectMeta.Labels[k] = v
-				}
-			}
-			if toRemove != nil {
-				for k := range toRemove {
-					delete(node.ObjectMeta.Labels, k)
-				}
-			}
-			_, err = c.CoreV1().Nodes().Update(node)
-			if err != nil {
-				framework.Logf("Error updating node %s: %v", nodeName, err)
-			} else {
-				break
-			}
-		}
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
-	}
-}
-
 // Restart the passed-in nfs-server by issuing a `/usr/sbin/rpc.nfsd 1` command in the
 // pod's (only) container. This command changes the number of nfs server threads from
 // (presumably) zero back to 1, and therefore allows nfs to open connections again.
@@ -317,7 +281,11 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("kubelet", func() {
 			for i := 0; i < numNodes; i++ {
 				nodeNames.Insert(nodes.Items[i].Name)
 			}
-			updateNodeLabels(c, nodeNames, nodeLabels, nil)
+			for nodeName := range nodeNames {
+				for k, v := range nodeLabels {
+					framework.AddOrUpdateLabelOnNode(c, nodeName, k, v)
+				}
+			}
 
 			// Start resourceMonitor only in small clusters.
 			if len(nodes.Items) <= maxNodesToCheck {
@@ -331,7 +299,11 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("kubelet", func() {
 				resourceMonitor.Stop()
 			}
 			// If we added labels to nodes in this test, remove them now.
-			updateNodeLabels(c, nodeNames, nil, nodeLabels)
+			for nodeName := range nodeNames {
+				for k := range nodeLabels {
+					framework.RemoveLabelOffNode(c, nodeName, k)
+				}
+			}
 		})
 
 		for _, itArg := range deleteTests {