diff --git a/test/e2e/common/empty_dir.go b/test/e2e/common/empty_dir.go
index 2a5d0c1a474..ba404b0720f 100644
--- a/test/e2e/common/empty_dir.go
+++ b/test/e2e/common/empty_dir.go
@@ -19,10 +19,9 @@ package common
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"path"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
-	"k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/uuid"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/framework"
@@ -290,8 +289,8 @@ var _ = ginkgo.Describe("[sig-storage] EmptyDir volumes", func() {
 		framework.ExpectNoError(err, "failed to get pod %s", pod.Name)
 
 		ginkgo.By("Reading file content from the nginx-container")
-		resultString, err = framework.LookForStringInFile(f.Namespace.Name, pod.Name, busyBoxMainContainerName, busyBoxMainVolumeFilePath, message, 30*time.Second)
-		framework.ExpectNoError(err, "failed to match expected string %s with %s", message, resultString)
+		result := f.ExecShellInContainer(pod.Name, busyBoxMainContainerName, fmt.Sprintf("cat %s", busyBoxMainVolumeFilePath))
+		framework.ExpectEqual(result, message, "failed to match expected string %s with %s", message, resultString)
 	})
 })