diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/util.go b/test/e2e/framework/util.go
index 58ebb8ab8ca..6dc37d74ef6 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/util.go
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/util.go
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/unversioned/clientcmd"
 	clientcmdapi "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/unversioned/clientcmd/api"
 	gcecloud "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce"
+	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/controller"
 	deploymentutil "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/controller/deployment/util"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/fields"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl"
@@ -231,7 +232,8 @@ func GetMasterHost() string {
 // Convenient wrapper around cache.Store that returns list of api.Pod instead of interface{}.
 type PodStore struct {
 	cache.Store
-	stopCh chan struct{}
+	stopCh    chan struct{}
+	reflector *cache.Reflector
 }
 
 func NewPodStore(c *client.Client, namespace string, label labels.Selector, field fields.Selector) *PodStore {
@@ -249,8 +251,9 @@ func NewPodStore(c *client.Client, namespace string, label labels.Selector, fiel
 	}
 	store := cache.NewStore(cache.MetaNamespaceKeyFunc)
 	stopCh := make(chan struct{})
-	cache.NewReflector(lw, &api.Pod{}, store, 0).RunUntil(stopCh)
-	return &PodStore{store, stopCh}
+	reflector := cache.NewReflector(lw, &api.Pod{}, store, 0)
+	reflector.RunUntil(stopCh)
+	return &PodStore{store, stopCh, reflector}
 }
 
 func (s *PodStore) List() []*api.Pod {
@@ -3068,6 +3071,11 @@ func DeleteRCAndPods(c *client.Client, ns, name string) error {
 		}
 		return err
 	}
+	ps, err := podStoreForRC(c, rc)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer ps.Stop()
 	startTime := time.Now()
 	err = reaper.Stop(ns, name, 0, api.NewDeleteOptions(0))
 	if apierrs.IsNotFound(err) {
@@ -3079,12 +3087,18 @@ func DeleteRCAndPods(c *client.Client, ns, name string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error while stopping RC: %s: %v", name, err)
 	}
-	err = waitForRCPodsGone(c, rc, nil)
+	err = waitForPodsInactive(ps, 10*time.Millisecond, 10*time.Minute)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error while deleting RC %s: %v", name, err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("error while waiting for pods to become inactive %s: %v", name, err)
 	}
 	terminatePodTime := time.Now().Sub(startTime) - deleteRCTime
 	Logf("Terminating RC %s pods took: %v", name, terminatePodTime)
+	// this is to relieve namespace controller's pressure when deleting the
+	// namespace after a test.
+	err = waitForPodsGone(ps, 10*time.Second, 10*time.Minute)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error while waiting for pods gone %s: %v", name, err)
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -3099,6 +3113,11 @@ func DeleteRCAndWaitForGC(c *client.Client, ns, name string) error {
 		}
 		return err
 	}
+	ps, err := podStoreForRC(c, rc)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer ps.Stop()
 	startTime := time.Now()
 	falseVar := false
 	deleteOption := &api.DeleteOptions{OrphanDependents: &falseVar}
@@ -3112,29 +3131,53 @@ func DeleteRCAndWaitForGC(c *client.Client, ns, name string) error {
 	}
 	deleteRCTime := time.Now().Sub(startTime)
 	Logf("Deleting RC %s took: %v", name, deleteRCTime)
-	timeout := 10 * time.Minute
-	err = waitForRCPodsGone(c, rc, &timeout)
+	err = waitForPodsInactive(ps, 10*time.Millisecond, 10*time.Minute)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error while deleting RC %s: %v", name, err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("error while waiting for pods to become inactive %s: %v", name, err)
 	}
 	terminatePodTime := time.Now().Sub(startTime) - deleteRCTime
 	Logf("Terminating RC %s pods took: %v", name, terminatePodTime)
+	err = waitForPodsGone(ps, 10*time.Second, 10*time.Minute)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error while waiting for pods gone %s: %v", name, err)
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
-// waitForRCPodsGone waits until there are no pods reported under an RC's selector (because the pods
-// have completed termination).
-func waitForRCPodsGone(c *client.Client, rc *api.ReplicationController, timeout *time.Duration) error {
-	if timeout == nil {
-		defaultTimeout := 2 * time.Minute
-		timeout = &defaultTimeout
-	}
+// podStoreForRC creates a PodStore that monitors pods belong to the rc. It
+// waits until the reflector does a List() before returning.
+func podStoreForRC(c *client.Client, rc *api.ReplicationController) (*PodStore, error) {
 	labels := labels.SelectorFromSet(rc.Spec.Selector)
-	PodStore := NewPodStore(c, rc.Namespace, labels, fields.Everything())
-	defer PodStore.Stop()
+	ps := NewPodStore(c, rc.Namespace, labels, fields.Everything())
+	err := wait.Poll(1*time.Second, 1*time.Minute, func() (bool, error) {
+		if len(ps.reflector.LastSyncResourceVersion()) != 0 {
+			return true, nil
+		}
+		return false, nil
+	})
+	return ps, err
+}
 
-	return wait.PollImmediate(Poll, *timeout, func() (bool, error) {
-		if pods := PodStore.List(); len(pods) == 0 {
+// waitForPodsInactive waits until there are no active pods left in the PodStore.
+// This is to make a fair comparison of deletion time between DeleteRCAndPods
+// and DeleteRCAndWaitForGC, because the RC controller decreases status.replicas
+// when the pod is inactvie.
+func waitForPodsInactive(ps *PodStore, interval, timeout time.Duration) error {
+	return wait.PollImmediate(interval, timeout, func() (bool, error) {
+		pods := ps.List()
+		for _, pod := range pods {
+			if controller.IsPodActive(*pod) {
+				return false, nil
+			}
+		}
+		return true, nil
+	})
+}
+
+// waitForPodsGone waits until there are no pods left in the PodStore.
+func waitForPodsGone(ps *PodStore, interval, timeout time.Duration) error {
+	return wait.PollImmediate(interval, timeout, func() (bool, error) {
+		if pods := ps.List(); len(pods) == 0 {
 			return true, nil
 		}
 		return false, nil
@@ -4284,9 +4327,14 @@ func ScaleRCByLabels(client *client.Client, ns string, l map[string]string, repl
 			return err
 		}
 		if replicas == 0 {
-			if err := waitForRCPodsGone(client, rc, nil); err != nil {
+			ps, err := podStoreForRC(client, rc)
+			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
+			defer ps.Stop()
+			if err = waitForPodsGone(ps, 10*time.Second, 10*time.Minute); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("error while waiting for pods gone %s: %v", name, err)
+			}
 		} else {
 			if err := WaitForPodsWithLabelRunning(
 				client, ns, labels.SelectorFromSet(labels.Set(rc.Spec.Selector))); err != nil {