diff --git a/test/e2e/persistent_volumes-disruptive.go b/test/e2e/persistent_volumes-disruptive.go
index ca88a2b355f..8a9268dfb1e 100644
--- a/test/e2e/persistent_volumes-disruptive.go
+++ b/test/e2e/persistent_volumes-disruptive.go
@@ -59,14 +59,6 @@ var _ = framework.KubeDescribe("PersistentVolumes [Volume][Disruptive][Flaky]",
 		clientNode                *v1.Node
 	)
 
-	nfsServerConfig := VolumeTestConfig{
-		namespace:   metav1.NamespaceDefault,
-		prefix:      "nfs",
-		serverImage: NfsServerImage,
-		serverPorts: []int{2049},
-		serverArgs:  []string{"-G", "777", "/exports"},
-	}
-
 	BeforeEach(func() {
 		// To protect the NFS volume pod from the kubelet restart, we isolate it on its own node.
 		framework.SkipUnlessNodeCountIsAtLeast(MinNodes)
@@ -74,23 +66,21 @@ var _ = framework.KubeDescribe("PersistentVolumes [Volume][Disruptive][Flaky]",
 		ns = f.Namespace.Name
 
 		// Start the NFS server pod.
-		if nfsServerPod == nil {
-			framework.Logf("[BeforeEach] Initializing NFS Server Pod")
-			nfsServerPod = startVolumeServer(c, nfsServerConfig)
+		framework.Logf("[BeforeEach] Creating NFS Server Pod")
+		nfsServerPod = initNFSserverPod(c, ns)
 
-			framework.Logf("[BeforeEach] Configuring PersistentVolume")
-			nfsServerIP = nfsServerPod.Status.PodIP
-			Expect(nfsServerIP).NotTo(BeEmpty())
-			nfsPVconfig = persistentVolumeConfig{
-				namePrefix: "nfs-",
-				pvSource: v1.PersistentVolumeSource{
-					NFS: &v1.NFSVolumeSource{
-						Server:   nfsServerIP,
-						Path:     "/exports",
-						ReadOnly: false,
-					},
+		framework.Logf("[BeforeEach] Configuring PersistentVolume")
+		nfsServerIP = nfsServerPod.Status.PodIP
+		Expect(nfsServerIP).NotTo(BeEmpty())
+		nfsPVconfig = persistentVolumeConfig{
+			namePrefix: "nfs-",
+			pvSource: v1.PersistentVolumeSource{
+				NFS: &v1.NFSVolumeSource{
+					Server:   nfsServerIP,
+					Path:     "/exports",
+					ReadOnly: false,
 				},
-			}
+			},
 		}
 		// Get the first ready node IP that is not hosting the NFS pod.
 		if clientNodeIP == "" {
@@ -100,19 +90,15 @@ var _ = framework.KubeDescribe("PersistentVolumes [Volume][Disruptive][Flaky]",
 				if node.Name != nfsServerPod.Spec.NodeName {
 					clientNode = &node
 					clientNodeIP = framework.GetNodeExternalIP(clientNode)
-					Expect(clientNodeIP).NotTo(BeEmpty())
 					break
 				}
 			}
+			Expect(clientNodeIP).NotTo(BeEmpty())
 		}
 	})
 
-	AddCleanupAction(func() {
-		if nfsServerPod != nil && c != nil {
-			By("Deleting NFS server pod")
-			nfsServerPodCleanup(c, nfsServerConfig)
-			nfsServerPod = nil
-		}
+	AfterEach(func() {
+		deletePodWithWait(f, c, nfsServerPod)
 	})
 
 	Context("when kubelet restarts", func() {
diff --git a/test/e2e/persistent_volumes.go b/test/e2e/persistent_volumes.go
index 6a78ed5f1e6..001e7e01cf1 100644
--- a/test/e2e/persistent_volumes.go
+++ b/test/e2e/persistent_volumes.go
@@ -85,6 +85,18 @@ func initializeGCETestSpec(c clientset.Interface, ns string, pvConfig persistent
 	return clientPod, pv, pvc
 }
 
+// initNFSserverPod wraps volumes.go's startVolumeServer to return a running nfs host pod
+// commonly used by persistent volume testing
+func initNFSserverPod(c clientset.Interface, ns string) *v1.Pod {
+	return startVolumeServer(c, VolumeTestConfig{
+		namespace:   ns,
+		prefix:      "nfs",
+		serverImage: NfsServerImage,
+		serverPorts: []int{2049},
+		serverArgs:  []string{"-G", "777", "/exports"},
+	})
+}
+
 var _ = framework.KubeDescribe("PersistentVolumes [Volume][Serial]", func() {
 
 	// global vars for the Context()s and It()'s below
@@ -105,30 +117,16 @@ var _ = framework.KubeDescribe("PersistentVolumes [Volume][Serial]", func() {
 	framework.KubeDescribe("PersistentVolumes:NFS[Flaky]", func() {
 
 		var (
-			NFSconfig    VolumeTestConfig
 			nfsServerPod *v1.Pod
 			serverIP     string
 			pvConfig     persistentVolumeConfig
 		)
 
-		// config for the nfs-server pod in the default namespace
-		NFSconfig = VolumeTestConfig{
-			namespace:   metav1.NamespaceDefault,
-			prefix:      "nfs",
-			serverImage: NfsServerImage,
-			serverPorts: []int{2049},
-			serverArgs:  []string{"-G", "777", "/exports"},
-		}
-
 		BeforeEach(func() {
-			// If it doesn't exist, create the nfs server pod in the "default" ns.
-			// The "default" ns is used so that individual tests can delete their
-			// ns without impacting the nfs-server pod.
-			if nfsServerPod == nil {
-				nfsServerPod = startVolumeServer(c, NFSconfig)
-				serverIP = nfsServerPod.Status.PodIP
-				framework.Logf("NFS server IP address: %v", serverIP)
-			}
+			framework.Logf("[BeforeEach] Creating NFS Server Pod")
+			nfsServerPod = initNFSserverPod(c, ns)
+			serverIP = nfsServerPod.Status.PodIP
+			framework.Logf("[BeforeEach] Configuring PersistentVolume")
 			pvConfig = persistentVolumeConfig{
 				namePrefix: "nfs-",
 				pvSource: v1.PersistentVolumeSource{
@@ -141,13 +139,8 @@ var _ = framework.KubeDescribe("PersistentVolumes [Volume][Serial]", func() {
 			}
 		})
 
-		// Execute after *all* the tests have run
-		AddCleanupAction(func() {
-			if nfsServerPod != nil && c != nil {
-				framework.Logf("AfterSuite: nfs-server pod %v is non-nil, deleting pod", nfsServerPod.Name)
-				nfsServerPodCleanup(c, NFSconfig)
-				nfsServerPod = nil
-			}
+		AfterEach(func() {
+			deletePodWithWait(f, c, nfsServerPod)
 		})
 
 		Context("with Single PV - PVC pairs", func() {
diff --git a/test/e2e/volumes.go b/test/e2e/volumes.go
index 0735ab7dc4d..9c58a9524c0 100644
--- a/test/e2e/volumes.go
+++ b/test/e2e/volumes.go
@@ -183,8 +183,6 @@ func startVolumeServer(client clientset.Interface, config VolumeTestConfig) *v1.
 		By(fmt.Sprintf("locating the %q server pod", serverPodName))
 		pod, err = podClient.Get(serverPodName, metav1.GetOptions{})
 		framework.ExpectNoError(err, "Cannot locate the server pod %q: %v", serverPodName, err)
-		By("sleeping a bit to give the server time to start")
-		time.Sleep(20 * time.Second)
 	}
 
 	return pod