diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/pod/create.go b/test/e2e/framework/pod/create.go
index 1819d0b587a..2d3e9bf2e44 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/pod/create.go
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/pod/create.go
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ func CreateSecPod(client clientset.Interface, namespace string, pvclaims []*v1.P
 // CreateSecPodWithNodeSelection creates security pod with given claims
 func CreateSecPodWithNodeSelection(client clientset.Interface, namespace string, pvclaims []*v1.PersistentVolumeClaim, inlineVolumeSources []*v1.VolumeSource, isPrivileged bool, command string, hostIPC bool, hostPID bool, seLinuxLabel *v1.SELinuxOptions, fsGroup *int64, node NodeSelection, timeout time.Duration) (*v1.Pod, error) {
 	pod := MakeSecPod(namespace, pvclaims, inlineVolumeSources, isPrivileged, command, hostIPC, hostPID, seLinuxLabel, fsGroup)
-	SetNodeSelection(pod, node)
+	SetNodeSelection(&pod.Spec, node)
 
 	pod, err := client.CoreV1().Pods(namespace).Create(context.TODO(), pod, metav1.CreateOptions{})
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/pod/node_selection.go b/test/e2e/framework/pod/node_selection.go
index 50d530ee705..85010b9cebe 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/pod/node_selection.go
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/pod/node_selection.go
@@ -82,17 +82,17 @@ func SetAntiAffinity(nodeSelection *NodeSelection, nodeName string) {
 
 // SetNodeAffinity modifies the given pod object with
 // NodeAffinity to the given node name.
-func SetNodeAffinity(pod *v1.Pod, nodeName string) {
+func SetNodeAffinity(podSpec *v1.PodSpec, nodeName string) {
 	nodeSelection := &NodeSelection{}
 	SetAffinity(nodeSelection, nodeName)
-	pod.Spec.Affinity = nodeSelection.Affinity
+	podSpec.Affinity = nodeSelection.Affinity
 }
 
 // SetNodeSelection modifies the given pod object with
 // the specified NodeSelection
-func SetNodeSelection(pod *v1.Pod, nodeSelection NodeSelection) {
-	pod.Spec.NodeSelector = nodeSelection.Selector
-	pod.Spec.Affinity = nodeSelection.Affinity
+func SetNodeSelection(podSpec *v1.PodSpec, nodeSelection NodeSelection) {
+	podSpec.NodeSelector = nodeSelection.Selector
+	podSpec.Affinity = nodeSelection.Affinity
 	// pod.Spec.NodeName should not be set directly because
 	// it will bypass the scheduler, potentially causing
 	// kubelet to Fail the pod immediately if it's out of
@@ -100,6 +100,6 @@ func SetNodeSelection(pod *v1.Pod, nodeSelection NodeSelection) {
 	// pending in the scheduler until the node has resources
 	// freed up.
 	if nodeSelection.Name != "" {
-		SetNodeAffinity(pod, nodeSelection.Name)
+		SetNodeAffinity(podSpec, nodeSelection.Name)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/volume/fixtures.go b/test/e2e/framework/volume/fixtures.go
index 7368e47dcd8..7274c9742bf 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/volume/fixtures.go
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/volume/fixtures.go
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ func runVolumeTesterPod(client clientset.Interface, config TestConfig, podSuffix
 			Volumes:                       []v1.Volume{},
 		},
 	}
-	e2epod.SetNodeSelection(clientPod, config.ClientNodeSelection)
+	e2epod.SetNodeSelection(&clientPod.Spec, config.ClientNodeSelection)
 
 	for i, test := range tests {
 		volumeName := fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s-%d", config.Prefix, "volume", i)
diff --git a/test/e2e/storage/csi_mock_volume.go b/test/e2e/storage/csi_mock_volume.go
index 1d11527c6e1..88eeac260d8 100644
--- a/test/e2e/storage/csi_mock_volume.go
+++ b/test/e2e/storage/csi_mock_volume.go
@@ -689,7 +689,7 @@ func startPausePodWithVolumeSource(cs clientset.Interface, volumeSource v1.Volum
 			},
 		},
 	}
-	e2epod.SetNodeSelection(pod, node)
+	e2epod.SetNodeSelection(&pod.Spec, node)
 	return cs.CoreV1().Pods(ns).Create(context.TODO(), pod, metav1.CreateOptions{})
 }
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/storage/persistent_volumes-local.go b/test/e2e/storage/persistent_volumes-local.go
index 69ba10db7c2..470e6849185 100644
--- a/test/e2e/storage/persistent_volumes-local.go
+++ b/test/e2e/storage/persistent_volumes-local.go
@@ -989,7 +989,7 @@ func makeLocalPodWithNodeName(config *localTestConfig, volume *localTestVolume,
 		return
 	}
 
-	e2epod.SetNodeAffinity(pod, nodeName)
+	e2epod.SetNodeAffinity(&pod.Spec, nodeName)
 	return
 }
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/ephemeral.go b/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/ephemeral.go
index 10e039d6713..b44324182f3 100644
--- a/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/ephemeral.go
+++ b/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/ephemeral.go
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ func StartInPodWithInlineVolume(c clientset.Interface, ns, podName, command stri
 			RestartPolicy: v1.RestartPolicyNever,
 		},
 	}
-	e2epod.SetNodeSelection(pod, node)
+	e2epod.SetNodeSelection(&pod.Spec, node)
 
 	for i, csiVolume := range csiVolumes {
 		name := fmt.Sprintf("my-volume-%d", i)
diff --git a/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/provisioning.go b/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/provisioning.go
index 91096cb9b6a..2bb2b915bad 100644
--- a/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/provisioning.go
+++ b/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/provisioning.go
@@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ func StartInPodWithVolume(c clientset.Interface, ns, claimName, podName, command
 		},
 	}
 
-	e2epod.SetNodeSelection(pod, node)
+	e2epod.SetNodeSelection(&pod.Spec, node)
 	pod, err := c.CoreV1().Pods(ns).Create(context.TODO(), pod, metav1.CreateOptions{})
 	framework.ExpectNoError(err, "Failed to create pod: %v", err)
 	return pod
diff --git a/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/subpath.go b/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/subpath.go
index 791b4403983..925f6dcc931 100644
--- a/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/subpath.go
+++ b/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/subpath.go
@@ -151,10 +151,10 @@ func (s *subPathTestSuite) DefineTests(driver TestDriver, pattern testpatterns.T
 
 		subPath := f.Namespace.Name
 		l.pod = SubpathTestPod(f, subPath, string(volType), l.resource.VolSource, true)
-		e2epod.SetNodeSelection(l.pod, l.config.ClientNodeSelection)
+		e2epod.SetNodeSelection(&l.pod.Spec, l.config.ClientNodeSelection)
 
 		l.formatPod = volumeFormatPod(f, l.resource.VolSource)
-		e2epod.SetNodeSelection(l.formatPod, l.config.ClientNodeSelection)
+		e2epod.SetNodeSelection(&l.formatPod.Spec, l.config.ClientNodeSelection)
 
 		l.subPathDir = filepath.Join(volumePath, subPath)
 		l.filePathInSubpath = filepath.Join(volumePath, fileName)
diff --git a/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/volume_io.go b/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/volume_io.go
index 699d1d2c7c6..ab79ba3198d 100644
--- a/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/volume_io.go
+++ b/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/volume_io.go
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ func makePodSpec(config volume.TestConfig, initCmd string, volsrc v1.VolumeSourc
 		},
 	}
 
-	e2epod.SetNodeSelection(pod, config.ClientNodeSelection)
+	e2epod.SetNodeSelection(&pod.Spec, config.ClientNodeSelection)
 	return pod
 }
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/volumemode.go b/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/volumemode.go
index 5d19553a122..eea12422f8b 100644
--- a/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/volumemode.go
+++ b/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/volumemode.go
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ func (t *volumeModeTestSuite) DefineTests(driver TestDriver, pattern testpattern
 				ginkgo.By("Creating pod")
 				pod := e2epod.MakeSecPod(l.ns.Name, []*v1.PersistentVolumeClaim{l.Pvc}, nil, false, "", false, false, e2epv.SELinuxLabel, nil)
 				// Setting node
-				e2epod.SetNodeSelection(pod, l.config.ClientNodeSelection)
+				e2epod.SetNodeSelection(&pod.Spec, l.config.ClientNodeSelection)
 				pod, err = l.cs.CoreV1().Pods(l.ns.Name).Create(context.TODO(), pod, metav1.CreateOptions{})
 				framework.ExpectNoError(err, "Failed to create pod")
 				defer func() {
diff --git a/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/volumes.go b/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/volumes.go
index 0c7505a3a7e..9bf41a655a3 100644
--- a/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/volumes.go
+++ b/test/e2e/storage/testsuites/volumes.go
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ func testScriptInPod(
 			RestartPolicy: v1.RestartPolicyNever,
 		},
 	}
-	e2epod.SetNodeSelection(pod, config.ClientNodeSelection)
+	e2epod.SetNodeSelection(&pod.Spec, config.ClientNodeSelection)
 	ginkgo.By(fmt.Sprintf("Creating pod %s", pod.Name))
 	f.TestContainerOutput("exec-volume-test", pod, 0, []string{fileName})
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/storage/utils/deployment.go b/test/e2e/storage/utils/deployment.go
index f421dc3107b..516c1a7d1e1 100644
--- a/test/e2e/storage/utils/deployment.go
+++ b/test/e2e/storage/utils/deployment.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	storagev1 "k8s.io/api/storage/v1"
 	storagev1beta1 "k8s.io/api/storage/v1beta1"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/framework"
+	e2epod "k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/framework/pod"
 )
 
 // PatchCSIDeployment modifies the CSI driver deployment:
@@ -98,7 +99,7 @@ func PatchCSIDeployment(f *framework.Framework, o PatchCSIOptions, object interf
 		patchContainers(spec.Containers)
 		patchVolumes(spec.Volumes)
 		if o.NodeName != "" {
-			spec.NodeName = o.NodeName
+			e2epod.SetNodeSelection(spec, e2epod.NodeSelection{Name: o.NodeName})
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/storage/utils/host_exec.go b/test/e2e/storage/utils/host_exec.go
index 7f5077888e3..256fa2676d1 100644
--- a/test/e2e/storage/utils/host_exec.go
+++ b/test/e2e/storage/utils/host_exec.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func (h *hostExecutor) launchNodeExecPod(node string) *v1.Pod {
 	// be immediately Failed by kubelet if it's out of space. Instead
 	// Pods will be pending in the scheduler until there is space freed
 	// up.
-	e2epod.SetNodeAffinity(hostExecPod, node)
+	e2epod.SetNodeAffinity(&hostExecPod.Spec, node)
 	hostExecPod.Spec.Volumes = []v1.Volume{
 		{
 			// Required to enter into host mount namespace via nsenter.