diff --git a/test/e2e/federated-service.go b/test/e2e/federated-service.go
index 76363278868..69987755270 100644
--- a/test/e2e/federated-service.go
+++ b/test/e2e/federated-service.go
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ var _ = framework.KubeDescribe("Service [Feature:Federation]", func() {
 			// pods, perhaps in the BeforeEach, and then just poll until we get
 			// successes/failures from them all.
 			for _, name := range svcDNSNames {
-				discoverService(f, name)
+				discoverService(f, name, true)
 			}
 		})
 
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ var _ = framework.KubeDescribe("Service [Feature:Federation]", func() {
 					fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s.%s.svc.cluster.local.", FederatedServiceName, f.Namespace.Name, federationName),
 				}
 				for _, name := range svcDNSNames {
-					discoverService(f, name)
+					discoverService(f, name, true)
 				}
 
 				// TODO(mml): Unclear how to make this meaningful and not terribly
@@ -286,8 +286,50 @@ func createService(fcs *federation_release_1_3.Clientset, clusterClientSets []*r
 	}
 }
 
-func discoverService(f *framework.Framework, name string) {
+func podExitCodeDetector(f *framework.Framework, name string, code int32) func() error {
+	// If we ever get any container logs, stash them here.
+	logs := ""
+
+	logerr := func(err error) error {
+		if err == nil {
+			return nil
+		}
+		if logs == "" {
+			return err
+		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s (%v)", logs, err)
+	}
+
+	return func() error {
+		pod, err := f.Client.Pods(f.Namespace.Name).Get(name)
+		if err != nil {
+			return logerr(err)
+		}
+		if len(pod.Status.ContainerStatuses) < 1 {
+			return logerr(fmt.Errorf("no container statuses"))
+		}
+
+		// Best effort attempt to grab pod logs for debugging
+		logs, err = framework.GetPodLogs(f.Client, f.Namespace.Name, name, pod.Spec.Containers[0].Name)
+		if err != nil {
+			framework.Logf("Cannot fetch pod logs: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		status := pod.Status.ContainerStatuses[0]
+		if status.State.Terminated == nil {
+			return logerr(fmt.Errorf("container is not in terminated state"))
+		}
+		if status.State.Terminated.ExitCode == code {
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		return logerr(fmt.Errorf("exited %d", status.State.Terminated.ExitCode))
+	}
+}
+
+func discoverService(f *framework.Framework, name string, exists bool) {
 	command := []string{"sh", "-c", fmt.Sprintf("until nslookup '%s'; do sleep 1; done", name)}
+	By(fmt.Sprintf("Looking up %q", name))
 
 	defer f.Client.Pods(f.Namespace.Name).Delete(FederatedServicePod, api.NewDeleteOptions(0))
 
@@ -312,44 +354,12 @@ func discoverService(f *framework.Framework, name string) {
 	Expect(err).
 		NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "Trying to create pod to run %q", command)
 
-	// If we ever get any container logs, stash them here.
-	logs := ""
-
-	logerr := func(err error) error {
-		if err == nil {
-			return nil
-		}
-		if logs == "" {
-			return err
-		}
-		return fmt.Errorf("%s (%v)", logs, err)
+	if exists {
+		// TODO(mml): Eventually check the IP address is correct, too.
+		Eventually(podExitCodeDetector(f, FederatedServicePod, 0), DNSTTL, time.Second*2).
+			Should(BeNil(), "%q should exit 0, but it never did", command)
+	} else {
+		Consistently(podExitCodeDetector(f, FederatedServicePod, 0), DNSTTL, time.Second*2).
+			ShouldNot(BeNil(), "%q should never exit 0, but it did", command)
 	}
-
-	// TODO(mml): Eventually check the IP address is correct, too.
-	Eventually(func() error {
-		pod, err := f.Client.Pods(f.Namespace.Name).Get(FederatedServicePod)
-		if err != nil {
-			return logerr(err)
-		}
-		if len(pod.Status.ContainerStatuses) < 1 {
-			return logerr(fmt.Errorf("no container statuses"))
-		}
-
-		// Best effort attempt to grab pod logs for debugging
-		logs, err = framework.GetPodLogs(f.Client, f.Namespace.Name, FederatedServicePod, "federated-service-discovery-container")
-		if err != nil {
-			framework.Logf("Cannot fetch pod logs: %v", err)
-		}
-
-		status := pod.Status.ContainerStatuses[0]
-		if status.State.Terminated == nil {
-			return logerr(fmt.Errorf("container is not in terminated state"))
-		}
-		if status.State.Terminated.ExitCode == 0 {
-			return nil
-		}
-
-		return logerr(fmt.Errorf("exited %d", status.State.Terminated.ExitCode))
-	}, DNSTTL, time.Second*2).
-		Should(BeNil(), "%q should exit 0, but it never did", command)
 }