diff --git a/test/conformance/testdata/conformance.txt b/test/conformance/testdata/conformance.txt
index 31f2c290513..a91cea67962 100644
--- a/test/conformance/testdata/conformance.txt
+++ b/test/conformance/testdata/conformance.txt
@@ -267,7 +267,6 @@ test/e2e/node/pre_stop.go: "should call prestop when killing a pod"
 test/e2e/scheduling/predicates.go: "validates resource limits of pods that are allowed to run"
 test/e2e/scheduling/predicates.go: "validates that NodeSelector is respected if not matching"
 test/e2e/scheduling/predicates.go: "validates that NodeSelector is respected if matching"
-test/e2e/scheduling/predicates.go: "validates that taints-tolerations is respected if matching"
 test/e2e/scheduling/predicates.go: "validates that there is no conflict between pods with same hostPort but different hostIP and protocol"
 test/e2e/scheduling/predicates.go: "validates that there exists conflict between pods with same hostPort and protocol but one using 0.0.0.0 hostIP"
 test/e2e/scheduling/taints.go: "removing taint cancels eviction"
diff --git a/test/e2e/scheduling/predicates.go b/test/e2e/scheduling/predicates.go
index 34e5f9500b4..f1991147eaf 100644
--- a/test/e2e/scheduling/predicates.go
+++ b/test/e2e/scheduling/predicates.go
@@ -454,14 +454,11 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("SchedulerPredicates [Serial]", func() {
 		framework.ExpectEqual(labelPod.Spec.NodeName, nodeName)
 	})
 
-	/*
-			Release : v1.18
-			Testname: Scheduler, taints-tolerations matching
-			Description: Find an available node and taint it with a key with effect NoSchedule. Schedule a pod with a
-		        corresponding nodeLabel and toleration spec such that it should only be able to run on the selected node.
-		        Ensure that the pod is scheduled and running on the node.
-	*/
-	framework.ConformanceIt("validates that taints-tolerations is respected if matching [Disruptive]", func() {
+	// 1. Run a pod to get an available node, then delete the pod
+	// 2. Taint the node with a random taint
+	// 3. Try to relaunch the pod with tolerations tolerate the taints on node,
+	// and the pod's nodeName specified to the name of node found in step 1
+	ginkgo.It("validates that taints-tolerations is respected if matching", func() {
 		nodeName := getNodeThatCanRunPodWithoutToleration(f)
 
 		ginkgo.By("Trying to apply a random taint on the found node.")
@@ -489,7 +486,12 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("SchedulerPredicates [Serial]", func() {
 			NodeSelector: map[string]string{labelKey: labelValue},
 		})
 
-		framework.ExpectNoError(e2epod.WaitForPodNameRunningInNamespace(cs, ns, tolerationPodName))
+		// check that pod got scheduled. We intentionally DO NOT check that the
+		// pod is running because this will create a race condition with the
+		// kubelet and the scheduler: the scheduler might have scheduled a pod
+		// already when the kubelet does not know about its new taint yet. The
+		// kubelet will then refuse to launch the pod.
+		framework.ExpectNoError(e2epod.WaitForPodNotPending(cs, ns, tolerationPodName))
 		deployedPod, err := cs.CoreV1().Pods(ns).Get(tolerationPodName, metav1.GetOptions{})
 		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
 		framework.ExpectEqual(deployedPod.Spec.NodeName, nodeName)