diff --git a/pkg/kubecfg/kubecfg.go b/pkg/kubecfg/kubecfg.go
index 2e9b73b3453..0cdd866056d 100644
--- a/pkg/kubecfg/kubecfg.go
+++ b/pkg/kubecfg/kubecfg.go
@@ -107,6 +107,12 @@ func SaveNamespaceInfo(path string, ns *NamespaceInfo) error {
 	return err
 }
 
+// extracted for test speed
+var (
+	updatePollInterval = 5 * time.Second
+	updatePollTimeout  = 300 * time.Second
+)
+
 // Update performs a rolling update of a collection of pods.
 // 'name' points to a replication controller.
 // 'client' is used for updating pods.
@@ -149,7 +155,7 @@ func Update(ctx api.Context, name string, client client.Interface, updatePeriod
 		}
 		time.Sleep(updatePeriod)
 	}
-	return wait.Poll(time.Second*5, time.Second*300, func() (bool, error) {
+	return wait.Poll(updatePollInterval, updatePollTimeout, func() (bool, error) {
 		podList, err := client.Pods(api.Namespace(ctx)).List(s)
 		if err != nil {
 			return false, err
diff --git a/pkg/kubecfg/kubecfg_test.go b/pkg/kubecfg/kubecfg_test.go
index 196ec427094..1e0d3287b79 100644
--- a/pkg/kubecfg/kubecfg_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubecfg/kubecfg_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/api"
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/client"
@@ -35,6 +36,10 @@ func validateAction(expectedAction, actualAction client.FakeAction, t *testing.T
 	}
 }
 
+func init() {
+	updatePollInterval = 1 * time.Millisecond
+}
+
 func TestUpdateWithPods(t *testing.T) {
 	fakeClient := client.Fake{
 		PodsList: api.PodList{