diff --git a/test/e2e/apimachinery/watch.go b/test/e2e/apimachinery/watch.go
index 25911bfe734..ec92fc0cfa6 100644
--- a/test/e2e/apimachinery/watch.go
+++ b/test/e2e/apimachinery/watch.go
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ import (
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/watch"
+	cachetools "k8s.io/client-go/tools/cache"
+	watchtools "k8s.io/client-go/tools/watch"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/framework"
 
 	"github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
@@ -336,6 +338,11 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("Watchers", func() {
 
 		iterations := 100
 
+		ginkgo.By("getting a starting resourceVersion")
+		configmaps, err := c.CoreV1().ConfigMaps(ns).List(context.TODO(), metav1.ListOptions{})
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err, "Failed to list configmaps in the namespace %s", ns)
+		resourceVersion := configmaps.ResourceVersion
+
 		ginkgo.By("starting a background goroutine to produce watch events")
 		donec := make(chan struct{})
 		stopc := make(chan struct{})
@@ -345,11 +352,16 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("Watchers", func() {
 			produceConfigMapEvents(f, stopc, 5*time.Millisecond)
 		}()
 
+		listWatcher := &cachetools.ListWatch{
+			WatchFunc: func(listOptions metav1.ListOptions) (watch.Interface, error) {
+				return c.CoreV1().ConfigMaps(ns).Watch(context.TODO(), listOptions)
+			},
+		}
+
 		ginkgo.By("creating watches starting from each resource version of the events produced and verifying they all receive resource versions in the same order")
 		wcs := []watch.Interface{}
-		resourceVersion := "0"
 		for i := 0; i < iterations; i++ {
-			wc, err := c.CoreV1().ConfigMaps(ns).Watch(context.TODO(), metav1.ListOptions{ResourceVersion: resourceVersion})
+			wc, err := watchtools.NewRetryWatcher(resourceVersion, listWatcher)
 			framework.ExpectNoError(err, "Failed to watch configmaps in the namespace %s", ns)
 			wcs = append(wcs, wc)
 			resourceVersion = waitForNextConfigMapEvent(wcs[0]).ResourceVersion
@@ -436,11 +448,14 @@ func waitForEvent(w watch.Interface, expectType watch.EventType, expectObject ru
 
 func waitForNextConfigMapEvent(watch watch.Interface) *v1.ConfigMap {
 	select {
-	case event := <-watch.ResultChan():
+	case event, ok := <-watch.ResultChan():
+		if !ok {
+			framework.Failf("Watch closed unexpectedly")
+		}
 		if configMap, ok := event.Object.(*v1.ConfigMap); ok {
 			return configMap
 		}
-		framework.Failf("expected config map")
+		framework.Failf("expected config map, got %T", event.Object)
 	case <-time.After(10 * time.Second):
 		framework.Failf("timed out waiting for watch event")
 	}