diff --git a/test/e2e/service.go b/test/e2e/service.go
index 2f20ab637f8..c9f2eb0cad3 100644
--- a/test/e2e/service.go
+++ b/test/e2e/service.go
@@ -504,15 +504,22 @@ var _ = Describe("Services", func() {
 		By("hitting the pod through the service's LoadBalancer")
 		testLoadBalancerReachable(ingress1, 80)
 
-		By("changing service " + serviceName + " update NodePort")
-		nodePort2 := nodePort1 - 1
-		if !ServiceNodePortRange.Contains(nodePort2) {
-			//Check for (unlikely) assignment at bottom of range
-			nodePort2 = nodePort1 + 1
+		By("changing service " + serviceName + ": update NodePort")
+		nodePort2 := 0
+		for i := 1; i < ServiceNodePortRange.Size; i++ {
+			offs1 := nodePort1 - ServiceNodePortRange.Base
+			offs2 := (offs1 + i) % ServiceNodePortRange.Size
+			nodePort2 := ServiceNodePortRange.Base + offs2
+			service, err = updateService(f.Client, f.Namespace.Name, serviceName, func(s *api.Service) {
+				s.Spec.Ports[0].NodePort = nodePort2
+			})
+			if err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "provided port is already allocated") {
+				Logf("nodePort %d is busy, will retry", nodePort2)
+				continue
+			}
+			// Otherwise err was nil or err was a real error
+			break
 		}
-		service, err = updateService(f.Client, f.Namespace.Name, serviceName, func(s *api.Service) {
-			s.Spec.Ports[0].NodePort = nodePort2
-		})
 		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 
 		if service.Spec.Type != api.ServiceTypeLoadBalancer {