diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/service_util.go b/test/e2e/framework/service_util.go
index 238b7ae1e12..67feae8025c 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/service_util.go
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/service_util.go
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ const (
 	// liberal. Fix tracked in #20567.
 	KubeProxyLagTimeout = 5 * time.Minute
 
+	// KubeProxyEndpointLagTimeout is the maximum time a kube-proxy daemon on a node is allowed
+	// to not notice an Endpoint update.
+	KubeProxyEndpointLagTimeout = 30 * time.Second
+
 	// LoadBalancerLagTimeoutDefault is the maximum time a load balancer is allowed to
 	// not respond after creation.
 	LoadBalancerLagTimeoutDefault = 2 * time.Minute
@@ -752,18 +756,24 @@ func testHTTPHealthCheckNodePort(ip string, port int, request string) (bool, err
 	return false, fmt.Errorf("Unexpected HTTP response code %s from health check responder at %s", resp.Status, url)
 }
 
-func (j *ServiceTestJig) TestHTTPHealthCheckNodePort(host string, port int, request string, tries int) (pass, fail int, statusMsg string) {
-	for i := 0; i < tries; i++ {
-		success, err := testHTTPHealthCheckNodePort(host, port, request)
-		if success {
-			pass++
-		} else {
-			fail++
+func (j *ServiceTestJig) TestHTTPHealthCheckNodePort(host string, port int, request string, timeout time.Duration, expectSucceed bool, threshold int) error {
+	count := 0
+	condition := func() (bool, error) {
+		success, _ := testHTTPHealthCheckNodePort(host, port, request)
+		if success && expectSucceed ||
+			!success && !expectSucceed {
+			count++
 		}
-		statusMsg += fmt.Sprintf("\nAttempt %d Error %v", i, err)
-		time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
+		if count >= threshold {
+			return true, nil
+		}
+		return false, nil
 	}
-	return pass, fail, statusMsg
+
+	if err := wait.PollImmediate(time.Second, timeout, condition); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error waiting for healthCheckNodePort: expected at least %d succeed=%v on %v%v, got %d", threshold, expectSucceed, host, port, count)
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 // Simple helper class to avoid too much boilerplate in tests
diff --git a/test/e2e/service.go b/test/e2e/service.go
index 2724ddad6a5..03282748bcb 100644
--- a/test/e2e/service.go
+++ b/test/e2e/service.go
@@ -1287,12 +1287,9 @@ var _ = framework.KubeDescribe("ESIPP [Slow]", func() {
 			jig.ChangeServiceType(svc.Namespace, svc.Name, v1.ServiceTypeClusterIP, loadBalancerCreateTimeout)
 
 			// Make sure we didn't leak the health check node port.
-			for name, ips := range jig.GetEndpointNodes(svc) {
-				_, fail, status := jig.TestHTTPHealthCheckNodePort(ips[0], healthCheckNodePort, "/healthz", 5)
-				if fail < 2 {
-					framework.Failf("Health check node port %v not released on node %v: %v", healthCheckNodePort, name, status)
-				}
-				break
+			threshold := 2
+			for _, ips := range jig.GetEndpointNodes(svc) {
+				Expect(jig.TestHTTPHealthCheckNodePort(ips[0], healthCheckNodePort, "/healthz", framework.KubeProxyEndpointLagTimeout, false, threshold)).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 			}
 			Expect(cs.Core().Services(svc.Namespace).Delete(svc.Name, nil)).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 		}()
@@ -1379,16 +1376,12 @@ var _ = framework.KubeDescribe("ESIPP [Slow]", func() {
 			// HealthCheck should pass only on the node where num(endpoints) > 0
 			// All other nodes should fail the healthcheck on the service healthCheckNodePort
 			for n, publicIP := range ips {
+				// Make sure the loadbalancer picked up the health check change.
+				// Confirm traffic can reach backend through LB before checking healthcheck nodeport.
+				jig.TestReachableHTTP(ingressIP, svcTCPPort, framework.KubeProxyLagTimeout)
 				expectedSuccess := nodes.Items[n].Name == endpointNodeName
 				framework.Logf("Health checking %s, http://%s:%d%s, expectedSuccess %v", nodes.Items[n].Name, publicIP, healthCheckNodePort, path, expectedSuccess)
-				pass, fail, err := jig.TestHTTPHealthCheckNodePort(publicIP, healthCheckNodePort, path, 5)
-				if expectedSuccess && pass < threshold {
-					framework.Failf("Expected %d successes on %v%v, got %d, err %v", threshold, endpointNodeName, path, pass, err)
-				} else if !expectedSuccess && fail < threshold {
-					framework.Failf("Expected %d failures on %v%v, got %d, err %v", threshold, endpointNodeName, path, fail, err)
-				}
-				// Make sure the loadbalancer picked up the helth check change
-				jig.TestReachableHTTP(ingressIP, svcTCPPort, framework.KubeProxyLagTimeout)
+				Expect(jig.TestHTTPHealthCheckNodePort(publicIP, healthCheckNodePort, path, framework.KubeProxyEndpointLagTimeout, expectedSuccess, threshold)).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 			}
 			framework.ExpectNoError(framework.DeleteRCAndPods(f.ClientSet, f.InternalClientset, namespace, serviceName))
 		}