diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/BUILD b/test/e2e/framework/BUILD
index 4eddbf5995..e1b7222a20 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/BUILD
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/BUILD
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ go_library(
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/uuid:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait:go_default_library",
+        "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/version:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/watch:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/client-go/discovery:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/client-go/dynamic:go_default_library",
diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/upgrade_util.go b/test/e2e/framework/upgrade_util.go
index 8e5f4609e0..fa12401289 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/upgrade_util.go
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/upgrade_util.go
@@ -18,9 +18,13 @@ package framework
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"os/exec"
 	"path"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/version"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/clientset_generated/clientset"
 )
 
@@ -36,10 +40,36 @@ func RealVersion(s string) (string, error) {
 	return strings.TrimPrefix(strings.TrimSpace(v), "v"), nil
 }
 
+func traceRouteToMaster() {
+	path, err := exec.LookPath("traceroute")
+	if err != nil {
+		Logf("Could not find traceroute program")
+		return
+	}
+
+	cmd := exec.Command(path, "-I", GetMasterHost())
+	out, err := cmd.Output()
+	if len(out) != 0 {
+		Logf(string(out))
+	}
+	if exiterr, ok := err.(*exec.ExitError); err != nil && ok {
+		Logf("error while running traceroute: %s", exiterr.Stderr)
+	}
+}
+
 func CheckMasterVersion(c clientset.Interface, want string) error {
 	Logf("Checking master version")
-	v, err := c.Discovery().ServerVersion()
-	if err != nil {
+	var err error
+	var v *version.Info
+	waitErr := wait.PollImmediate(5*time.Second, 2*time.Minute, func() (bool, error) {
+		v, err = c.Discovery().ServerVersion()
+		if err != nil {
+			traceRouteToMaster()
+			return false, nil
+		}
+		return true, nil
+	})
+	if waitErr != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("CheckMasterVersion() couldn't get the master version: %v", err)
 	}
 	// We do prefix trimming and then matching because: