diff --git a/test/pkg/environment/common/expectations.go b/test/pkg/environment/common/expectations.go
index b691ab81a959..3dc649e105ff 100644
--- a/test/pkg/environment/common/expectations.go
+++ b/test/pkg/environment/common/expectations.go
@@ -482,49 +482,26 @@ func (env *Environment) ConsistentlyExpectMachineCount(comparator string, count
 	return lo.ToSlicePtr(machineList.Items)
 }
 
-func (env *Environment) EventuallyExpectCordonedNodeCountLegacy(comparator string, count int) []*v1.Node {
+func (env *Environment) EventuallyExpectTaintedNodeCount(comparator string, count int) []*v1.Node {
 	GinkgoHelper()
-	By(fmt.Sprintf("waiting for cordoned nodes to be %s to %d", comparator, count))
-	nodeList := &v1.NodeList{}
-	Eventually(func(g Gomega) {
-		g.Expect(env.Client.List(env, nodeList, client.MatchingFields{"spec.unschedulable": "true"})).To(Succeed())
-		g.Expect(len(nodeList.Items)).To(BeNumerically(comparator, count),
-			fmt.Sprintf("expected %d cordoned nodes, had %d (%v)", count, len(nodeList.Items), NodeNames(lo.ToSlicePtr(nodeList.Items))))
-	}).Should(Succeed())
-	return lo.ToSlicePtr(nodeList.Items)
-}
-
-func (env *Environment) EventuallyExpectNodesUncordonedLegacyWithTimeout(timeout time.Duration, nodes ...*v1.Node) {
-	GinkgoHelper()
-	By(fmt.Sprintf("waiting for %d nodes to be uncordoned", len(nodes)))
-	nodeList := &v1.NodeList{}
-	Eventually(func(g Gomega) {
-		g.Expect(env.Client.List(env, nodeList, client.MatchingFields{"spec.unschedulable": "true"})).To(Succeed())
-		cordonedNodeNames := lo.Map(nodeList.Items, func(n v1.Node, _ int) string { return n.Name })
-		g.Expect(cordonedNodeNames).ToNot(ContainElements(lo.Map(nodes, func(n *v1.Node, _ int) interface{} { return n.Name })...))
-	}).WithTimeout(timeout).Should(Succeed())
-}
-
-func (env *Environment) EventuallyExpectCordonedNodeCount(comparator string, count int) []*v1.Node {
-	GinkgoHelper()
-	By(fmt.Sprintf("waiting for cordoned nodes to be %s to %d", comparator, count))
+	By(fmt.Sprintf("waiting for tainted nodes to be %s to %d", comparator, count))
 	nodeList := &v1.NodeList{}
 	Eventually(func(g Gomega) {
 		g.Expect(env.Client.List(env, nodeList, client.MatchingFields{"spec.taints[*].karpenter.sh/disruption": "disrupting"})).To(Succeed())
 		g.Expect(len(nodeList.Items)).To(BeNumerically(comparator, count),
-			fmt.Sprintf("expected %d cordoned nodes, had %d (%v)", count, len(nodeList.Items), NodeNames(lo.ToSlicePtr(nodeList.Items))))
+			fmt.Sprintf("expected %d tainted nodes, had %d (%v)", count, len(nodeList.Items), NodeNames(lo.ToSlicePtr(nodeList.Items))))
 	}).Should(Succeed())
 	return lo.ToSlicePtr(nodeList.Items)
 }
 
-func (env *Environment) EventuallyExpectNodesUncordonedWithTimeout(timeout time.Duration, nodes ...*v1.Node) {
+func (env *Environment) EventuallyExpectNodesUntaintedWithTimeout(timeout time.Duration, nodes ...*v1.Node) {
 	GinkgoHelper()
-	By(fmt.Sprintf("waiting for %d nodes to be uncordoned", len(nodes)))
+	By(fmt.Sprintf("waiting for %d nodes to be untainted", len(nodes)))
 	nodeList := &v1.NodeList{}
 	Eventually(func(g Gomega) {
 		g.Expect(env.Client.List(env, nodeList, client.MatchingFields{"spec.taints[*].karpenter.sh/disruption": "disrupting"})).To(Succeed())
-		cordonedNodeNames := lo.Map(nodeList.Items, func(n v1.Node, _ int) string { return n.Name })
-		g.Expect(cordonedNodeNames).ToNot(ContainElements(lo.Map(nodes, func(n *v1.Node, _ int) interface{} { return n.Name })...))
+		taintedNodeNames := lo.Map(nodeList.Items, func(n v1.Node, _ int) string { return n.Name })
+		g.Expect(taintedNodeNames).ToNot(ContainElements(lo.Map(nodes, func(n *v1.Node, _ int) interface{} { return n.Name })...))
 	}).WithTimeout(timeout).Should(Succeed())
 }
 
diff --git a/test/suites/drift/suite_test.go b/test/suites/drift/suite_test.go
index 6e4d9f3dffca..b9d7a7edf49d 100644
--- a/test/suites/drift/suite_test.go
+++ b/test/suites/drift/suite_test.go
@@ -431,12 +431,12 @@ var _ = Describe("Beta/Drift", Label("AWS"), func() {
 				}
 			}).Should(Succeed())
 
-			// Expect nodes To get cordoned
-			cordonedNodes := env.EventuallyExpectCordonedNodeCount("==", 1)
+			// Expect nodes To get tainted
+			taintedNodes := env.EventuallyExpectTaintedNodeCount("==", 1)
 
-			// Drift should fail and the original node should be uncordoned
+			// Drift should fail and the original node should be untainted
 			// TODO: reduce timeouts when disruption waits are factored out
-			env.EventuallyExpectNodesUncordonedWithTimeout(11*time.Minute, cordonedNodes...)
+			env.EventuallyExpectNodesUntaintedWithTimeout(11*time.Minute, taintedNodes...)
 
 			// We give another 6 minutes here to handle the deletion at the 15m registration timeout
 			Eventually(func(g Gomega) {
@@ -487,12 +487,12 @@ var _ = Describe("Beta/Drift", Label("AWS"), func() {
 				}
 			}).Should(Succeed())
 
-			// Expect nodes To be cordoned
-			cordonedNodes := env.EventuallyExpectCordonedNodeCount("==", 1)
+			// Expect nodes to be tainted
+			taintedNodes := env.EventuallyExpectTaintedNodeCount("==", 1)
 
-			// Drift should fail and original node should be uncordoned
+			// Drift should fail and original node should be untainted
 			// TODO: reduce timeouts when disruption waits are factored out
-			env.EventuallyExpectNodesUncordonedWithTimeout(11*time.Minute, cordonedNodes...)
+			env.EventuallyExpectNodesUntaintedWithTimeout(11*time.Minute, taintedNodes...)
 
 			// Expect that the new nodeClaim/node is kept around after the un-cordon
 			nodeList := &v1.NodeList{}
diff --git a/test/suites/expiration/suite_test.go b/test/suites/expiration/suite_test.go
index f47fcbf57dbb..8f849f76fa8e 100644
--- a/test/suites/expiration/suite_test.go
+++ b/test/suites/expiration/suite_test.go
@@ -229,12 +229,12 @@ var _ = Describe("Expiration", func() {
 				}
 			}).Should(Succeed())
 
-			// Expect nodes To get cordoned
-			cordonedNodes := env.EventuallyExpectCordonedNodeCount("==", 1)
+			// Expect nodes To get tainted
+			taintedNodes := env.EventuallyExpectTaintedNodeCount("==", 1)
 
-			// Expire should fail and the original node should be uncordoned
+			// Expire should fail and the original node should be untainted
 			// TODO: reduce timeouts when deprovisioning waits are factored out
-			env.EventuallyExpectNodesUncordonedWithTimeout(11*time.Minute, cordonedNodes...)
+			env.EventuallyExpectNodesUntaintedWithTimeout(11*time.Minute, taintedNodes...)
 
 			// The nodeclaims that never registers will be removed
 			Eventually(func(g Gomega) {
@@ -294,12 +294,12 @@ var _ = Describe("Expiration", func() {
 				}
 			}).Should(Succeed())
 
-			// Expect nodes To be cordoned
-			cordonedNodes := env.EventuallyExpectCordonedNodeCount("==", 1)
+			// Expect nodes To be tainted
+			taintedNodes := env.EventuallyExpectTaintedNodeCount("==", 1)
 
-			// Expire should fail and original node should be uncordoned and no NodeClaims should be removed
+			// Expire should fail and original node should be untainted and no NodeClaims should be removed
 			// TODO: reduce timeouts when deprovisioning waits are factored out
-			env.EventuallyExpectNodesUncordonedWithTimeout(11*time.Minute, cordonedNodes...)
+			env.EventuallyExpectNodesUntaintedWithTimeout(11*time.Minute, taintedNodes...)
 
 			// Expect that the new NodeClaim/Node is kept around after the un-cordon
 			nodeList := &v1.NodeList{}