diff --git a/test/pkg/environment/common/expectations.go b/test/pkg/environment/common/expectations.go
index 60f0c3c50f91..6069b0aee838 100644
--- a/test/pkg/environment/common/expectations.go
+++ b/test/pkg/environment/common/expectations.go
@@ -279,6 +279,21 @@ func (env *Environment) EventuallyExpectHealthy(pods ...*corev1.Pod) {
 	env.EventuallyExpectHealthyWithTimeout(-1, pods...)
 }
 
+func (env *Environment) EventuallyExpectTerminating(pods ...*corev1.Pod) {
+	GinkgoHelper()
+	env.EventuallyExpectTerminatingWithTimeout(-1, pods...)
+}
+
+func (env *Environment) EventuallyExpectTerminatingWithTimeout(timeout time.Duration, pods ...*corev1.Pod) {
+	GinkgoHelper()
+	Eventually(func(g Gomega) {
+		for _, pod := range pods {
+			g.Expect(env.Client.Get(env, client.ObjectKeyFromObject(pod), pod)).To(Succeed())
+			g.Expect(pod.DeletionTimestamp.IsZero()).To(BeFalse())
+		}
+	}).WithTimeout(timeout).Should(Succeed())
+}
+
 func (env *Environment) EventuallyExpectHealthyWithTimeout(timeout time.Duration, pods ...*corev1.Pod) {
 	GinkgoHelper()
 	Eventually(func(g Gomega) {
@@ -290,7 +305,17 @@ func (env *Environment) EventuallyExpectHealthyWithTimeout(timeout time.Duration
 			)))
 		}
 	}).WithTimeout(timeout).Should(Succeed())
+}
 
+func (env *Environment) ConsistentlyExpectTerminatingPods(duration time.Duration, pods ...*corev1.Pod) {
+	GinkgoHelper()
+	By(fmt.Sprintf("expecting %d pods to be terminating for %s", len(pods), duration))
+	Consistently(func(g Gomega) {
+		for _, pod := range pods {
+			g.Expect(env.Client.Get(env, client.ObjectKeyFromObject(pod), pod)).To(Succeed())
+			g.Expect(pod.DeletionTimestamp.IsZero()).To(BeFalse())
+		}
+	}, duration.String()).Should(Succeed())
 }
 
 func (env *Environment) ConsistentlyExpectHealthyPods(duration time.Duration, pods ...*corev1.Pod) {
diff --git a/test/suites/termination/termination_grace_period_test.go b/test/suites/termination/termination_grace_period_test.go
index 2cd7c1aec5e4..941297c35555 100644
--- a/test/suites/termination/termination_grace_period_test.go
+++ b/test/suites/termination/termination_grace_period_test.go
@@ -33,20 +33,19 @@ import (
 var _ = Describe("TerminationGracePeriod", func() {
 	BeforeEach(func() {
 		nodePool.Spec.Template.Spec.TerminationGracePeriod = &metav1.Duration{Duration: time.Second * 30}
-		// Set the expireAfter value to get the node deleted
-		nodePool.Spec.Template.Spec.ExpireAfter = karpv1.MustParseNillableDuration("90s")
 	})
-	It("should delete pod that tolerates do-not-disrupt after termination grace period seconds", func() {
+	It("should delete pod with do-not-disrupt when it reaches its terminationGracePeriodSeconds", func() {
 		pod := coretest.UnschedulablePod(coretest.PodOptions{ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Annotations: map[string]string{
 			karpv1.DoNotDisruptAnnotationKey: "true",
-		}}})
+		}}, TerminationGracePeriodSeconds: lo.ToPtr(int64(15))})
 		env.ExpectCreated(nodeClass, nodePool, pod)
 
 		nodeClaim := env.EventuallyExpectCreatedNodeClaimCount("==", 1)[0]
 		node := env.EventuallyExpectCreatedNodeCount("==", 1)[0]
 		env.EventuallyExpectHealthy(pod)
-		// Check that pod remains healthy until termination grace period
-		env.ConsistentlyExpectHealthyPods(time.Second*30, pod)
+
+		// Delete the nodeclaim to start the TerminationGracePeriod
+		env.ExpectDeleted(nodeClaim)
 
 		// Eventually the node will be tainted
 		Eventually(func(g Gomega) {
@@ -55,19 +54,28 @@ var _ = Describe("TerminationGracePeriod", func() {
 				return karpv1.IsDisruptingTaint(t)
 			})
 			g.Expect(ok).To(BeTrue())
-		}).Should(Succeed())
+		}).WithTimeout(3 * time.Second).WithPolling(100 * time.Millisecond).Should(Succeed())
+
+		// Check that pod remains healthy until termination grace period
+		// subtract the polling time of the eventually above to reduce any races.
+		env.ConsistentlyExpectHealthyPods(time.Second*15-100*time.Millisecond, pod)
 		// Both nodeClaim and node should be gone once terminationGracePeriod is reached
-		env.EventuallyExpectNotFound(nodeClaim, node)
+		env.EventuallyExpectNotFound(nodeClaim, node, pod)
 	})
 	It("should delete pod that has a pre-stop hook after termination grace period seconds", func() {
-		pod := coretest.UnschedulablePod(coretest.PodOptions{PreStopSleep: lo.ToPtr(int64(300))})
+		pod := coretest.UnschedulablePod(coretest.PodOptions{
+			PreStopSleep:                  lo.ToPtr(int64(300)),
+			TerminationGracePeriodSeconds: lo.ToPtr(int64(15)),
+			Image:                         "alpine:3.20.2",
+			Command:                       []string{"/bin/sh", "-c", "sleep 30"}})
 		env.ExpectCreated(nodeClass, nodePool, pod)
 
 		nodeClaim := env.EventuallyExpectCreatedNodeClaimCount("==", 1)[0]
 		node := env.EventuallyExpectCreatedNodeCount("==", 1)[0]
 		env.EventuallyExpectHealthy(pod)
-		// Check that pod remains healthy until termination grace period
-		env.ConsistentlyExpectHealthyPods(time.Second*30, pod)
+
+		// Delete the nodeclaim to start the TerminationGracePeriod
+		env.ExpectDeleted(nodeClaim)
 
 		// Eventually the node will be tainted
 		Eventually(func(g Gomega) {
@@ -76,8 +84,15 @@ var _ = Describe("TerminationGracePeriod", func() {
 				return karpv1.IsDisruptingTaint(t)
 			})
 			g.Expect(ok).To(BeTrue())
-		}).Should(Succeed())
+		}).WithTimeout(3 * time.Second).WithPolling(100 * time.Millisecond).Should(Succeed())
+
+		env.EventuallyExpectTerminating(pod)
+
+		// Check that pod remains healthy until termination grace period
+		// subtract the polling time of the eventually above to reduce any races.
+		env.ConsistentlyExpectTerminatingPods(time.Second*15-100*time.Millisecond, pod)
+
 		// Both nodeClaim and node should be gone once terminationGracePeriod is reached
-		env.EventuallyExpectNotFound(nodeClaim, node)
+		env.EventuallyExpectNotFound(nodeClaim, node, pod)
 	})
 })