diff --git a/kubernetes/base/rbac.yaml b/kubernetes/base/rbac.yaml
index 60726624d0..6667ecaae8 100644
--- a/kubernetes/base/rbac.yaml
+++ b/kubernetes/base/rbac.yaml
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ rules:
 - apiGroups: ["coordination.k8s.io"]
   resources: ["leases"]
   resourceNames: ["descheduler"]
-  verbs: ["get", "patch", "delete","create", "update"]
+  verbs: ["get", "patch", "delete", "create", "update"]
 ---
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: ServiceAccount
diff --git a/test/e2e/e2e_leaderelection_test.go b/test/e2e/e2e_leaderelection_test.go
index d84fe71157..a0e0ba8650 100644
--- a/test/e2e/e2e_leaderelection_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/e2e_leaderelection_test.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 
 	appsv1 "k8s.io/api/apps/v1"
 	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
@@ -124,6 +125,15 @@ func TestLeaderElection(t *testing.T) {
 	waitForPodsRunning(ctx, t, clientSet, deployment2.Labels, 5, deployment2.Namespace)
 	podListBOrg := getCurrentPodNames(t, ctx, clientSet, ns2)
 
+	// Delete the descheduler lease
+	err = clientSet.CoordinationV1().Leases("kube-system").Delete(ctx, "descheduler", metav1.DeleteOptions{})
+	if err != nil {
+		if !apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
+			t.Fatalf("Unable to remove kube-system/descheduler lease: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+	t.Logf("Removed kube-system/descheduler lease")
+
 	t.Log("Starting deschedulers")
 	pod1Name, deploy1, cm1 := startDeschedulerServer(t, ctx, clientSet, ns1)
 	time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
@@ -150,6 +160,8 @@ func TestLeaderElection(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Fatalf("Unable to delete %q CM: %v", cm.Name, err)
 			}
 		}
+
+		clientSet.CoordinationV1().Leases("kube-system").Delete(ctx, "descheduler", metav1.DeleteOptions{})
 	}()
 
 	// wait for a while so all the pods are 5 seconds older
@@ -226,7 +238,7 @@ func startDeschedulerServer(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, clientSet clients
 	deschedulerDeploymentObj := deschedulerDeployment(testName, func(deployment *appsv1.Deployment) {
 		deployment.Name = fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", deployment.Name, testName)
 		args := deployment.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers[0].Args
-		deployment.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers[0].Args = append(args, "--leader-elect")
+		deployment.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers[0].Args = append(args, "--leader-elect", "--leader-elect-retry-period", "1s")
 		deployment.Spec.Template.Spec.Volumes = []v1.Volume{
 			{
 				Name: "policy-volume",