diff --git a/test/e2e/command.go b/test/e2e/command.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fba57c812
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/e2e/command.go
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+// build +e2e
+
+package e2e
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
+	"os/exec"
+	"regexp"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+type Cmd struct {
+	t              *testing.T
+	path           string
+	args           []string
+	ran            bool
+	status         error
+	stdout, stderr bytes.Buffer
+}
+
+func (h *Cmd) String() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s %s", h.path, strings.Join(h.args, " "))
+}
+
+func (h *Cmd) exec() error {
+	cmd := exec.Command(h.path, h.args...)
+	h.stdout.Reset()
+	h.stderr.Reset()
+	cmd.Stdout = &h.stdout
+	cmd.Stderr = &h.stderr
+
+	h.t.Logf("Executing command: %s", h)
+	h.status = cmd.Run()
+
+	if h.stdout.Len() > 0 {
+		h.t.Logf("standard output:\n%s", h.stdout.String())
+	}
+	if h.stderr.Len() > 0 {
+		h.t.Log("standard error: %s\n", h.stderr.String())
+	}
+
+	h.ran = true
+	return h.status
+}
+
+// Stdout returns standard output of the Cmd run as a string.
+func (h *Cmd) Stdout() string {
+	if !h.ran {
+		h.t.Fatal("internal testsuite error: stdout called before run")
+	}
+	return h.stdout.String()
+}
+
+// Stderr returns standard error of the Cmd run as a string.
+func (h *Cmd) Stderr() string {
+	if !h.ran {
+		h.t.Fatal("internal testsuite error: stdout called before run")
+	}
+	return h.stderr.String()
+}
+
+func (c *Cmd) Match(exp string) bool {
+	re := regexp.MustCompile(exp)
+	return re.MatchString(c.Stdout())
+}
+
+func (h *Cmd) StdoutContains(substring string) bool {
+	return strings.Contains(h.Stdout(), substring)
+}
+
+func (h *Cmd) StderrContains(substring string) bool {
+	return strings.Contains(h.Stderr(), substring)
+}
+
+func (h *Cmd) Contains(substring string) bool {
+	return h.StdoutContains(substring) || h.StderrContains(substring)
+}
diff --git a/test/e2e/helm.go b/test/e2e/helm.go
index 43b6b274a..c1bd743a8 100644
--- a/test/e2e/helm.go
+++ b/test/e2e/helm.go
@@ -3,12 +3,10 @@
 package e2e
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
+	"net/http"
 	"os"
-	"os/exec"
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -33,88 +31,50 @@ func NewHelmContext(t *testing.T) *HelmContext {
 	}
 }
 
-func (h *HelmContext) MustRun(args ...string) *HelmCmd {
-	cmd := h.newCmd()
-	if status := cmd.exec(args...); status != nil {
-		h.t.Fatalf("helm %v failed unexpectedly: %v", args, status)
+func (h *HelmContext) MustRun(args ...string) *Cmd {
+	cmd := h.newCmd(args...)
+	if status := cmd.exec(); status != nil {
+		h.t.Errorf("helm %v failed unexpectedly: %v", args, status)
+		h.t.Errorf("%s", cmd.Stderr())
+		h.t.FailNow()
 	}
 	return cmd
 }
 
-func (h *HelmContext) Run(args ...string) *HelmCmd {
-	cmd := h.newCmd()
-	cmd.exec(args...)
+func (h *HelmContext) Run(args ...string) *Cmd {
+	cmd := h.newCmd(args...)
+	cmd.exec()
 	return cmd
 }
 
-func (h *HelmContext) RunFail(args ...string) *HelmCmd {
-	cmd := h.newCmd()
-	if status := cmd.exec(args...); status == nil {
+func (h *HelmContext) RunFail(args ...string) *Cmd {
+	cmd := h.newCmd(args...)
+	if status := cmd.exec(); status == nil {
 		h.t.Fatalf("helm unexpected to fail: %v", args, status)
 	}
 	return cmd
 }
 
-func (h *HelmContext) newCmd() *HelmCmd {
-	return &HelmCmd{
-		ctx: h,
+func (h *HelmContext) newCmd(args ...string) *Cmd {
+	args = append([]string{"--host", h.Host}, args...)
+	return &Cmd{
+		t:    h.t,
+		path: h.Path,
+		args: args,
 	}
 }
 
-type HelmCmd struct {
-	ctx            *HelmContext
-	path           string
-	ran            bool
-	status         error
-	stdout, stderr bytes.Buffer
-}
+func (h *HelmContext) Running() bool {
+	endpoint := h.Host + "healthz"
 
-func (h *HelmCmd) exec(args ...string) error {
-	args = append([]string{"--host", h.ctx.Host}, args...)
-	cmd := exec.Command(h.ctx.Path, args...)
-	h.stdout.Reset()
-	h.stderr.Reset()
-	cmd.Stdout = &h.stdout
-	cmd.Stderr = &h.stderr
-	h.status = cmd.Run()
-	if h.stdout.Len() > 0 {
-		h.ctx.t.Log("standard output:")
-		h.ctx.t.Log(h.stdout.String())
-	}
-	if h.stderr.Len() > 0 {
-		h.ctx.t.Log("standard error:")
-		h.ctx.t.Log(h.stderr.String())
+	resp, err := http.Get(endpoint)
+	if err != nil {
+		h.t.Errorf("Could not GET %s: %s", endpoint, err)
 	}
-	h.ran = true
-	return h.status
-}
-
-// Stdout returns standard output of the helmCmd run as a string.
-func (h *HelmCmd) Stdout() string {
-	if !h.ran {
-		h.ctx.t.Fatal("internal testsuite error: stdout called before run")
-	}
-	return h.stdout.String()
-}
-
-// Stderr returns standard error of the helmCmd run as a string.
-func (h *HelmCmd) Stderr() string {
-	if !h.ran {
-		h.ctx.t.Fatal("internal testsuite error: stdout called before run")
-	}
-	return h.stderr.String()
-}
-
-func (h *HelmCmd) StdoutContains(substring string) bool {
-	return strings.Contains(h.Stdout(), substring)
-}
-
-func (h *HelmCmd) StderrContains(substring string) bool {
-	return strings.Contains(h.Stderr(), substring)
-}
+	return resp.StatusCode == 200
 
-func (h *HelmCmd) Contains(substring string) bool {
-	return h.StdoutContains(substring) || h.StderrContains(substring)
+	//out := h.MustRun("server", "status").Stdout()
+	//return strings.Count(out, "Running") == 5
 }
 
 func RepoRoot() string {
diff --git a/test/e2e/helm_test.go b/test/e2e/helm_test.go
index 4ac389e98..b0b090dd0 100644
--- a/test/e2e/helm_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/helm_test.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"math/rand"
 	"os"
-	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -32,34 +31,43 @@ var (
 	managerImage      = "quay.io/adamreese/manager:latest"
 )
 
+func logKubeEnv(k *KubeContext) {
+	config := k.Run("config", "view", "--flattend", "--minified").Stdout()
+	k.t.Logf("Kubernetes Environment\n%s", config)
+}
+
 func TestHelm(t *testing.T) {
-	kube := NewKubeContext()
+	kube := NewKubeContext(t)
 	helm := NewHelmContext(t)
 
-	t.Logf("Kubenetes context: %s", kube.CurrentContext())
-	t.Logf("Cluster: %s", kube.Cluster())
-	t.Logf("Server: %s", kube.Server())
+	logKubeEnv(kube)
 
 	if !kube.Running() {
 		t.Fatal("Not connected to kubernetes")
 	}
-
 	t.Log(kube.Version())
 
-	//TODO: skip check if running local binaries
-	if !helmRunning(helm) {
-		t.Error("Helm is not installed")
-		helm.MustRun("server", "install", "--resourcifier-image", resourcifierImage, "--expandybird-image", expandybirdImage, "--manager-image", managerImage)
-		//TODO: wait for pods to be ready
-	}
-
 	helm.Host = helmHost()
-
 	if helm.Host == "" {
 		helm.Host = fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", kube.Server(), apiProxy)
 	}
 	t.Logf("Using host: %v", helm.Host)
 
+	//TODO: skip check if running local binaries
+	if !helm.Running() {
+		t.Error("Helm is not installed")
+		helm.MustRun(
+			"server",
+			"install",
+			"--resourcifier-image", resourcifierImage,
+			"--expandybird-image", expandybirdImage,
+			"--manager-image", managerImage,
+		)
+		wait(func() bool {
+			return helm.Running()
+		})
+	}
+
 	// Add repo if it does not exsit
 	if !helm.MustRun("repo", "list").Contains(*repoURL) {
 		t.Logf("Adding repo %s %s", *repoName, *repoURL)
@@ -70,7 +78,19 @@ func TestHelm(t *testing.T) {
 	deploymentName := genName()
 
 	t.Log("Executing deploy")
-	helm.MustRun("deploy", "--properties", "container_port=6379,image=kubernetes/redis:v1,replicas=2", "--name", deploymentName, *chart)
+	helm.MustRun("deploy",
+		"--properties", "namespace=e2e",
+		"--name", deploymentName,
+		*chart,
+	)
+
+	err := wait(func() bool {
+		return kube.Run("get", "pods").Match("redis.*Running")
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	t.Log(kube.Run("get", "pods").Stdout())
 
 	t.Log("Executing deployment list")
 	if !helm.MustRun("deployment", "list").Contains(deploymentName) {
@@ -82,12 +102,27 @@ func TestHelm(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("Could not deploy")
 	}
 
+	t.Log("Executing deployment describe")
+	helm.MustRun("deployment", "describe", deploymentName)
+
 	t.Log("Executing deployment delete")
 	if !helm.MustRun("deployment", "rm", deploymentName).Contains("Deleted") {
 		t.Fatal("Could not delete deployment")
 	}
 }
 
+func wait(fn func() bool) error {
+	for start := time.Now(); time.Since(start) < timeout; time.Sleep(poll) {
+		if fn() {
+			continue
+		}
+	}
+	if !fn() {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Polling timeout")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func genName() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("e2e-%d", rand.Uint32())
 }
@@ -98,8 +133,3 @@ func helmHost() string {
 	}
 	return os.Getenv("HELM_HOST")
 }
-
-func helmRunning(h *HelmContext) bool {
-	out := h.MustRun("server", "status").Stdout()
-	return strings.Count(out, "Running") == 5
-}
diff --git a/test/e2e/kubernetes.go b/test/e2e/kubernetes.go
index 8a697f488..a450e1f2c 100644
--- a/test/e2e/kubernetes.go
+++ b/test/e2e/kubernetes.go
@@ -3,43 +3,59 @@
 package e2e
 
 import (
-	"os/exec"
 	"strings"
+	"testing"
 )
 
 const defaultKubectlPath = "kubectl"
 
 type KubeContext struct {
+	t    *testing.T
 	Path string
 }
 
-func NewKubeContext() *KubeContext {
+func NewKubeContext(t *testing.T) *KubeContext {
 	return &KubeContext{
+		t:    t,
 		Path: defaultKubectlPath,
 	}
 }
 
+func (k *KubeContext) Run(args ...string) *Cmd {
+	cmd := k.newCmd(args...)
+	cmd.exec()
+	return cmd
+}
+
+func (k *KubeContext) newCmd(args ...string) *Cmd {
+	return &Cmd{
+		t:    k.t,
+		path: k.Path,
+		args: args,
+	}
+}
+
+func (k *KubeContext) getConfigValue(jsonpath string) string {
+	return strings.Replace(k.Run("config", "view", "--flatten=true", "--minify=true", "-o", "jsonpath="+jsonpath).Stdout(), "'", "", -1)
+}
+
 func (k *KubeContext) Cluster() string {
-	out, _ := exec.Command(k.Path, "config", "view", "--flatten=true", "--minify=true", "-o", "jsonpath='{.clusters[0].name}'").Output()
-	return string(out)
+	return k.getConfigValue("'{.clusters[0].name}'")
 }
 
 func (k *KubeContext) Server() string {
-	out, _ := exec.Command(k.Path, "config", "view", "--flatten=true", "--minify=true", "-o", "jsonpath='{.clusters[0].cluster.server}'").Output()
-	return strings.Replace(string(out), "'", "", -1)
+	return k.getConfigValue("'{.clusters[0].cluster.server}'")
 }
 
 func (k *KubeContext) CurrentContext() string {
-	out, _ := exec.Command(k.Path, "config", "view", "--flatten=true", "--minify=true", "-o", "jsonpath='{.current-context}'").Output()
-	return string(out)
+	return k.getConfigValue("'{.current-context}'")
 }
 
 func (k *KubeContext) Running() bool {
-	_, err := exec.Command(k.Path, "cluster-info").CombinedOutput()
+	err := k.Run("cluster-info").exec()
 	return err == nil
 }
 
 func (k *KubeContext) Version() string {
-	out, _ := exec.Command(k.Path, "version").Output()
-	return string(out)
+	return k.Run("version").Stdout()
 }