diff --git a/tests/e2e/go.sum b/tests/e2e/go.sum
index 9e473c27e9..851202fbee 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/go.sum
+++ b/tests/e2e/go.sum
@@ -1598,8 +1598,6 @@ sigs.k8s.io/boskos v0.0.0-20200526191642-45fc818e2d00/go.mod h1:L1ubP7d1CCMSQSjK
 sigs.k8s.io/boskos v0.0.0-20200710214748-f5935686c7fc/go.mod h1:ZO5RV+VxJS9mb6DvZ1yAjywoyq/wQ8b0vDoZxcIA5kE=
 sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.5.0/go.mod h1:REiJzC7Y00U+2YkMbT8wxgrsX5USpXKGhb2sCtAXiT8=
 sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.5.4/go.mod h1:JZUwSMVbxDupo0lTJSSFP5pimEyxGynROImSsqIOx1A=
-sigs.k8s.io/kubetest2 v0.0.0-20210106183352-5a41a5dbafe5 h1:j1UdMwMRAvGvHFVoQ7TMrQbZxLnKHQLgTlKLFc6rYi4=
-sigs.k8s.io/kubetest2 v0.0.0-20210106183352-5a41a5dbafe5/go.mod h1:XT/MnLvPcrJkJo0+3DGIlXljSZxqvU7HNyXI/ny3Flg=
 sigs.k8s.io/kubetest2 v0.0.0-20210115020551-4275dd0a0d63 h1:pHCLLY0QjOp3cBTYCjCQdYfYP8lo+/eSyd3vdWkaQTE=
 sigs.k8s.io/kubetest2 v0.0.0-20210115020551-4275dd0a0d63/go.mod h1:XT/MnLvPcrJkJo0+3DGIlXljSZxqvU7HNyXI/ny3Flg=
 sigs.k8s.io/kustomize v2.0.3+incompatible/go.mod h1:MkjgH3RdOWrievjo6c9T245dYlB5QeXV4WCbnt/PEpU=
diff --git a/tests/e2e/kubetest2-kops/deployer/common.go b/tests/e2e/kubetest2-kops/deployer/common.go
index 6a6e9b911e..6d2f974181 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/kubetest2-kops/deployer/common.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/kubetest2-kops/deployer/common.go
@@ -51,11 +51,6 @@ func (d *deployer) initialize() error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("init failed to check up flags: %v", err)
 		}
 	}
-	if d.commonOptions.ShouldUp() || d.commonOptions.ShouldTest() {
-		if d.KubernetesVersion == "" {
-			return errors.New("missing required --kubernetes-version flag")
-		}
-	}
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/e2e/kubetest2-kops/deployer/up.go b/tests/e2e/kubetest2-kops/deployer/up.go
index 1b143f5749..2d24685724 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/kubetest2-kops/deployer/up.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/kubetest2-kops/deployer/up.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package deployer
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	osexec "os/exec"
@@ -170,7 +171,9 @@ func (d *deployer) verifyUpFlags() error {
 	if d.SSHPublicKeyPath == "" {
 		d.SSHPublicKeyPath = os.Getenv("AWS_SSH_PUBLIC_KEY_FILE")
 	}
-
+	if d.KubernetesVersion == "" {
+		return errors.New("missing required --kubernetes-version flag")
+	}
 	return nil
 }