diff --git a/tests/docker/dualstack/dualstack_test.go b/tests/docker/dualstack/dualstack_test.go
index afdd98c4be9..d92cecac6bf 100644
--- a/tests/docker/dualstack/dualstack_test.go
+++ b/tests/docker/dualstack/dualstack_test.go
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ var _ = DescribeTableSubtree("DualStack Tests", Ordered, func(ipConfig string) {
 				if strings.Contains(ip, "::") {
 					ip = "[" + ip + "]"
 				}
-				cmd := fmt.Sprintf("curl -L --insecure http://%s", ip)
+				cmd := fmt.Sprintf("curl -vksf -m 5 http://%s", ip)
 				Eventually(func() (string, error) {
 					return tc.Servers[0].RunCmdOnNode(cmd)
 				}, "60s", "5s").Should(ContainSubstring("Welcome to nginx!"), "failed cmd: "+cmd)
@@ -110,10 +110,10 @@ var _ = DescribeTableSubtree("DualStack Tests", Ordered, func(ipConfig string) {
 					if strings.Contains(ip, "::") {
 						ip = "[" + ip + "]"
 					}
-					cmd := fmt.Sprintf("curl  --header host:%s http://%s/name.html", hostName, ip)
+					cmd := fmt.Sprintf("curl -vksf -m 5 -H 'Host: %s' http://%s/name.html", hostName, ip)
 					Eventually(func() (string, error) {
 						return tests.RunCommand(cmd)
-					}, "10s", "2s").Should(ContainSubstring("ds-clusterip-pod"), "failed cmd: "+cmd)
+					}, "30s", "5s").Should(ContainSubstring("ds-clusterip-pod"), "failed cmd: "+cmd)
 				}
 			}
 		})
@@ -132,10 +132,10 @@ var _ = DescribeTableSubtree("DualStack Tests", Ordered, func(ipConfig string) {
 					if strings.Contains(ip, "::") {
 						ip = "[" + ip + "]"
 					}
-					cmd = "curl -L --insecure http://" + ip + ":" + nodeport + "/name.html"
+					cmd = "curl -vksf -m 5 http://" + ip + ":" + nodeport + "/name.html"
 					Eventually(func() (string, error) {
 						return tests.RunCommand(cmd)
-					}, "10s", "1s").Should(ContainSubstring("ds-nodeport-pod"), "failed cmd: "+cmd)
+					}, "30s", "5s").Should(ContainSubstring("ds-nodeport-pod"), "failed cmd: "+cmd)
 				}
 			}
 		})
diff --git a/tests/docker/hardened/hardened_test.go b/tests/docker/hardened/hardened_test.go
index bab412c692e..942427735a3 100644
--- a/tests/docker/hardened/hardened_test.go
+++ b/tests/docker/hardened/hardened_test.go
@@ -91,11 +91,11 @@ kubelet-arg:
 			for _, scheme := range []string{"http", "https"} {
 				Eventually(func(g Gomega) {
 					for _, server := range config.Servers {
-						cmd := fmt.Sprintf("curl -vksf -H 'Host: example.com' %s://%s/", scheme, server.IP)
+						cmd := fmt.Sprintf("curl -vksf -m 5 -H 'Host: example.com' %s://%s/", scheme, server.IP)
 						g.Expect(tests.RunCommand(cmd)).Error().NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 					}
 					for _, agent := range config.Agents {
-						cmd := fmt.Sprintf("curl -vksf -H 'Host: example.com' %s://%s/", scheme, agent.IP)
+						cmd := fmt.Sprintf("curl -vksf -m 5 -H 'Host: example.com' %s://%s/", scheme, agent.IP)
 						g.Expect(tests.RunCommand(cmd)).Error().NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 					}
 				}, "30s", "10s").Should(Succeed())
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ kubelet-arg:
 				ports, err := tests.RunCommand(cmd)
 				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 				for _, port := range strings.Split(ports, " ") {
-					cmd := fmt.Sprintf("curl -vksf -H 'Host: example.com' http://%s:%s", server.IP, port)
+					cmd := fmt.Sprintf("curl -vksf -m 5 -H 'Host: example.com' http://%s:%s", server.IP, port)
 					Expect(tests.RunCommand(cmd)).Error().NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/tests/e2e/dualstack/dualstack_test.go b/tests/e2e/dualstack/dualstack_test.go
index e09d008a77a..fc41ad834e1 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/dualstack/dualstack_test.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/dualstack/dualstack_test.go
@@ -120,11 +120,11 @@ var _ = Describe("Verify DualStack Configuration", Ordered, func() {
 			nodeIPs, err := e2e.GetNodeIPs(tc.KubeconfigFile)
 			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed cmd: "+cmd)
 			for _, node := range nodeIPs {
-				cmd := fmt.Sprintf("curl --header host:%s -m 5 -s -f http://%s/name.html", hostName, node.IPv4)
+				cmd := fmt.Sprintf("curl -m 5 -s -f -H 'Host: %s' http://%s/name.html", hostName, node.IPv4)
 				Eventually(func() (string, error) {
 					return tests.RunCommand(cmd)
 				}, "10s", "2s").Should(ContainSubstring("ds-clusterip-pod"), "failed cmd: "+cmd)
-				cmd = fmt.Sprintf("curl --header host:%s -m 5 -s -f http://[%s]/name.html", hostName, node.IPv6)
+				cmd = fmt.Sprintf("curl -m 5 -s -f -H 'Host: %s' http://[%s]/name.html", hostName, node.IPv6)
 				Eventually(func() (string, error) {
 					return tests.RunCommand(cmd)
 				}, "5s", "1s").Should(ContainSubstring("ds-clusterip-pod"), "failed cmd: "+cmd)
diff --git a/tests/e2e/splitserver/splitserver_test.go b/tests/e2e/splitserver/splitserver_test.go
index bb39b549855..e7f26629af1 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/splitserver/splitserver_test.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/splitserver/splitserver_test.go
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ var _ = DescribeTableSubtree("Verify Create", Ordered, func(startFlags string) {
 
 			for _, node := range cpNodes {
 				ip, _ := node.FetchNodeExternalIP()
-				cmd := "curl --header host:foo1.bar.com -m 5 -s -f http://" + ip + "/name.html"
+				cmd := "curl -m 5 -s -f -H 'foo1.bar.com' http://" + ip + "/name.html"
 				Eventually(func() (string, error) {
 					return tests.RunCommand(cmd)
 				}, "240s", "5s").Should(ContainSubstring("test-ingress"), "failed cmd: "+cmd)
diff --git a/tests/e2e/upgradecluster/upgradecluster_test.go b/tests/e2e/upgradecluster/upgradecluster_test.go
index e090e180a7f..aed710f8604 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/upgradecluster/upgradecluster_test.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/upgradecluster/upgradecluster_test.go
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Verify Upgrade", Ordered, func() {
 
 			for _, node := range tc.Servers {
 				ip, _ := node.FetchNodeExternalIP()
-				cmd := "curl --header host:foo1.bar.com -m 5 -s -f http://" + ip + "/name.html"
+				cmd := "curl -m 5 -s -f -H 'Host: foo1.bar.com' http://" + ip + "/name.html"
 				Eventually(func() (string, error) {
 					return tests.RunCommand(cmd)
 				}, "240s", "5s").Should(ContainSubstring("test-ingress"), "failed cmd: "+cmd)
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Verify Upgrade", Ordered, func() {
 		It("After upgrade verifies Ingress", func() {
 			for _, node := range tc.Servers {
 				ip, _ := node.FetchNodeExternalIP()
-				cmd := "curl --header host:foo1.bar.com -m 5 -s -f http://" + ip + "/name.html"
+				cmd := "curl -m 5 -s -f -H 'Host: foo1.bar.com' http://" + ip + "/name.html"
 				fmt.Println(cmd)
 
 				Eventually(func() (string, error) {
diff --git a/tests/e2e/validatecluster/validatecluster_test.go b/tests/e2e/validatecluster/validatecluster_test.go
index ae75ba1caa5..617597eba5c 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/validatecluster/validatecluster_test.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/validatecluster/validatecluster_test.go
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Verify Create", Ordered, func() {
 
 			for _, node := range tc.Servers {
 				ip, _ := node.FetchNodeExternalIP()
-				cmd := "curl --header host:foo1.bar.com -m 5 -s -f http://" + ip + "/name.html"
+				cmd := "curl -m 5 -s -f -H 'Host: foo1.bar.com' http://" + ip + "/name.html"
 				fmt.Println(cmd)
 
 				Eventually(func(g Gomega) {