diff --git a/test/e2e/apimachinery/watchlist.go b/test/e2e/apimachinery/watchlist.go
index 51d74729331..b0bc6daef26 100644
--- a/test/e2e/apimachinery/watchlist.go
+++ b/test/e2e/apimachinery/watchlist.go
@@ -103,11 +103,13 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("API Streaming (aka. WatchList)", framework.WithFeatureGate(
 			f.Namespace.Name,
 			time.Duration(0),
 			nil,
-			nil,
+			func(options *metav1.ListOptions) {
+				options.LabelSelector = "watchlist=true"
+			},
 		)
 
 		_ = addWellKnownSecrets(ctx, f)
-		expectedSecrets, err := metadataClient.Resource(v1.SchemeGroupVersion.WithResource("secrets")).Namespace(f.Namespace.Name).List(ctx, metav1.ListOptions{})
+		expectedSecrets, err := metadataClient.Resource(v1.SchemeGroupVersion.WithResource("secrets")).Namespace(f.Namespace.Name).List(ctx, metav1.ListOptions{LabelSelector: "watchlist=true"})
 		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
 
 		ginkgo.By("Starting the secret meta informer")
@@ -131,7 +133,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("API Streaming (aka. WatchList)", framework.WithFeatureGate(
 		_, err = f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Secrets(f.Namespace.Name).Update(ctx, secret, metav1.UpdateOptions{})
 		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
 
-		expectedSecrets, err = metadataClient.Resource(v1.SchemeGroupVersion.WithResource("secrets")).Namespace(f.Namespace.Name).List(ctx, metav1.ListOptions{})
+		expectedSecrets, err = metadataClient.Resource(v1.SchemeGroupVersion.WithResource("secrets")).Namespace(f.Namespace.Name).List(ctx, metav1.ListOptions{LabelSelector: "watchlist=true"})
 		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
 		verifyStoreFor(ctx, verifyPartialObjectMetadataStore(toPointerSlice(expectedSecrets.Items), secretMetaInformer.Informer().GetStore()))
 	})