diff --git a/scripts/ci-e2e.sh b/scripts/ci-e2e.sh
index eb58c8bb37ab..35efbbebd592 100755
--- a/scripts/ci-e2e.sh
+++ b/scripts/ci-e2e.sh
@@ -96,5 +96,10 @@ ctr -n moby events > "${ARTIFACTS_LOCAL}/containerd-events.txt" 2>&1 &
 
 # Run e2e tests
 mkdir -p "$ARTIFACTS"
-echo "+ run tests!"
+echo "+ run v1alpha3 => v1beta1 upgrade test!"
+
+export GINKGO_FOCUS="Should create a management cluster and then upgrade all the providers"
+export INIT_WITH_BINARY="https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/cluster-api/releases/download/v0.3.23/clusterctl-{OS}-{ARCH}"
+export INIT_WITH_PROVIDERS_CONTRACT=v1alpha3
+export INIT_WITH_KUBERNETES_VERSION=v1.21.2
 make -C test/e2e/ run
diff --git a/test/e2e/config/docker.yaml b/test/e2e/config/docker.yaml
index 8a9e89d30625..450f6d0abffa 100644
--- a/test/e2e/config/docker.yaml
+++ b/test/e2e/config/docker.yaml
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ providers:
     type: "url"
     contract: v1alpha3
     replacements:
+    - old: "--leader-elect"
+      new: "--leader-elect=false"
     - old: --metrics-addr=127.0.0.1:8080
       new: --metrics-addr=:8080
     files:
@@ -43,6 +45,8 @@ providers:
     type: "url"
     contract: v1alpha4
     replacements:
+      - old: "--leader-elect"
+        new: "--leader-elect=false"
       - old: --metrics-addr=127.0.0.1:8080
         new: --metrics-addr=:8080
     files:
@@ -50,6 +54,8 @@ providers:
   - name: v1.0.99 # next; use manifest from source files
     value: ../../../config/default
     replacements:
+    - old: "--leader-elect"
+      new: "--leader-elect=false"
     - old: --metrics-bind-addr=localhost:8080
       new: --metrics-bind-addr=:8080
     files:
@@ -63,6 +69,8 @@ providers:
     type: "url"
     contract: v1alpha3
     replacements:
+      - old: "--leader-elect"
+        new: "--leader-elect=false"
       - old: --metrics-addr=127.0.0.1:8080
         new: --metrics-addr=:8080
     files:
@@ -72,6 +80,8 @@ providers:
     type: "url"
     contract: v1alpha4
     replacements:
+      - old: "--leader-elect"
+        new: "--leader-elect=false"
       - old: --metrics-addr=127.0.0.1:8080
         new: --metrics-addr=:8080
     files:
@@ -79,6 +89,8 @@ providers:
   - name: v1.0.99 # next; use manifest from source files
     value: ../../../bootstrap/kubeadm/config/default
     replacements:
+    - old: "--leader-elect"
+      new: "--leader-elect=false"
     - old: --metrics-bind-addr=localhost:8080
       new: --metrics-bind-addr=:8080
     files:
@@ -92,6 +104,8 @@ providers:
     type: "url"
     contract: v1alpha3
     replacements:
+      - old: "--leader-elect"
+        new: "--leader-elect=false"
       - old: --metrics-addr=127.0.0.1:8080
         new: --metrics-addr=:8080
     files:
@@ -101,6 +115,8 @@ providers:
     type: "url"
     contract: v1alpha4
     replacements:
+      - old: "--leader-elect"
+        new: "--leader-elect=false"
       - old: --metrics-addr=127.0.0.1:8080
         new: --metrics-addr=:8080
     files:
@@ -108,6 +124,8 @@ providers:
   - name: v1.0.99 # next; use manifest from source files
     value: ../../../controlplane/kubeadm/config/default
     replacements:
+    - old: "--leader-elect"
+      new: "--leader-elect=false"
     - old: --metrics-bind-addr=localhost:8080
       new: --metrics-bind-addr=:8080
     files:
@@ -121,6 +139,8 @@ providers:
     type: "url"
     contract: v1alpha3
     replacements:
+      - old: "--leader-elect"
+        new: "--leader-elect=false"
       - old: --metrics-addr=127.0.0.1:8080
         new: --metrics-addr=:8080
     files:
@@ -131,6 +151,8 @@ providers:
     type: "url"
     contract: v1alpha4
     replacements:
+      - old: "--leader-elect"
+        new: "--leader-elect=false"
       - old: --metrics-addr=127.0.0.1:8080
         new: --metrics-addr=:8080
     files:
@@ -139,6 +161,8 @@ providers:
   - name: v1.0.99 # next; use manifest from source files
     value: ../../../test/infrastructure/docker/config/default
     replacements:
+    - old: "--leader-elect"
+      new: "--leader-elect=false"
     - old: --metrics-bind-addr=localhost:8080
       new: --metrics-bind-addr=:8080
     files:
diff --git a/test/framework/alltypes_helpers.go b/test/framework/alltypes_helpers.go
index 4f38d18f6216..30b7a6ffce83 100644
--- a/test/framework/alltypes_helpers.go
+++ b/test/framework/alltypes_helpers.go
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ import (
 
 	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
-
 	apiextensionsv1 "k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apis/apiextensions/v1"
 	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	apimeta "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
@@ -72,6 +71,36 @@ func GetCAPIResources(ctx context.Context, input GetCAPIResourcesInput) []*unstr
 		}
 	}
 
+	// cluster-wide
+	types = []metav1.TypeMeta{
+		{
+			Kind:       "Deployment",
+			APIVersion: "apps/v1",
+		},
+		{
+			Kind:       "Pod",
+			APIVersion: "v1",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for i := range types {
+		typeMeta := types[i]
+		typeList := new(unstructured.UnstructuredList)
+		typeList.SetAPIVersion(typeMeta.APIVersion)
+		typeList.SetKind(typeMeta.Kind)
+
+		if err := input.Lister.List(ctx, typeList); err != nil {
+			if apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
+				continue
+			}
+			Fail(fmt.Sprintf("failed to list %q resources: %v", typeList.GroupVersionKind(), err))
+		}
+		for i := range typeList.Items {
+			obj := typeList.Items[i]
+			objList = append(objList, &obj)
+		}
+	}
+
 	return objList
 }