diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3e8524b0471..159e41505ee 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ export GIT_VERSION = $(shell git describe --dirty --tags --always)
 export GIT_COMMIT = $(shell git rev-parse HEAD)
 export K8S_VERSION = 1.21
 # TODO: bump this to 1.21, after kubectl `--generator` flag is removed from e2e tests.
-export ENVTEST_K8S_VERSION = 1.20.2
+export ENVTEST_K8S_VERSION = 1.21.1
 
 # Build settings
 export TOOLS_DIR = tools/bin
diff --git a/test/e2e/ansible/cluster_test.go b/test/e2e/ansible/cluster_test.go
index c7058bec24d..46e6e38b142 100644
--- a/test/e2e/ansible/cluster_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/ansible/cluster_test.go
@@ -263,11 +263,8 @@ var _ = Describe("Running ansible projects", func() {
 			Expect(len(token)).To(BeNumerically(">", 0))
 
 			By("creating a curl pod")
-			// TODO: the flag --generator=run-pod/v1 is deprecated, however, shows that besides
-			// it should not make any difference and work locally successfully when the flag is removed
-			// the test will fail and the curl pod is not found when the flag is not used
 			cmdOpts := []string{
-				"run", "--generator=run-pod/v1", "curl", "--image=curlimages/curl:7.68.0", "--restart=OnFailure",
+				"run", "curl", "--image=curlimages/curl:7.68.0", "--restart=OnFailure",
 				"--serviceaccount", tc.Kubectl.ServiceAccount, "--",
 				"curl", "-v", "-k", "-H", fmt.Sprintf(`Authorization: Bearer %s`, token),
 				fmt.Sprintf("https://%s-controller-manager-metrics-service.%s.svc:8443/metrics", tc.ProjectName, tc.Kubectl.Namespace),
diff --git a/test/e2e/go/cluster_test.go b/test/e2e/go/cluster_test.go
index 0dba7e7826f..b21307c22c9 100644
--- a/test/e2e/go/cluster_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/go/cluster_test.go
@@ -136,11 +136,8 @@ var _ = Describe("operator-sdk", func() {
 			Expect(len(token)).To(BeNumerically(">", 0))
 
 			By("creating a curl pod")
-			// TODO: the flag --generator=run-pod/v1 is deprecated, however, shows that besides
-			// it should not make any difference and work locally successfully when the flag is removed
-			// the test will fail and the curl pod is not found when the flag is not used
 			cmdOpts := []string{
-				"run", "--generator=run-pod/v1", "curl", "--image=curlimages/curl:7.68.0", "--restart=OnFailure",
+				"run", "curl", "--image=curlimages/curl:7.68.0", "--restart=OnFailure",
 				"--serviceaccount", tc.Kubectl.ServiceAccount, "--",
 				"curl", "-v", "-k", "-H", fmt.Sprintf(`Authorization: Bearer %s`, token),
 				fmt.Sprintf("https://%s-controller-manager-metrics-service.%s.svc:8443/metrics", tc.ProjectName, tc.Kubectl.Namespace),
diff --git a/test/e2e/helm/cluster_test.go b/test/e2e/helm/cluster_test.go
index f9bb2ab585f..5ae11ecbcc7 100644
--- a/test/e2e/helm/cluster_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/helm/cluster_test.go
@@ -220,11 +220,8 @@ var _ = Describe("Running Helm projects", func() {
 			Expect(len(token)).To(BeNumerically(">", 0))
 
 			By("creating a curl pod")
-			// TODO: the flag --generator=run-pod/v1 is deprecated, however, shows that besides
-			// it should not make any difference and work locally successfully when the flag is removed
-			// the test will fail and the curl pod is not found when the flag is not used
 			cmdOpts := []string{
-				"run", "--generator=run-pod/v1", "curl", "--image=curlimages/curl:7.68.0", "--restart=OnFailure",
+				"run", "curl", "--image=curlimages/curl:7.68.0", "--restart=OnFailure",
 				"--serviceaccount", tc.Kubectl.ServiceAccount, "--",
 				"curl", "-v", "-k", "-H", fmt.Sprintf(`Authorization: Bearer %s`, token),
 				fmt.Sprintf("https://%s-controller-manager-metrics-service.%s.svc:8443/metrics", tc.ProjectName, tc.Kubectl.Namespace),