diff --git a/python/tests/kubeutils.py b/python/tests/kubeutils.py
index 6257ca812b..008c36ea1c 100644
--- a/python/tests/kubeutils.py
+++ b/python/tests/kubeutils.py
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 import tempfile
 
-from runutils import run_and_assert
+from runutils import run_with_retry
 
-def meta_action_kube_artifacts(namespace, artifacts, action):
+def meta_action_kube_artifacts(namespace, artifacts, action, retries=0):
     temp_file = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile()
     temp_file.write(artifacts.encode())
     temp_file.flush()
@@ -14,12 +14,12 @@ def meta_action_kube_artifacts(namespace, artifacts, action):
     if namespace is not None:
         command.extend(['-n', namespace])
 
-    run_and_assert(command)
+    run_with_retry(command, retries=retries)
     temp_file.close()
 
 
 def apply_kube_artifacts(namespace, artifacts):
-    meta_action_kube_artifacts(namespace=namespace, artifacts=artifacts, action='apply')
+    meta_action_kube_artifacts(namespace=namespace, artifacts=artifacts, action='apply', retries=1)
 
 
 def delete_kube_artifacts(namespace, artifacts):
diff --git a/python/tests/runutils.py b/python/tests/runutils.py
index 310543a79f..923d3d5769 100644
--- a/python/tests/runutils.py
+++ b/python/tests/runutils.py
@@ -12,12 +12,13 @@ def run_and_assert(command, communicate=True):
         return stdout.decode("utf-8") if stdout is not None else None
     return None
 
-def run_with_retry(command):
+def run_with_retry(command, retries=0):
     print(f"Running command {command}")
     returncode = -1
     decoded = ""
     tries = 0
-    while returncode != 0 and tries < 3:
+    max_tries = retries + 1
+    while returncode != 0 and tries < max_tries:
         output = subprocess.Popen(command, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
         if tries > 0:
             print('SLEEPING 5 seconds, TRIES=%d' % tries)