diff --git a/src/test/external/common.go b/src/test/external/common.go
index 6bdcf4174c..2e9cd8bb68 100644
--- a/src/test/external/common.go
+++ b/src/test/external/common.go
@@ -20,10 +20,6 @@ import (
 
 var zarfBinPath = path.Join("../../../build", test.GetCLIName())
 
-func verifyKubectlWaitSuccess(t *testing.T, timeoutMinutes time.Duration, args []string, onTimeout string) bool {
-	return verifyWaitSuccess(t, timeoutMinutes, "kubectl", args, "condition met", onTimeout)
-}
-
 func createPodInfoPackageWithInsecureSources(t *testing.T, temp string) {
 	err := copy.Copy("../../../examples/podinfo-flux", temp)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
diff --git a/src/test/external/ext_in_cluster_test.go b/src/test/external/ext_in_cluster_test.go
index 8c4c0a12bc..655cb7c59a 100644
--- a/src/test/external/ext_in_cluster_test.go
+++ b/src/test/external/ext_in_cluster_test.go
@@ -154,23 +154,38 @@ func (suite *ExtInClusterTestSuite) Test_1_Deploy() {
 	err = exec.CmdWithPrint(zarfBinPath, deployArgs...)
 	suite.NoError(err, "unable to deploy flux example package")
 
-	// Verify flux was able to pull from the 'external' git repository
-	podinfoWaitCmd := []string{"wait", "deployment", "-n=podinfo-git", "podinfo", "--for", "condition=Available=True", "--timeout=3s"}
-	errorStr := "unable to verify flux (git) deployed the podinfo example"
-	success := verifyKubectlWaitSuccess(suite.T(), 2, podinfoWaitCmd, errorStr)
-	suite.True(success, errorStr)
-
-	// Verify flux was able to pull from the 'external' helm repository
-	podinfoWaitCmd = []string{"wait", "deployment", "-n=podinfo-helm", "podinfo", "--for", "condition=Available=True", "--timeout=3s"}
-	errorStr = "unable to verify flux (helm) deployed the podinfo example"
-	success = verifyKubectlWaitSuccess(suite.T(), 2, podinfoWaitCmd, errorStr)
-	suite.True(success, errorStr)
-
-	// Verify flux was able to pull from the 'external' oci repository
-	podinfoWaitCmd = []string{"wait", "deployment", "-n=podinfo-oci", "podinfo", "--for", "condition=Available=True", "--timeout=3s"}
-	errorStr = "unable to verify flux (oci) deployed the podinfo example"
-	success = verifyKubectlWaitSuccess(suite.T(), 2, podinfoWaitCmd, errorStr)
-	suite.True(success, errorStr)
+	c, err := cluster.NewCluster()
+	suite.NoError(err)
+	objs := []object.ObjMetadata{
+		{
+			GroupKind: schema.GroupKind{
+				Group: "apps",
+				Kind:  "Deployment",
+			},
+			Namespace: "podinfo-git",
+			Name:      "podinfo",
+		},
+		{
+			GroupKind: schema.GroupKind{
+				Group: "apps",
+				Kind:  "Deployment",
+			},
+			Namespace: "podinfo-helm",
+			Name:      "podinfo",
+		},
+		{
+			GroupKind: schema.GroupKind{
+				Group: "apps",
+				Kind:  "Deployment",
+			},
+			Namespace: "podinfo-oci",
+			Name:      "podinfo",
+		},
+	}
+	waitCtx, waitCancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 60*time.Second)
+	defer waitCancel()
+	err = pkgkubernetes.WaitForReady(waitCtx, c.Watcher, objs)
+	suite.NoError(err)
 
 	_, _, err = exec.CmdWithContext(context.TODO(), exec.PrintCfg(), zarfBinPath, "destroy", "--confirm")
 	suite.NoError(err, "unable to teardown zarf")