diff --git a/src/krkn_lib/tests/base_test.py b/src/krkn_lib/tests/base_test.py
index 19403848..423c1d8d 100644
--- a/src/krkn_lib/tests/base_test.py
+++ b/src/krkn_lib/tests/base_test.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import cProfile
 import logging
 import os
+import queue
 import random
 import string
 import sys
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ class BaseTest(unittest.TestCase):
     lib_telemetry_ocp: KrknTelemetryOpenshift
     lib_elastic: KrknElastic
     pr: cProfile.Profile
+    pod_delete_queue: queue.Queue
 
     @classmethod
     def setUpClass(cls):
@@ -57,6 +59,17 @@ def setUpClass(cls):
         # cls.pr = cProfile.Profile()
         # cls.pr.enable()
         # print("\n<<<---")
+
+        # starting pod_delete_queue
+        cls.pod_delete_queue = queue.Queue()
+        worker = threading.Thread(
+            target=cls.pod_delete_worker,
+            args=[cls]
+        )
+
+        worker.daemon = True
+        worker.start()
+
         try:
             requests.get(host, timeout=2, verify=False)
         except ConnectTimeout:
@@ -69,6 +82,20 @@ def setUpClass(cls):
             )
             sys.exit(1)
 
+    def pod_delete_worker(self):
+        while True:
+            pod_namespace = self.pod_delete_queue.get()
+            if pod_namespace[0] == "exit" and pod_namespace == "exit":
+                print("pod killing thread exiting....")
+                return
+            try:
+                self.lib_k8s.delete_pod(pod_namespace[0], pod_namespace[1])
+                self.lib_k8s.delete_namespace(pod_namespace[1])
+                print(f"[POD DELETE WORKER] deleted pod: {pod_namespace[0]} namespace:{pod_namespace[1]}")
+            except Exception as e:
+                print(f"[POD DELETE WORKER] exception raised but continuing:  {e}")
+                continue
+
     @classmethod
     def tearDownClass(cls) -> None:
         # PROFILER
@@ -79,6 +106,7 @@ def tearDownClass(cls) -> None:
         # p.print_stats()
         # print
         # "\n--->>>"
+        cls.pod_delete_queue.put(["exit", "exit"])
         pass
 
     def wait_delete_namespace(
diff --git a/src/krkn_lib/tests/test_krkn_kubernetes.py b/src/krkn_lib/tests/test_krkn_kubernetes.py
index d2683069..c2ec6482 100644
--- a/src/krkn_lib/tests/test_krkn_kubernetes.py
+++ b/src/krkn_lib/tests/test_krkn_kubernetes.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import time
 import unittest
 import uuid
+from queue import Queue
 
 import yaml
 from jinja2 import Environment, FileSystemLoader
@@ -20,7 +21,8 @@
 
 
 class KrknKubernetesTests(BaseTest):
-    def test_zzzexec_command(self):
+
+    def test_exec_command(self):
         namespace = "test-ec-" + self.get_random_string(10)
         alpine_name = "alpine-" + self.get_random_string(10)
         self.deploy_namespace(namespace, [])
@@ -81,11 +83,13 @@ def test_zzzexec_command(self):
 
         try:
             self.lib_k8s.exec_cmd_in_pod(["ls", "-al"], alpine_name, namespace)
-            self.lib_k8s.delete_namespace(namespace)
         except Exception:
-            self.lib_k8s.delete_namespace(namespace)
             self.fail()
 
+        self.pod_delete_queue.put(["fedtools", namespace])
+        self.pod_delete_queue.put([alpine_name, namespace])
+
+
     def test_pod_shell(self):
         namespace = "test-ps-" + self.get_random_string(10)
         alpine_name = "alpine-" + self.get_random_string(10)
@@ -118,7 +122,7 @@ def test_pod_shell(self):
             continue
         shell = self.lib_k8s.get_pod_shell("fedtools", namespace)
         self.assertEqual(shell, "bash")
-        self.lib_k8s.delete_namespace(namespace)
+        self.pod_delete_queue.put([alpine_name, namespace])
 
     def test_command_on_node(self):
         try:
@@ -850,14 +854,13 @@ def test_download_folder_from_pod_as_archive(self):
             self.assertTrue(os.stat(file[1]).st_size > 0)
 
     def test_exists_path_in_pod(self):
-        namespace = "test-" + self.get_random_string(10)
+        namespace="default"
         pod_name = "alpine-"+self.get_random_string(10)
-        self.deploy_namespace(namespace, [])
         # to ensure that the namespace is fully deployed
         time.sleep(5)
         self.depoy_alpine(pod_name, namespace)
         count = 0
-        MAX_RETRIES = 20
+        MAX_RETRIES = 100
         while not self.lib_k8s.is_pod_running(pod_name, namespace):
             if count > MAX_RETRIES:
                 self.assertFalse(True, "container failed to become ready")
@@ -867,13 +870,13 @@ def test_exists_path_in_pod(self):
 
         self.assertTrue(
             self.lib_k8s.path_exists_in_pod(
-                "fedtools", "fedtools", namespace, "/home"
+                "alpine", "alpine", namespace, "/home"
             )
         )
 
         self.assertFalse(
             self.lib_k8s.path_exists_in_pod(
-                "fedtools", "fedtools", namespace, "/does_not_exist"
+                "alpine", "alpine", namespace, "/does_not_exist"
             )
         )
         self.lib_k8s.delete_namespace(namespace)