diff --git a/test/framework/envs/kubernetes/env.go b/test/framework/envs/kubernetes/env.go
index c57194abc377..a00aa97c3ac3 100644
--- a/test/framework/envs/kubernetes/env.go
+++ b/test/framework/envs/kubernetes/env.go
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ func SetupAndGetState() []byte {
 	)).To(Succeed())
 
 	kumaOptions := append([]framework.KumaDeploymentOption{
+		// Occasionally CP will lose a leader in the E2E test just because of this deadline,
+		// which does not make sense in such controlled environment (one k3d node, one instance of the CP).
+		// 100s and 80s are values that we also use in mesh-perf when we put a lot of pressure on the CP.
+		framework.WithEnv("KUMA_RUNTIME_KUBERNETES_LEADER_ELECTION_LEASE_DURATION", "100s"),
+		framework.WithEnv("KUMA_RUNTIME_KUBERNETES_LEADER_ELECTION_RENEW_DEADLINE", "80s"),
 		framework.WithCtlOpts(map[string]string{
 			"--experimental-gatewayapi": "true",
 		}),
diff --git a/test/framework/envs/multizone/env.go b/test/framework/envs/multizone/env.go
index ad2ac90cd9de..30bdbc204652 100644
--- a/test/framework/envs/multizone/env.go
+++ b/test/framework/envs/multizone/env.go
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@ func SetupAndGetState() []byte {
 
 	kubeZone1Options := append(
 		[]framework.KumaDeploymentOption{
+			// Occasionally CP will lose a leader in the E2E test just because of this deadline,
+			// which does not make sense in such controlled environment (one k3d node, one instance of the CP).
+			// 100s and 80s are values that we also use in mesh-perf when we put a lot of pressure on the CP.
+			WithEnv("KUMA_RUNTIME_KUBERNETES_LEADER_ELECTION_LEASE_DURATION", "100s"),
+			WithEnv("KUMA_RUNTIME_KUBERNETES_LEADER_ELECTION_RENEW_DEADLINE", "80s"),
 			WithEnv("KUMA_STORE_UNSAFE_DELETE", "true"),
 			WithEnv("KUMA_MULTIZONE_ZONE_KDS_NACK_BACKOFF", "1s"),
 			WithIngress(),
@@ -93,6 +98,11 @@ func SetupAndGetState() []byte {
 
 	kubeZone2Options := append(
 		[]framework.KumaDeploymentOption{
+			// Occasionally CP will lose a leader in the E2E test just because of this deadline,
+			// which does not make sense in such controlled environment (one k3d node, one instance of the CP).
+			// 100s and 80s are values that we also use in mesh-perf when we put a lot of pressure on the CP.
+			WithEnv("KUMA_RUNTIME_KUBERNETES_LEADER_ELECTION_LEASE_DURATION", "100s"),
+			WithEnv("KUMA_RUNTIME_KUBERNETES_LEADER_ELECTION_RENEW_DEADLINE", "80s"),
 			WithEnv("KUMA_MULTIZONE_ZONE_KDS_NACK_BACKOFF", "1s"),
 			WithIngress(),
 			WithIngressEnvoyAdminTunnel(),