diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/framework.go b/test/e2e/framework/framework.go
index 27fdabec5..cde653b0a 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/framework.go
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/framework.go
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ type Framework struct {
 	// we install a Cleanup action before each test and clear it after.  If we
 	// should abort, the AfterSuite hook should run all Cleanup actions.
 	cleanupHandle CleanupActionHandle
+	stopped       bool
 }
 
 var (
@@ -415,6 +416,7 @@ func deleteNamespace(client kubeclientset.Interface, namespaceName string) error
 
 // AfterEach deletes the namespace, after reading its events.
 func (f *Framework) AfterEach() {
+	f.stopped = true
 	RemoveCleanupAction(f.cleanupHandle)
 
 	var nsDeletionErrors []error
@@ -435,7 +437,7 @@ func (f *Framework) AfterEach() {
 
 	// if we had errors deleting, report them now.
 	if len(nsDeletionErrors) != 0 {
-		Failf(k8serrors.NewAggregate(nsDeletionErrors).Error())
+		Errorf(k8serrors.NewAggregate(nsDeletionErrors).Error())
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/nodes.go b/test/e2e/framework/nodes.go
index fff97916b..3d34eacd4 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/nodes.go
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/nodes.go
@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@ func (f *Framework) SetGatewayLabelOnNode(ctx context.Context, cluster ClusterIn
 	PatchString("/metadata/labels/"+strings.ReplaceAll(GatewayLabel, "/", "~1"), strconv.FormatBool(isGateway),
 		func(pt types.PatchType, payload []byte) error {
 			_, err := KubeClients[cluster].CoreV1().Nodes().Patch(ctx, nodeName, pt, payload, metav1.PatchOptions{})
+			if err != nil && f.stopped {
+				Errorf("Error setting gateway label on node %q: %v", nodeName, err)
+				err = nil
+			}
+
 			return err
 		})
 }