diff --git a/ci/e2e_kind.groovy b/ci/e2e_kind.groovy
index b5d9f40264..f0a933d3cd 100644
--- a/ci/e2e_kind.groovy
+++ b/ci/e2e_kind.groovy
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ pipeline {
                 echo "env.WORKSPACE: ${env.WORKSPACE}"
                 echo "GIT_REF: ${GIT_REF}"
                 echo "ARTIFACTS: ${ARTIFACTS}"
+                echo "KUBE_VERSION: $(curl https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-release/release/stable.txt)"
             }
         }
 
@@ -209,6 +210,7 @@ pipeline {
                 export DELETE_NAMESPACE_ON_FAILURE=${params.DELETE_NAMESPACE_ON_FAILURE}
                 export ARTIFACTS=${ARTIFACTS}
                 export GINKGO_NO_COLOR=y
+                export KUBE_VERSION=$(curl https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-release/release/stable.txt)
                 echo "info: begin to run e2e"
                 ./hack/e2e.sh -- ${params.E2E_ARGS}
                 """
diff --git a/ci/pull_e2e_kind.groovy b/ci/pull_e2e_kind.groovy
index 8f2d5b2d14..a90457e3b3 100644
--- a/ci/pull_e2e_kind.groovy
+++ b/ci/pull_e2e_kind.groovy
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ try {
                             cat /etc/docker/daemon.json || true
                             E2E=y NO_BUILD=y DOCKER_REPO=hub.pingcap.net/tidb-operator-e2e IMAGE_TAG=${IMAGE_TAG} make docker-push e2e-docker-push
                             echo "info: download binaries for e2e"
-                            E2E=y SKIP_BUILD=y SKIP_IMAGE_BUILD=y SKIP_UP=y SKIP_TEST=y SKIP_DOWN=y ./hack/e2e.sh
+                            KUBE_VERSION=\$(curl https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-release/release/stable.txt) E2E=y SKIP_BUILD=y SKIP_IMAGE_BUILD=y SKIP_UP=y SKIP_TEST=y SKIP_DOWN=y ./hack/e2e.sh
                             echo "info: change ownerships for jenkins"
                             # we run as root in our pods, this is required
                             # otherwise jenkins agent will fail because of the lack of permission
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ try {
         }
         }
 
-        def GLOBALS = "KIND_DATA_HOSTPATH=/kind-data KIND_ETCD_DATADIR=/mnt/tmpfs/etcd E2E=y SKIP_BUILD=y SKIP_IMAGE_BUILD=y DOCKER_REPO=hub.pingcap.net/tidb-operator-e2e IMAGE_TAG=${IMAGE_TAG} DELETE_NAMESPACE_ON_FAILURE=${params.DELETE_NAMESPACE_ON_FAILURE} GINKGO_NO_COLOR=y"
+        def GLOBALS = "KUBE_VERSION=\$(curl https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-release/release/stable.txt) KIND_DATA_HOSTPATH=/kind-data KIND_ETCD_DATADIR=/mnt/tmpfs/etcd E2E=y SKIP_BUILD=y SKIP_IMAGE_BUILD=y DOCKER_REPO=hub.pingcap.net/tidb-operator-e2e IMAGE_TAG=${IMAGE_TAG} DELETE_NAMESPACE_ON_FAILURE=${params.DELETE_NAMESPACE_ON_FAILURE} GINKGO_NO_COLOR=y"
         build("tidb-operator", "${GLOBALS} GINKGO_NODES=${params.GINKGO_NODES} ./hack/e2e.sh -- ${params.E2E_ARGS}")
 
         if (GIT_REF ==~ /^(master|)$/ || GIT_REF ==~ /^(release-.*)$/