diff --git a/controllers/disruption_controller_test.go b/controllers/disruption_controller_test.go
index 866b32667..de063e2a7 100644
--- a/controllers/disruption_controller_test.go
+++ b/controllers/disruption_controller_test.go
@@ -41,12 +41,11 @@ func listChaosPods(instance *chaosv1beta1.Disruption) (corev1.PodList, error) {
 	ls := labels.NewSelector()
 
 	// create requirements
-	targetPodRequirement, _ := labels.NewRequirement(chaostypes.TargetLabel, selection.In, []string{"foo", "bar", "minikube"})
 	disruptionNameRequirement, _ := labels.NewRequirement(chaostypes.DisruptionNameLabel, selection.Equals, []string{instance.Name})
 	disruptionNamespaceRequirement, _ := labels.NewRequirement(chaostypes.DisruptionNamespaceLabel, selection.Equals, []string{instance.Namespace})
 
 	// add requirements to label selector
-	ls = ls.Add(*targetPodRequirement, *disruptionNamespaceRequirement, *disruptionNameRequirement)
+	ls = ls.Add(*disruptionNamespaceRequirement, *disruptionNameRequirement)
 
 	// get matching pods
 	if err := k8sClient.List(context.Background(), &l, &client.ListOptions{
@@ -134,7 +133,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Disruption Controller", func() {
 		disruption = &chaosv1beta1.Disruption{
 			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 				Name:      "foo",
-				Namespace: "default",
+				Namespace: namespace,
 			},
 			Spec: chaosv1beta1.DisruptionSpec{
 				DryRun:     true,
@@ -224,7 +223,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Disruption Controller", func() {
 			disruption = &chaosv1beta1.Disruption{
 				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 					Name:      "foo",
-					Namespace: "default",
+					Namespace: namespace,
 				},
 				Spec: chaosv1beta1.DisruptionSpec{
 					DryRun:   false,
diff --git a/controllers/suite_test.go b/controllers/suite_test.go
index f1cda2f98..75bf396d3 100644
--- a/controllers/suite_test.go
+++ b/controllers/suite_test.go
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ import (
 // http://onsi.github.io/ginkgo/ to learn more about Ginkgo.
 
 const (
-	timeout = time.Second * 45
+	timeout         = time.Second * 45
+	hostTopologyKey = "kubernetes.io/hostname"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -56,6 +57,9 @@ var (
 	instanceKey types.NamespacedName
 	targetPodA  *corev1.Pod
 	targetPodB  *corev1.Pod
+	namespace    string
+	nodeLabel    map[string]string
+	testPodImage string
 )
 
 func TestAPIs(t *testing.T) {
@@ -99,11 +103,17 @@ var _ = BeforeSuite(func(done Done) {
 		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 	}()
 
-	instanceKey = types.NamespacedName{Name: "foo", Namespace: "default"}
+	// wait for the cache to sync
+	Expect(k8sManager.GetCache().WaitForCacheSync(context.Background())).To(BeTrue())
+
+	// set up enviroment-specific properties
+	setupEnvironment()
+
+	instanceKey = types.NamespacedName{Name: "foo", Namespace: namespace}
 	targetPodA = &corev1.Pod{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 			Name:      "foo",
-			Namespace: "default",
+			Namespace: namespace,
 			Labels: map[string]string{
 				"foo": "bar",
 			},
@@ -111,7 +121,7 @@ var _ = BeforeSuite(func(done Done) {
 		Spec: corev1.PodSpec{
 			Containers: []corev1.Container{
 				{
-					Image: "k8s.gcr.io/pause:3.4.1",
+					Image: testPodImage,
 					Name:  "ctn1",
 					VolumeMounts: []corev1.VolumeMount{
 						{
@@ -121,7 +131,7 @@ var _ = BeforeSuite(func(done Done) {
 					},
 				},
 				{
-					Image: "k8s.gcr.io/pause:3.4.1",
+					Image: testPodImage,
 					Name:  "ctn2",
 					VolumeMounts: []corev1.VolumeMount{
 						{
@@ -150,7 +160,7 @@ var _ = BeforeSuite(func(done Done) {
 	targetPodB = &corev1.Pod{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 			Name:      "bar",
-			Namespace: "default",
+			Namespace: namespace,
 			Labels: map[string]string{
 				"foo": "bar",
 			},
@@ -158,7 +168,7 @@ var _ = BeforeSuite(func(done Done) {
 		Spec: corev1.PodSpec{
 			Containers: []corev1.Container{
 				{
-					Image: "k8s.gcr.io/pause:3.4.1",
+					Image: testPodImage,
 					Name:  "ctn1",
 					VolumeMounts: []corev1.VolumeMount{
 						{
@@ -209,6 +219,13 @@ var _ = AfterSuite(func() {
 	Expect(testEnv.Stop()).To(BeNil())
 })
 
+// setupEnvironment sets up environment-specific properties
+func setupEnvironment() {
+	namespace = "chaos-engineering"
+	testPodImage = "k8s.gcr.io/pause:3.4.1"
+	nodeLabel = map[string]string{hostTopologyKey: "minikube"}
+}
+
 // podsAreRunning returns true when all the given pods have all their containers running
 func podsAreRunning(pods ...*corev1.Pod) (bool, error) {
 	for _, pod := range pods {