diff --git a/test/e2e/common.go b/test/e2e/common.go
index ced7bf5b..8b65dfd8 100644
--- a/test/e2e/common.go
+++ b/test/e2e/common.go
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ import (
 const (
 	KubernetesVersionManagement     = "KUBERNETES_VERSION_MANAGEMENT"
 	KubernetesVersion               = "KUBERNETES_VERSION"
-	KubernetesVersionUpgradeFrom    = "KUBERNETES_VERSION_UPGRADE_FROM"
 	KubernetesVersionUpgradeTo      = "KUBERNETES_VERSION_UPGRADE_TO"
 	CPMachineTemplateUpgradeTo      = "CONTROL_PLANE_MACHINE_TEMPLATE_UPGRADE_TO"
 	WorkersMachineTemplateUpgradeTo = "WORKERS_MACHINE_TEMPLATE_UPGRADE_TO"
diff --git a/test/e2e/config/e2e_conf.yaml b/test/e2e/config/e2e_conf.yaml
index ce2f2730..e17b1e74 100644
--- a/test/e2e/config/e2e_conf.yaml
+++ b/test/e2e/config/e2e_conf.yaml
@@ -69,13 +69,12 @@ providers:
             new: "--leader-elect=false"
 
 variables:
-  KUBERNETES_VERSION_MANAGEMENT: "v1.24.4"
-  KUBERNETES_VERSION: "v1.24.4"
+  KUBERNETES_VERSION_MANAGEMENT: "v1.28.0"
+  KUBERNETES_VERSION: "v1.28.1"
   NODE_DRAIN_TIMEOUT: "60s"
   CONFORMANCE_WORKER_MACHINE_COUNT: "2"
   CONFORMANCE_CONTROL_PLANE_MACHINE_COUNT: "1"
-  KUBERNETES_VERSION_UPGRADE_TO: "v1.24.2"
-  KUBERNETES_VERSION_UPGRADE_FROM: "v1.23.8"
+  KUBERNETES_VERSION_UPGRADE_TO: "v1.28.1"
   KUBERNETES_UPGRADE_OCI_IMAGE_ID: "${KUBERNETES_UPGRADE_OCI_IMAGE_ID}"
   IP_FAMILY: "IPv4"
   EXP_CLUSTER_RESOURCE_SET: "true"
diff --git a/test/e2e/e2e_test.go b/test/e2e/e2e_test.go
index 374d46cb..7a622283 100644
--- a/test/e2e/e2e_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/e2e_test.go
@@ -148,6 +148,31 @@ var _ = Describe("Workload cluster creation", func() {
 				ControlPlane: result.ControlPlane,
 			}, e2eConfig.GetIntervals(specName, "wait-control-plane")...)
 
+			By("Upgrading control plane")
+			ApplyClusterTemplateAndWait(ctx, ApplyClusterTemplateAndWaitInput{
+				ClusterProxy: bootstrapClusterProxy,
+				ConfigCluster: clusterctl.ConfigClusterInput{
+					LogFolder:                clusterctlLogFolder,
+					ClusterctlConfigPath:     clusterctlConfigPath,
+					KubeconfigPath:           bootstrapClusterProxy.GetKubeconfigPath(),
+					InfrastructureProvider:   "docker",
+					Flavor:                   "docker",
+					Namespace:                namespace.Name,
+					ClusterName:              clusterName,
+					KubernetesVersion:        e2eConfig.GetVariable(KubernetesVersionUpgradeTo),
+					ControlPlaneMachineCount: pointer.Int64Ptr(3),
+					WorkerMachineCount:       pointer.Int64Ptr(3),
+				},
+				WaitForClusterIntervals:      e2eConfig.GetIntervals(specName, "wait-cluster"),
+				WaitForControlPlaneIntervals: e2eConfig.GetIntervals(specName, "wait-control-plane"),
+				WaitForMachineDeployments:    e2eConfig.GetIntervals(specName, "wait-worker-nodes"),
+			}, result)
+
+			WaitForControlPlaneToBeReady(ctx, WaitForControlPlaneToBeReadyInput{
+				Getter:       bootstrapClusterProxy.GetClient(),
+				ControlPlane: result.ControlPlane,
+			}, e2eConfig.GetIntervals(specName, "wait-control-plane")...)
+
 			// TODO: this can be uncommented when control plane scaling down is working
 
 			// By("Scaling control plane nodes to 1")