diff --git a/inttest/basic/basic_test.go b/inttest/basic/basic_test.go
index e040fe125385..03996e67f479 100644
--- a/inttest/basic/basic_test.go
+++ b/inttest/basic/basic_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ package basic
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -33,7 +32,6 @@ import (
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/fields"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels"
-	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
 
 	"github.com/BurntSushi/toml"
@@ -233,27 +231,30 @@ func (s *BasicSuite) verifyContainerdDefaultConfig(ctx context.Context) {
 
 func (s *BasicSuite) probeCoreDNSAntiAffinity(ctx context.Context, kc *kubernetes.Clientset) error {
 	// Wait until both CoreDNS Pods got assigned to a node
-	pods := map[string]types.UID{}
+	pods := map[string]string{}
 
 	return watch.Pods(kc.CoreV1().Pods("kube-system")).
 		WithLabels(labels.Set{"k8s-app": "kube-dns"}).
 		WithErrorCallback(common.RetryWatchErrors(s.T().Logf)).
 		Until(ctx, func(pod *corev1.Pod) (bool, error) {
-			// Keep waiting if there's no node assigned yet.
+			// Keep waiting until there's anti-affinity and node assignment
+			if a := pod.Spec.Affinity; a == nil || a.PodAntiAffinity == nil {
+				s.T().Logf("Pod %s doesn't have any pod anti-affinity", pod.Name)
+				return false, nil
+			}
 			nodeName := pod.Spec.NodeName
 			if nodeName == "" {
 				s.T().Logf("Pod %s not scheduled yet: %+v", pod.ObjectMeta.Name, pod.Status)
 				return false, nil
 			}
 
-			uid := pod.GetUID()
-			if prevUID, ok := pods[nodeName]; ok && uid != prevUID {
-				return false, errors.New("multiple CoreDNS pods scheduled on the same node")
+			if prevName, ok := pods[nodeName]; ok && pod.Name != prevName {
+				return false, fmt.Errorf("multiple CoreDNS pods scheduled on node %s: %s and %s", nodeName, prevName, pod.Name)
 			}
 
-			s.T().Logf("Pod %s scheduled on %s", pod.ObjectMeta.Name, pod.Spec.NodeName)
+			s.T().Logf("Pod %s scheduled on %s", pod.Name, pod.Spec.NodeName)
 
-			pods[nodeName] = pod.GetUID()
+			pods[nodeName] = pod.Name
 			return len(pods) > 1, nil
 		})
 }
diff --git a/pkg/component/controller/coredns.go b/pkg/component/controller/coredns.go
index 5ef71a8204c3..5d1e45526b22 100644
--- a/pkg/component/controller/coredns.go
+++ b/pkg/component/controller/coredns.go
@@ -120,11 +120,13 @@ metadata:
     k8s-app: kube-dns
     kubernetes.io/name: "CoreDNS"
 spec:
-  replicas: {{ .Replicas}}
+  replicas: {{ .Replicas }}
   strategy:
     type: RollingUpdate
+    {{- if or (eq .Replicas 2) (eq .Replicas 3) }}
     rollingUpdate:
       maxUnavailable: 1
+    {{- end }}
   selector:
     matchLabels:
       k8s-app: kube-dns
@@ -145,6 +147,7 @@ spec:
           effect: "NoSchedule"
       nodeSelector:
         kubernetes.io/os: linux
+      {{- if gt .Replicas 1 }}
       # Require running coredns replicas on different nodes
       affinity:
         podAntiAffinity:
@@ -155,6 +158,7 @@ spec:
               - key: k8s-app
                 operator: In
                 values: ['kube-dns']
+      {{- end }}
       containers:
       - name: coredns
         image: {{ .Image }}
@@ -203,7 +207,7 @@ spec:
             path: /ready
             port: 8181
             scheme: HTTP
-          initialDelaySeconds: 0
+          initialDelaySeconds: 30 # give loop plugin time to detect loops
           periodSeconds: 2
           timeoutSeconds: 1
           successThreshold: 1
@@ -216,6 +220,22 @@ spec:
             items:
             - key: Corefile
               path: Corefile
+{{- if gt .Replicas 1 }}
+---
+apiVersion: policy/v1
+kind: PodDisruptionBudget
+metadata:
+  name: coredns
+  namespace: kube-system
+  labels:
+    k8s-app: kube-dns
+    kubernetes.io/name: "CoreDNS"
+spec:
+  minAvailable: 50%
+  selector:
+    matchLabels:
+      k8s-app: kube-dns
+{{- end }}
 ---
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: Service