diff --git a/tests/general/discoverymode/k8s_observer_discovery_test.go b/tests/general/discoverymode/k8s_observer_discovery_test.go
index 78c8ac4416..9523685a91 100644
--- a/tests/general/discoverymode/k8s_observer_discovery_test.go
+++ b/tests/general/discoverymode/k8s_observer_discovery_test.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ func TestK8sObserver(t *testing.T) {
 	defer tc.ShutdownOTLPReceiverSink()
 
 	cluster := kubeutils.NewKindCluster(tc)
-	defer cluster.Delete()
+	defer cluster.Teardown()
 	cluster.Create()
 	cluster.LoadLocalCollectorImageIfNecessary()
 
diff --git a/tests/receivers/discovery/k8s_observer_test.go b/tests/receivers/discovery/k8s_observer_test.go
index 13fb491b58..e9e9a220e1 100644
--- a/tests/receivers/discovery/k8s_observer_test.go
+++ b/tests/receivers/discovery/k8s_observer_test.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ func TestDiscoveryReceiverWithK8sObserverProvidesEndpointLogs(t *testing.T) {
 	defer tc.ShutdownOTLPReceiverSink()
 
 	cluster := kubeutils.NewKindCluster(tc)
-	defer cluster.Delete()
+	defer cluster.Teardown()
 	cluster.Create()
 	cluster.LoadLocalCollectorImageIfNecessary()
 
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ func TestDiscoveryReceiverWithK8sObserverAndSmartAgentRedisReceiverProvideStatus
 	defer tc.ShutdownOTLPReceiverSink()
 
 	cluster := kubeutils.NewKindCluster(tc)
-	defer cluster.Delete()
+	defer cluster.Teardown()
 	cluster.Create()
 	cluster.LoadLocalCollectorImageIfNecessary()
 
diff --git a/tests/receivers/smartagent/collectd-mysql/bundled_test.go b/tests/receivers/smartagent/collectd-mysql/bundled_test.go
index 914782fe81..8b1ab82bc8 100644
--- a/tests/receivers/smartagent/collectd-mysql/bundled_test.go
+++ b/tests/receivers/smartagent/collectd-mysql/bundled_test.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ func TestK8sObserver(t *testing.T) {
 	defer tc.ShutdownOTLPReceiverSink()
 
 	cluster := testCluster{kubeutils.NewKindCluster(tc)}
-	defer cluster.Delete()
+	defer cluster.Teardown()
 	cluster.Create()
 	cluster.LoadLocalCollectorImageIfNecessary()
 
diff --git a/tests/receivers/smartagent/postgresql/bundled_test.go b/tests/receivers/smartagent/postgresql/bundled_test.go
index 2c104ca340..b2b46fab7b 100644
--- a/tests/receivers/smartagent/postgresql/bundled_test.go
+++ b/tests/receivers/smartagent/postgresql/bundled_test.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ func TestK8sObserver(t *testing.T) {
 	defer tc.ShutdownOTLPReceiverSink()
 
 	cluster := testCluster{kubeutils.NewKindCluster(tc)}
-	defer cluster.Delete()
+	defer cluster.Teardown()
 	cluster.Create()
 	cluster.LoadLocalCollectorImageIfNecessary()
 
diff --git a/tests/testutils/kubeutils/kind_cluster.go b/tests/testutils/kubeutils/kind_cluster.go
index 4699abf9a5..4fd51857b7 100644
--- a/tests/testutils/kubeutils/kind_cluster.go
+++ b/tests/testutils/kubeutils/kind_cluster.go
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func (k *KindCluster) Create() {
 	require.NoError(k.Testcase, err)
 }
 
-func (k *KindCluster) Delete() {
+func (k *KindCluster) Teardown() {
 	defer func() { require.NoError(k.Testcase, os.Remove(k.Kubeconfig)) }()
 	defer func() { require.NoError(k.Testcase, os.Remove(k.Config)) }()
 	k.runKindCmd([]string{"delete", "cluster", "--name", k.Name})
@@ -137,19 +137,24 @@ func (k KindCluster) Kubectl(args ...string) (stdOut, stdErr bytes.Buffer, err e
 	return k.runKubectl(nil, args...)
 }
 
-func (k KindCluster) Apply(manifests string) (stdOut, stdErr bytes.Buffer, err error) {
+func (k KindCluster) tmpManifestFile(manifests string) string {
 	sha := sha256.Sum256([]byte(manifests))
-	f, err := os.CreateTemp("", fmt.Sprintf("manifests-%x", sha[:8]))
+	f, err := os.CreateTemp(k.Testcase.TempDir(), fmt.Sprintf("manifests-%x", sha[:8]))
 	require.NoError(k.Testcase, err)
 	n, err := f.Write([]byte(manifests))
 	require.NoError(k.Testcase, err)
 	require.Equal(k.Testcase, len(manifests), n)
 	require.NoError(k.Testcase, f.Sync())
 	require.NoError(k.Testcase, f.Close())
+	return f.Name()
+}
 
-	stdin := bytes.NewReader([]byte(manifests))
+func (k KindCluster) Apply(manifests string) (stdOut, stdErr bytes.Buffer, err error) {
+	return k.runKubectl(bytes.NewReader([]byte(manifests)), "apply", "-f", k.tmpManifestFile(manifests))
+}
 
-	return k.runKubectl(stdin, "apply", "-f", f.Name())
+func (k KindCluster) Delete(manifests string) (stdOut, stdErr bytes.Buffer, err error) {
+	return k.runKubectl(bytes.NewReader([]byte(manifests)), "delete", "-f", k.tmpManifestFile(manifests))
 }
 
 func (k KindCluster) runKubectl(stdin io.Reader, args ...string) (stdOut, stdErr bytes.Buffer, err error) {
diff --git a/tests/testutils/kubeutils/kind_cluster_integration_test.go b/tests/testutils/kubeutils/kind_cluster_integration_test.go
index 22a131e204..a1932107b7 100644
--- a/tests/testutils/kubeutils/kind_cluster_integration_test.go
+++ b/tests/testutils/kubeutils/kind_cluster_integration_test.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ func TestKindCluster(t *testing.T) {
 	cluster.ExposedPorts[portTwo] = 23456
 
 	defer func() {
-		cluster.Delete()
+		cluster.Teardown()
 
 		// confirm node unavailable
 		_, err := cluster.Clientset.CoreV1().Nodes().List(context.Background(), metav1.ListOptions{})
@@ -90,4 +90,21 @@ nodes:
 	require.Equal(t, "test-namespace", ns.Name)
 
 	require.NotEmpty(t, cluster.GetDefaultGatewayIP())
+
+	nsManifest := `---
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Namespace
+metadata:
+  name: another-namespace
+`
+
+	stdout, stderr, err := cluster.Apply(nsManifest)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, "namespace/another-namespace created\n", stdout.String())
+	require.Empty(t, stderr.String())
+
+	stdout, stderr, err = cluster.Delete(nsManifest)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, "namespace \"another-namespace\" deleted\n", stdout.String())
+	require.Empty(t, "", stderr.String())
 }