diff --git a/pkg/network/testutil/ping.go b/pkg/network/testutil/ping.go
index 20d23c216e250b..830613b1dd616a 100644
--- a/pkg/network/testutil/ping.go
+++ b/pkg/network/testutil/ping.go
@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@ func PingUDP(tb require.TestingT, ip net.IP, port int) net.Conn {
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	bs := make([]byte, 10)
+	n, err := conn.Read(bs)
+	require.NoError(tb, err)
+	require.Equal(tb, []byte("pong"), bs[:n])
+
 	return conn
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/network/testutil/server.go b/pkg/network/testutil/server.go
index 8dc22615de6869..0fdc9a561113cc 100644
--- a/pkg/network/testutil/server.go
+++ b/pkg/network/testutil/server.go
@@ -110,14 +110,19 @@ func StartServerUDP(t *testing.T, ip net.IP, port int) io.Closer {
 		Port: port,
 	}
 
-	l, err := net.ListenUDP(network, addr)
+	udpConn, err := net.ListenUDP(network, addr)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	go func() {
 		close(ch)
 
 		for {
 			bs := make([]byte, 10)
-			_, err := l.Read(bs)
+			_, addr, err := udpConn.ReadFrom(bs)
+			if err != nil {
+				return
+			}
+
+			_, err = udpConn.WriteTo([]byte("pong"), addr)
 			if err != nil {
 				return
 			}
@@ -132,5 +137,5 @@ func StartServerUDP(t *testing.T, ip net.IP, port int) io.Closer {
 		}
 	}, 3*time.Second, 10*time.Millisecond, "timed out waiting for UDP server to come up")
 
-	return l
+	return udpConn
 }