diff --git a/pkg/e2e/autoscaler/autoscaler.go b/pkg/e2e/autoscaler/autoscaler.go
index 974362a17..d6dc602ba 100644
--- a/pkg/e2e/autoscaler/autoscaler.go
+++ b/pkg/e2e/autoscaler/autoscaler.go
@@ -183,6 +183,19 @@ func newScaleDownCounter(w *eventWatcher, v uint32) *eventCounter {
 	return c
 }
 
+func newMaxNodesTotalReachedCounter(w *eventWatcher, v uint32) *eventCounter {
+	isAutoscalerMaxNodesTotalEvent := func(event *corev1.Event) bool {
+		return event.Source.Component == clusterAutoscalerComponent &&
+			event.Reason == clusterAutoscalerMaxNodesTotalReached &&
+			event.InvolvedObject.Kind == clusterAutoscalerObjectKind &&
+			strings.HasPrefix(event.Message, "Max total nodes in cluster reached")
+	}
+
+	c := newEventCounter(w, isAutoscalerMaxNodesTotalEvent, v, increment)
+	c.enable()
+	return c
+}
+
 func remaining(t time.Time) time.Duration {
 	return t.Sub(time.Now()).Round(time.Second)
 }
@@ -268,6 +281,7 @@ var _ = g.Describe("[Feature:Machines][Serial] Autoscaler should", func() {
 			scaledGroups[path.Join(machineSets[i].Namespace, machineSets[i].Name)] = false
 		}
 		scaleUpCounter := newScaleUpCounter(eventWatcher, 0, scaledGroups)
+		maxNodesTotalReachedCounter := newMaxNodesTotalReachedCounter(eventWatcher, 0)
 		workload := newWorkLoad()
 		o.Expect(client.Create(context.TODO(), workload)).Should(o.Succeed())
 		cleanupObjects = append(cleanupObjects, runtime.Object(workload))
@@ -286,10 +300,14 @@ var _ = g.Describe("[Feature:Machines][Serial] Autoscaler should", func() {
 		// clusterExpansionSize -1). We run for a period of
 		// time asserting that the cluster does not exceed the
 		// capped size.
-		//
-		// TODO(frobware): switch to matching on
-		// MaxNodesTotalReached when that is available in the
-		// cluster-autoscaler image.
+		testDuration = time.Now().Add(time.Duration(e2e.WaitShort))
+		o.Eventually(func() uint32 {
+			v := maxNodesTotalReachedCounter.get()
+			glog.Infof("[%s remaining] Waiting for %s to generate a %q event; observed %v",
+				remaining(testDuration), clusterAutoscalerComponent, clusterAutoscalerMaxNodesTotalReached, v)
+			return v
+		}, e2e.WaitShort, 3*time.Second).Should(o.BeNumerically(">=", 1))
+
 		testDuration = time.Now().Add(time.Duration(e2e.WaitShort))
 		o.Consistently(func() bool {
 			v := scaleUpCounter.get()