diff --git a/controlplane/kubeadm/controllers/scale_test.go b/controlplane/kubeadm/controllers/scale_test.go
index 0adfe7b8a9d4..42e3758032b4 100644
--- a/controlplane/kubeadm/controllers/scale_test.go
+++ b/controlplane/kubeadm/controllers/scale_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
 
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/record"
 	clusterv1 "sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/api/v1alpha3"
@@ -150,3 +151,18 @@ func TestKubeadmControlPlaneReconciler_scaleDownControlPlane_NoError(t *testing.
 	_, err := r.scaleDownControlPlane(context.Background(), cluster, kcp, controlPlane)
 	g.Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 }
+
+type machineOpt func(*clusterv1.Machine)
+
+func machine(name string, opts ...machineOpt) *clusterv1.Machine {
+	m := &clusterv1.Machine{
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+			Name:      name,
+			Namespace: "default",
+		},
+	}
+	for _, opt := range opts {
+		opt(m)
+	}
+	return m
+}
diff --git a/controlplane/kubeadm/controllers/upgrade_test.go b/controlplane/kubeadm/controllers/upgrade_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 12f395a8f3f6..000000000000
--- a/controlplane/kubeadm/controllers/upgrade_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,119 +0,0 @@
-/*
-Copyright 2020 The Kubernetes Authors.
-
-Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-You may obtain a copy of the License at
-
-    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-
-Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-limitations under the License.
-*/
-
-package controllers
-
-import (
-	"context"
-	"testing"
-
-	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
-
-	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
-	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/record"
-	"k8s.io/utils/pointer"
-	clusterv1 "sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/api/v1alpha3"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/controlplane/kubeadm/internal"
-	ctrl "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/log"
-)
-
-func TestKubeadmControlPlaneReconciler_upgradeControlPlane(t *testing.T) {
-	g := NewWithT(t)
-
-	cluster, kcp, genericMachineTemplate := createClusterWithControlPlane()
-	kcp.Spec.Version = "v1.17.3"
-	kcp.Spec.KubeadmConfigSpec.ClusterConfiguration = nil
-	kcp.Spec.Replicas = pointer.Int32Ptr(1)
-
-	fakeClient := newFakeClient(g, cluster.DeepCopy(), kcp.DeepCopy(), genericMachineTemplate.DeepCopy())
-
-	r := &KubeadmControlPlaneReconciler{
-		Client:   fakeClient,
-		Log:      log.Log,
-		recorder: record.NewFakeRecorder(32),
-		managementCluster: &fakeManagementCluster{
-			Management:          &internal.Management{Client: fakeClient},
-			Workload:            fakeWorkloadCluster{Status: internal.ClusterStatus{Nodes: 1}},
-			ControlPlaneHealthy: true,
-			EtcdHealthy:         true,
-		},
-		managementClusterUncached: &fakeManagementCluster{
-			Management:          &internal.Management{Client: fakeClient},
-			Workload:            fakeWorkloadCluster{Status: internal.ClusterStatus{Nodes: 1}},
-			ControlPlaneHealthy: true,
-			EtcdHealthy:         true,
-		},
-	}
-	controlPlane := &internal.ControlPlane{
-		KCP:      kcp,
-		Cluster:  cluster,
-		Machines: nil,
-		Logger:   log.Log,
-	}
-
-	result, err := r.initializeControlPlane(context.Background(), cluster, kcp, controlPlane)
-	g.Expect(result).To(Equal(ctrl.Result{Requeue: true}))
-	g.Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
-
-	// initial setup
-	initialMachine := &clusterv1.MachineList{}
-	g.Expect(fakeClient.List(context.Background(), initialMachine, client.InNamespace(cluster.Namespace))).To(Succeed())
-	g.Expect(initialMachine.Items).To(HaveLen(1))
-
-	// change the KCP spec so the machine becomes outdated
-	kcp.Spec.Version = "v1.17.4"
-
-	// run upgrade the first time, expect we scale up
-	needingUpgrade := internal.NewFilterableMachineCollectionFromMachineList(initialMachine)
-	controlPlane.Machines = needingUpgrade
-	result, err = r.reconcile(context.Background(), cluster, kcp)
-	g.Expect(result).To(Equal(ctrl.Result{Requeue: true}))
-	g.Expect(err).To(BeNil())
-	bothMachines := &clusterv1.MachineList{}
-	g.Expect(fakeClient.List(context.Background(), bothMachines, client.InNamespace(cluster.Namespace))).To(Succeed())
-	g.Expect(bothMachines.Items).To(HaveLen(2))
-
-	controlPlane.Machines = internal.NewFilterableMachineCollectionFromMachineList(bothMachines)
-
-	// run upgrade the second time, expect we scale down
-	result, err = r.reconcile(context.Background(), cluster, kcp)
-	g.Expect(err).To(BeNil())
-	g.Expect(result).To(Equal(ctrl.Result{Requeue: true}))
-	finalMachine := &clusterv1.MachineList{}
-	g.Expect(fakeClient.List(context.Background(), finalMachine, client.InNamespace(cluster.Namespace))).To(Succeed())
-	g.Expect(finalMachine.Items).To(HaveLen(1))
-
-	// assert that the deleted machine is the oldest, initial machine
-	g.Expect(finalMachine.Items[0].Name).ToNot(Equal(initialMachine.Items[0].Name))
-	g.Expect(finalMachine.Items[0].CreationTimestamp.Time).To(BeTemporally(">", initialMachine.Items[0].CreationTimestamp.Time))
-}
-
-type machineOpt func(*clusterv1.Machine)
-
-func machine(name string, opts ...machineOpt) *clusterv1.Machine {
-	m := &clusterv1.Machine{
-		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
-			Name:      name,
-			Namespace: "default",
-		},
-	}
-	for _, opt := range opts {
-		opt(m)
-	}
-	return m
-}