diff --git a/test/integration/functional_test.go b/test/integration/functional_test.go
index f4f4244c8c..d49b6b9d17 100644
--- a/test/integration/functional_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/functional_test.go
@@ -245,27 +245,6 @@ func validateNodeLabels(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, profile string) {
 	}
 }
 
-// tagAndLoadImage is a helper function to pull, tag, load image (decreases cyclomatic complexity for linter).
-func tagAndLoadImage(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, profile, taggedImage string) {
-	newPulledImage := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", echoServerImage, "latest")
-	rr, err := Run(t, exec.CommandContext(ctx, "docker", "pull", newPulledImage))
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("failed to setup test (pull image): %v\n%s", err, rr.Output())
-	}
-
-	rr, err = Run(t, exec.CommandContext(ctx, "docker", "tag", newPulledImage, taggedImage))
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("failed to setup test (tag image) : %v\n%s", err, rr.Output())
-	}
-
-	rr, err = Run(t, exec.CommandContext(ctx, Target(), "-p", profile, "image", "load", "--daemon", taggedImage, "--alsologtostderr"))
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("loading image into minikube from daemon: %v\n%s", err, rr.Output())
-	}
-
-	checkImageExists(ctx, t, profile, taggedImage)
-}
-
 // runImageList is a helper function to run 'image ls' command test.
 func runImageList(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, profile, testName, format, expectedFormat string) {
 	expectedResult := expectedImageFormat(expectedFormat)
@@ -388,7 +367,23 @@ func validateImageCommands(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, profile string) {
 
 	// docs: Make sure a new updated tag works by `minikube image load --daemon`
 	t.Run("ImageTagAndLoadFromDaemon", func(t *testing.T) {
-		tagAndLoadImage(ctx, t, profile, taggedImage)
+		newPulledImage := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", echoServerImage, "latest")
+		rr, err := Run(t, exec.CommandContext(ctx, "docker", "pull", newPulledImage))
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("failed to setup test (pull image): %v\n%s", err, rr.Output())
+		}
+
+		rr, err = Run(t, exec.CommandContext(ctx, "docker", "tag", newPulledImage, taggedImage))
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("failed to setup test (tag image) : %v\n%s", err, rr.Output())
+		}
+
+		rr, err = Run(t, exec.CommandContext(ctx, Target(), "-p", profile, "image", "load", "--daemon", taggedImage, "--alsologtostderr"))
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("loading image into minikube from daemon: %v\n%s", err, rr.Output())
+		}
+
+		checkImageExists(ctx, t, profile, taggedImage)
 	})
 
 	// docs: Make sure image saving works by `minikube image load --daemon`