diff --git a/test/e2e/policies.test-suite/balloons/match-config.yaml b/test/e2e/policies.test-suite/balloons/match-config.yaml
index 29d68649e..b941959fa 100644
--- a/test/e2e/policies.test-suite/balloons/match-config.yaml
+++ b/test/e2e/policies.test-suite/balloons/match-config.yaml
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@ config:
   pinMemory: true
   idleCPUClass: normal
   allocatorTopologyBalancing: true
+  ignore:
+    matchExpressions:
+      - key: name
+        operator: In
+        values:
+          - pod1cX
+          - pod2c1
+          - pod2c2
+          - pod3cX
   balloonTypes:
   - name: special
     matchExpressions:
diff --git a/test/e2e/policies.test-suite/balloons/n4c16/test11-match-expression/code.var.sh b/test/e2e/policies.test-suite/balloons/n4c16/test11-match-expression/code.var.sh
index 70b065532..c3268d384 100644
--- a/test/e2e/policies.test-suite/balloons/n4c16/test11-match-expression/code.var.sh
+++ b/test/e2e/policies.test-suite/balloons/n4c16/test11-match-expression/code.var.sh
@@ -21,4 +21,12 @@ CONTCOUNT=1 create balloons-busybox
 report allowed
 verify 'len(cpus["pod1c0"]) == 1'
 
+# pod2: run ordinary workload where pod2c1 and pod2c2 match ignore expression
+CONTCOUNT=4 create balloons-busybox
+report allowed
+verify 'len(cpus["pod2c0"]) == 1' \
+       'len(cpus["pod2c1"]) == 16' \
+       'len(cpus["pod2c2"]) == 16' \
+       'len(cpus["pod2c3"]) == 1'
+
 cleanup