diff --git a/test/core/end2end/h2_ssl_cert_test.cc b/test/core/end2end/h2_ssl_cert_test.cc
index 9e2082ce9d8..0741e7c39b2 100644
--- a/test/core/end2end/h2_ssl_cert_test.cc
+++ b/test/core/end2end/h2_ssl_cert_test.cc
@@ -57,8 +57,6 @@ static grpc_end2end_test_fixture chttp2_create_fixture_secure_fullstack(
 
   f.fixture_data = ffd;
   f.cq = grpc_completion_queue_create_for_next(nullptr);
-  f.shutdown_cq = grpc_completion_queue_create_for_pluck(nullptr);
-
   return f;
 }
 
@@ -270,27 +268,13 @@ static void drain_cq(grpc_completion_queue* cq) {
   } while (ev.type != GRPC_QUEUE_SHUTDOWN);
 }
 
+// Shuts down the server.
+// Side effect - Also shuts down and drains the completion queue.
 static void shutdown_server(grpc_end2end_test_fixture* f) {
   if (!f->server) return;
-  /* Perform a completion queue next, so that any pending operations can be
-   * finished, and resources can be released. This is so that, shutdown does not
-   * hang. For example, the server might be stuck in the handshaking code, which
-   * keeps a ref to a listener. Unless, it is unref'd, shutdown won't be able
-   * to proceed.
-   *
-   * (If shutdown times out, it is probably because 100ms wasn't enough. In that
-   * case, the deadline can be increased. Or, we could simply have another
-   * thread for the server to poll the completion queue while the shutdown
-   * progresses.)
-   */
-  GPR_ASSERT(grpc_completion_queue_next(
-                 f->cq, grpc_timeout_milliseconds_to_deadline(100), nullptr)
-                 .type == GRPC_QUEUE_TIMEOUT);
-  grpc_server_shutdown_and_notify(f->server, f->shutdown_cq, tag(1000));
-  GPR_ASSERT(grpc_completion_queue_pluck(f->shutdown_cq, tag(1000),
-                                         grpc_timeout_seconds_to_deadline(5),
-                                         nullptr)
-                 .type == GRPC_OP_COMPLETE);
+  grpc_server_shutdown_and_notify(f->server, f->cq, tag(1000));
+  grpc_completion_queue_shutdown(f->cq);
+  drain_cq(f->cq);
   grpc_server_destroy(f->server);
   f->server = nullptr;
 }
@@ -304,11 +288,7 @@ static void shutdown_client(grpc_end2end_test_fixture* f) {
 static void end_test(grpc_end2end_test_fixture* f) {
   shutdown_client(f);
   shutdown_server(f);
-
-  grpc_completion_queue_shutdown(f->cq);
-  drain_cq(f->cq);
   grpc_completion_queue_destroy(f->cq);
-  grpc_completion_queue_destroy(f->shutdown_cq);
 }
 
 static void simple_request_body(grpc_end2end_test_fixture f,