diff --git a/test/e2e/pkg/infra/digitalocean/digitalocean.go b/test/e2e/pkg/infra/digitalocean/digitalocean.go
index 3529a78b8..40823bd85 100644
--- a/test/e2e/pkg/infra/digitalocean/digitalocean.go
+++ b/test/e2e/pkg/infra/digitalocean/digitalocean.go
@@ -42,3 +42,17 @@ func (p Provider) TerminateTendermint(ctx context.Context, n *e2e.Node) error {
 func (p Provider) KillTendermint(ctx context.Context, n *e2e.Node) error {
 	return e2essh.Exec(p.SSHConfig, fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", n.IP, sshPort), fmt.Sprintf("systemctl -s SIGKILL %s", testappName))
 }
+func (p Provider) Disconnect(ctx context.Context, n *e2e.Node) error {
+	return e2essh.MultiExec(p.SSHConfig, fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", n.IP, sshPort),
+		"iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --destination-port 26656 -j DROP",
+		"iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --destination-port 26656 -j DROP",
+		"service iptables save",
+	)
+}
+func (p Provider) Connect(ctx context.Context, n *e2e.Node) error {
+	return e2essh.MultiExec(p.SSHConfig, fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", n.IP, sshPort),
+		"iptables -D INPUT -p tcp --destination-port 26656 -j DROP",
+		"iptables -D OUTPUT -p tcp --destination-port 26656 -j DROP",
+		"service iptables save",
+	)
+}
diff --git a/test/e2e/pkg/infra/docker/docker.go b/test/e2e/pkg/infra/docker/docker.go
index a17700298..bc33f8ab5 100644
--- a/test/e2e/pkg/infra/docker/docker.go
+++ b/test/e2e/pkg/infra/docker/docker.go
@@ -47,6 +47,12 @@ func (p Provider) TerminateTendermint(ctx context.Context, n *e2e.Node) error {
 func (p Provider) KillTendermint(ctx context.Context, n *e2e.Node) error {
 	return ExecCompose(ctx, p.Testnet.Dir, "kill", "-s", "SIGKILL", n.Name)
 }
+func (p Provider) Connect(ctx context.Context, n *e2e.Node) error {
+	return Exec(ctx, "network", "connect", p.Testnet.Name+"_"+p.Testnet.Name, n.Name)
+}
+func (p Provider) Disconnect(ctx context.Context, n *e2e.Node) error {
+	return Exec(ctx, "network", "disconnect", p.Testnet.Name+"_"+p.Testnet.Name, n.Name)
+}
 
 // dockerComposeBytes generates a Docker Compose config file for a testnet and returns the
 // file as bytes to be written out to disk.
diff --git a/test/e2e/pkg/infra/provider.go b/test/e2e/pkg/infra/provider.go
index 0fdcc86ba..4de74b9bd 100644
--- a/test/e2e/pkg/infra/provider.go
+++ b/test/e2e/pkg/infra/provider.go
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ type Provider interface {
 	StartTendermint(context.Context, *e2e.Node) error
 	KillTendermint(context.Context, *e2e.Node) error
 	TerminateTendermint(context.Context, *e2e.Node) error
+	Connect(context.Context, *e2e.Node) error
+	Disconnect(context.Context, *e2e.Node) error
 }
 
 // NoopProvider implements the provider interface by performing noops for every
@@ -31,5 +33,7 @@ func (NoopProvider) CreateNode(_ context.Context, _ *e2e.Node) error          {
 func (NoopProvider) StartTendermint(_ context.Context, _ *e2e.Node) error     { return nil }
 func (NoopProvider) TerminateTendermint(_ context.Context, _ *e2e.Node) error { return nil }
 func (NoopProvider) KillTendermint(_ context.Context, _ *e2e.Node) error      { return nil }
+func (NoopProvider) Connect(_ context.Context, _ *e2e.Node) error             { return nil }
+func (NoopProvider) Disconnect(_ context.Context, _ *e2e.Node) error          { return nil }
 
 var _ Provider = NoopProvider{}
diff --git a/test/e2e/pkg/ssh/ssh.go b/test/e2e/pkg/ssh/ssh.go
index 5246ada83..cdca8d087 100644
--- a/test/e2e/pkg/ssh/ssh.go
+++ b/test/e2e/pkg/ssh/ssh.go
@@ -27,6 +27,22 @@ func Exec(cfg *ssh.ClientConfig, addr, cmd string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func MultiExec(cfg *ssh.ClientConfig, addr string, cmds ...string) error {
+	c, err := ssh.Dial("tcp", addr, cfg)
+	s, err := c.NewSession()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer s.Close()
+	for _, cmd := range cmds {
+		err := s.Run(cmd)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func NewClientConfig() (*ssh.ClientConfig, error) {
 	ss := os.Getenv("SSH_AUTH_SOCK")
 	if ss == "" {
diff --git a/test/e2e/runner/main.go b/test/e2e/runner/main.go
index be11e0599..3b7a6f3f8 100644
--- a/test/e2e/runner/main.go
+++ b/test/e2e/runner/main.go
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ func NewCLI() *CLI {
 			}
 
 			if cli.testnet.HasPerturbations() {
-				if err := Perturb(cli.testnet); err != nil {
+				if err := Perturb(cli.testnet, cli.infp); err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
 				if err := Wait(cli.testnet, 5); err != nil { // allow some txs to go through
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ func NewCLI() *CLI {
 		Use:   "perturb",
 		Short: "Perturbs the Docker testnet, e.g. by restarting or disconnecting nodes",
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			return Perturb(cli.testnet)
+			return Perturb(cli.testnet, cli.infp)
 		},
 	})
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/runner/perturb.go b/test/e2e/runner/perturb.go
index dfd0ff8b7..9d90f59aa 100644
--- a/test/e2e/runner/perturb.go
+++ b/test/e2e/runner/perturb.go
@@ -8,14 +8,15 @@ import (
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/libs/log"
 	rpctypes "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/rpc/core/types"
 	e2e "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/test/e2e/pkg"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/test/e2e/pkg/infra"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/test/e2e/pkg/infra/docker"
 )
 
 // Perturbs a running testnet.
-func Perturb(testnet *e2e.Testnet) error {
+func Perturb(testnet *e2e.Testnet, ifp infra.Provider) error {
 	for _, node := range testnet.Nodes {
 		for _, perturbation := range node.Perturbations {
-			_, err := PerturbNode(node, perturbation)
+			_, err := PerturbNode(node, perturbation, ifp)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -27,16 +28,16 @@ func Perturb(testnet *e2e.Testnet) error {
 
 // PerturbNode perturbs a node with a given perturbation, returning its status
 // after recovering.
-func PerturbNode(node *e2e.Node, perturbation e2e.Perturbation) (*rpctypes.ResultStatus, error) {
+func PerturbNode(node *e2e.Node, perturbation e2e.Perturbation, ifp infra.Provider) (*rpctypes.ResultStatus, error) {
 	testnet := node.Testnet
 	switch perturbation {
 	case e2e.PerturbationDisconnect:
 		logger.Info("perturb node", "msg", log.NewLazySprintf("Disconnecting node %v...", node.Name))
-		if err := docker.Exec(context.Background(), "network", "disconnect", testnet.Name+"_"+testnet.Name, node.Name) ; err != nil {
+		if err := ifp.Disconnect(context.Background(), node); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		time.Sleep(10 * time.Second)
-		if err := docker.Exec(context.Background(), "network", "connect", testnet.Name+"_"+testnet.Name, node.Name) ; err != nil {
+		if err := ifp.Connect(context.Background(), node); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}