diff --git a/jjb/pipeline/all-xos-api-test-helm.groovy b/jjb/pipeline/all-xos-api-test-helm.groovy
index 10eef1e..6e3d346 100644
--- a/jjb/pipeline/all-xos-api-test-helm.groovy
+++ b/jjb/pipeline/all-xos-api-test-helm.groovy
@@ -215,6 +215,9 @@
 
            pushd cord/helm-charts
 
+           helm install -f examples/kafka-single.yaml --version 0.8.8 -n cord-kafka incubator/kafka
+           scripts/wait_for_pods.sh
+
            helm dep up xos-core
            helm install \${helm_install_args} xos-core -n xos-core
 
diff --git a/jjb/pipeline/chart-api-test-helm.groovy b/jjb/pipeline/chart-api-test-helm.groovy
index 9149221..aef03f9 100644
--- a/jjb/pipeline/chart-api-test-helm.groovy
+++ b/jjb/pipeline/chart-api-test-helm.groovy
@@ -77,6 +77,21 @@
       }
     }
 
+    stage('cord-kafka') {
+      steps {
+        sh '''
+           #!/usr/bin/env bash
+           set -eu -o pipefail
+
+           pushd cord/helm-charts
+           helm install -f examples/kafka-single.yaml --version 0.8.8 -n cord-kafka incubator/kafka
+           scripts/wait_for_pods.sh
+
+           popd
+           '''
+      }
+    }
+
     stage('install/test rcord-lite') {
       steps {
         sh """
diff --git a/jjb/pipeline/workflow-validations.groovy b/jjb/pipeline/workflow-validations.groovy
index 05c1653..f7cb591 100644
--- a/jjb/pipeline/workflow-validations.groovy
+++ b/jjb/pipeline/workflow-validations.groovy
@@ -84,16 +84,17 @@
            #!/usr/bin/env bash
            set -eu -o pipefail
 
-
            pushd cord/helm-charts
 
+           helm install -f examples/kafka-single.yaml --version 0.8.8 -n cord-kafka incubator/kafka
+           scripts/wait_for_pods.sh
+
            helm dep up xos-core
            helm install xos-core -n xos-core
 
            helm dep update xos-profiles/att-workflow
            helm install xos-profiles/att-workflow -n att-workflow
            helm repo add incubator http://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-charts-incubator
-           helm install --name cord-kafka incubator/kafka -f examples/kafka-single.yaml
 
            # wait for services to load
            JOBS_TIMEOUT=900 ./scripts/wait_for_jobs.sh
diff --git a/jjb/pipeline/xos-synchronizer-update.groovy b/jjb/pipeline/xos-synchronizer-update.groovy
index e07cd4c..0bd9f92 100644
--- a/jjb/pipeline/xos-synchronizer-update.groovy
+++ b/jjb/pipeline/xos-synchronizer-update.groovy
@@ -237,6 +237,9 @@
 
            pushd cord/helm-charts
 
+           helm install -f examples/kafka-single.yaml --version 0.8.8 -n cord-kafka incubator/kafka
+           scripts/wait_for_pods.sh
+
            helm dep up xos-core
            helm install \${helm_install_args} xos-core -n xos-core