diff --git a/pipeline/backend/kubernetes/kubernetes.go b/pipeline/backend/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
index 4620dcfd2..81aaf24e1 100644
--- a/pipeline/backend/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
+++ b/pipeline/backend/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
@@ -173,8 +173,8 @@ func (e *kube) SetupWorkflow(ctx context.Context, conf *types.Config, taskUUID s
 
 	extraHosts := []types.HostAlias{}
 	for _, stage := range conf.Stages {
-		if stage.Alias == "services" {
-			for _, step := range stage.Steps {
+		for _, step := range stage.Steps {
+			if step.Type == types.StepTypeService {
 				svc, err := startService(ctx, e, step)
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
@@ -196,6 +196,11 @@ func (e *kube) SetupWorkflow(ctx context.Context, conf *types.Config, taskUUID s
 
 // Start the pipeline step.
 func (e *kube) StartStep(ctx context.Context, step *types.Step, taskUUID string) error {
+	if step.Type == types.StepTypeService {
+		// a service should be started by SetupWorkflow so we can ignore it
+		log.Trace().Msgf("StartStep got service '%s', ignoring it.", step.Name)
+		return nil
+	}
 	log.Trace().Str("taskUUID", taskUUID).Msgf("Starting step: %s", step.Name)
 	_, err := startPod(ctx, e, step)
 	return err
@@ -204,7 +209,7 @@ func (e *kube) StartStep(ctx context.Context, step *types.Step, taskUUID string)
 // Wait for the pipeline step to complete and returns
 // the completion results.
 func (e *kube) WaitStep(ctx context.Context, step *types.Step, taskUUID string) (*types.State, error) {
-	podName, err := dnsName(step.Name)
+	podName, err := stepToPodName(step)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -264,7 +269,7 @@ func (e *kube) WaitStep(ctx context.Context, step *types.Step, taskUUID string)
 
 // Tail the pipeline step logs.
 func (e *kube) TailStep(ctx context.Context, step *types.Step, taskUUID string) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
-	podName, err := dnsName(step.Name)
+	podName, err := stepToPodName(step)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -327,13 +332,14 @@ func (e *kube) TailStep(ctx context.Context, step *types.Step, taskUUID string)
 		}
 	}()
 	return rc, nil
-
-	// rc := io.NopCloser(bytes.NewReader(e.logs.Bytes()))
-	// e.logs.Reset()
-	// return rc, nil
 }
 
 func (e *kube) DestroyStep(_ context.Context, step *types.Step, taskUUID string) error {
+	if step.Type == types.StepTypeService {
+		// a service should be stopped by DestroyWorkflow so we can ignore it
+		log.Trace().Msgf("DestroyStep got service '%s', ignoring it.", step.Name)
+		return nil
+	}
 	log.Trace().Str("taskUUID", taskUUID).Msgf("Stopping step: %s", step.Name)
 	err := stopPod(e.ctx, e, step, defaultDeleteOptions)
 	return err
diff --git a/pipeline/backend/kubernetes/pod.go b/pipeline/backend/kubernetes/pod.go
index eb85f9f46..dbf860870 100644
--- a/pipeline/backend/kubernetes/pod.go
+++ b/pipeline/backend/kubernetes/pod.go
@@ -66,6 +66,13 @@ func mkPod(namespace, name, image, workDir, goos, serviceAccountName string,
 	return pod, nil
 }
 
+func stepToPodName(step *types.Step) (name string, err error) {
+	if step.Type == types.StepTypeService {
+		return serviceName(step)
+	}
+	return podName(step)
+}
+
 func podName(step *types.Step) (string, error) {
 	return dnsName(step.Name)
 }