diff --git a/plugin/pkg/auth/authorizer/node/node_authorizer.go b/plugin/pkg/auth/authorizer/node/node_authorizer.go
index aac48afb026..59fd9836c6f 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/auth/authorizer/node/node_authorizer.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/auth/authorizer/node/node_authorizer.go
@@ -368,7 +368,18 @@ func (r *NodeAuthorizer) authorizeNode(nodeName string, attrs authorizer.Attribu
 			// Use the NodeRestriction admission plugin to limit a node to creating/updating its own API object.
 			return authorizer.DecisionAllow, "", nil
 		case "get", "list", "watch":
-			return r.authorize(nodeName, nodeVertexType, attrs)
+			// Compare the name directly, rather than using the graph,
+			// so kubelets can attempt a read of their Node API object prior to creation.
+			switch attrs.GetName() {
+			case nodeName:
+				return authorizer.DecisionAllow, "", nil
+			case "":
+				klog.V(2).Infof("NODE DENY: '%s' %#v", nodeName, attrs)
+				return authorizer.DecisionNoOpinion, fmt.Sprintf("node '%s' cannot read all nodes, only its own Node object", nodeName), nil
+			default:
+				klog.V(2).Infof("NODE DENY: '%s' %#v", nodeName, attrs)
+				return authorizer.DecisionNoOpinion, fmt.Sprintf("node '%s' cannot read '%s', only its own Node object", nodeName, attrs.GetName()), nil
+			}
 		}
 	case "status":
 		switch attrs.GetVerb() {
diff --git a/plugin/pkg/auth/authorizer/node/node_authorizer_test.go b/plugin/pkg/auth/authorizer/node/node_authorizer_test.go
index 1f61b6ebd38..4edef661990 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/auth/authorizer/node/node_authorizer_test.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/auth/authorizer/node/node_authorizer_test.go
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ func TestNodeAuthorizer(t *testing.T) {
 
 	node0 := &user.DefaultInfo{Name: "system:node:node0", Groups: []string{"system:nodes"}}
 
+	nodeunregistered := &user.DefaultInfo{Name: "system:node:nodeunregistered", Groups: []string{"system:nodes"}}
+
 	selectorAuthzDisabled := utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.DeepCopy()
 	featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, selectorAuthzDisabled, genericfeatures.AuthorizeWithSelectors, false)
 	featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, selectorAuthzDisabled, features.AuthorizeNodeWithSelectors, false)
@@ -585,6 +587,11 @@ func TestNodeAuthorizer(t *testing.T) {
 
 		// nodes
 		// get nodes
+		{
+			name:   "get related unregistered node",
+			attrs:  authorizer.AttributesRecord{User: nodeunregistered, ResourceRequest: true, Verb: "get", Resource: "nodes", APIGroup: "", Name: "nodeunregistered"},
+			expect: authorizer.DecisionAllow,
+		},
 		{
 			name:   "get related node",
 			attrs:  authorizer.AttributesRecord{User: node0, ResourceRequest: true, Verb: "get", Resource: "nodes", APIGroup: "", Name: "node0"},