diff --git a/cluster/gce/config-default.sh b/cluster/gce/config-default.sh
index de56775bc25..c245e6de9ea 100755
--- a/cluster/gce/config-default.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/config-default.sh
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ MASTER_IMAGE_PROJECT=${KUBE_GCE_MASTER_PROJECT:-google-containers}
 MINION_IMAGE=${KUBE_GCE_MINION_IMAGE:-container-vm-v20150505}
 MINION_IMAGE_PROJECT=${KUBE_GCE_MINION_PROJECT:-google-containers}
 CONTAINER_RUNTIME=${KUBE_CONTAINER_RUNTIME:-docker}
+RKT_VERSION=${KUBE_RKT_VERSION:-0.5.5}
 
 NETWORK=${KUBE_GCE_NETWORK:-default}
 INSTANCE_PREFIX="${KUBE_GCE_INSTANCE_PREFIX:-kubernetes}"
diff --git a/cluster/gce/config-test.sh b/cluster/gce/config-test.sh
index 56dc8163b18..52d6f8ca05c 100755
--- a/cluster/gce/config-test.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/config-test.sh
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ MASTER_IMAGE_PROJECT=${KUBE_GCE_MASTER_PROJECT:-google-containers}
 MINION_IMAGE=${KUBE_GCE_MINION_IMAGE:-container-vm-v20150505}
 MINION_IMAGE_PROJECT=${KUBE_GCE_MINION_PROJECT:-google-containers}
 CONTAINER_RUNTIME=${KUBE_CONTAINER_RUNTIME:-docker}
+RKT_VERSION=${KUBE_RKT_VERSION:-0.5.5}
 
 NETWORK=${KUBE_GCE_NETWORK:-e2e}
 INSTANCE_PREFIX="${KUBE_GCE_INSTANCE_PREFIX:-e2e-test-${USER}}"
diff --git a/cluster/gce/coreos/helper.sh b/cluster/gce/coreos/helper.sh
index a5c63c5ef2c..db469ee9aa9 100644
--- a/cluster/gce/coreos/helper.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/coreos/helper.sh
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ KUBE_PROXY_TOKEN: $(yaml-quote ${KUBE_PROXY_TOKEN:-})
 ADMISSION_CONTROL: $(yaml-quote ${ADMISSION_CONTROL:-})
 MASTER_IP_RANGE: $(yaml-quote ${MASTER_IP_RANGE})
 KUBERNETES_CONTAINER_RUNTIME: $(yaml-quote ${CONTAINER_RUNTIME})
+RKT_VERSION: $(yaml-quote ${RKT_VERSION})
 CA_CERT: $(yaml-quote ${CA_CERT_BASE64})
 MASTER_CERT: $(yaml-quote ${MASTER_CERT_BASE64:-})
 MASTER_KEY: $(yaml-quote ${MASTER_KEY_BASE64:-})
@@ -84,6 +85,7 @@ EXTRA_DOCKER_OPTS=$(yaml-quote ${EXTRA_DOCKER_OPTS})
 ENABLE_DOCKER_REGISTRY_CACHE=$(yaml-quote ${ENABLE_DOCKER_REGISTRY_CACHE:-false})
 PROJECT_ID=$(yaml-quote ${PROJECT})
 KUBERNETES_CONTAINER_RUNTIME=$(yaml-quote ${CONTAINER_RUNTIME})
+RKT_VERSION=$(yaml-quote ${RKT_VERSION})
 CA_CERT: $(yaml-quote ${CA_CERT_BASE64})
 KUBELET_CERT: $(yaml-quote ${KUBELET_CERT_BASE64:-})
 KUBELET_KEY: $(yaml-quote ${KUBELET_KEY_BASE64:-})
diff --git a/cluster/gce/coreos/node.yaml b/cluster/gce/coreos/node.yaml
index f81ddee832e..955f990d527 100644
--- a/cluster/gce/coreos/node.yaml
+++ b/cluster/gce/coreos/node.yaml
@@ -93,9 +93,9 @@ coreos:
         EnvironmentFile=/etc/kube-env
         ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/mkdir -p /opt/rkt
         ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/wget \
-        -O /opt/rkt/rkt-v0.5.4.tar.gz \
-        https://github.com/coreos/rkt/releases/download/v0.5.4/rkt-v0.5.4.tar.gz
-        ExecStart=/usr/bin/tar xzvf /opt/rkt/rkt-v0.5.4.tar.gz -C /opt --overwrite
+        -O /opt/rkt/rkt-v${RKT_VERSION}.tar.gz \
+        https://github.com/coreos/rkt/releases/download/v${RKT_VERSION}/rkt-v${RKT_VERSION}.tar.gz
+        ExecStart=/usr/bin/tar xzvf /opt/rkt/rkt-v${RKT_VERSION}.tar.gz -C /opt --overwrite
 
     - name: kubernetes-install-minion.service
       command: start
@@ -199,5 +199,5 @@ coreos:
         Requires=kubernetes-install-rkt.service
         After=kubernetes-install-rkt.service
         [Service]
-        # TODO(yifan): Make version configuable.
-        ExecStart=/opt/rkt-v0.5.4/rkt metadata-service
+        EnvironmentFile=/etc/kube-env
+        ExecStart=/opt/rkt-v${RKT_VERSION}/rkt metadata-service