diff --git a/cluster/aws/templates/configure-vm-aws.sh b/cluster/aws/templates/configure-vm-aws.sh
index 6abca6ed436..0be5203add1 100755
--- a/cluster/aws/templates/configure-vm-aws.sh
+++ b/cluster/aws/templates/configure-vm-aws.sh
@@ -91,7 +91,6 @@ EOF
   if [[ ! -z "${KUBELET_APISERVER:-}" ]] && [[ ! -z "${KUBELET_CERT:-}" ]] && [[ ! -z "${KUBELET_KEY:-}" ]]; then
     cat <<EOF >>/etc/salt/minion.d/grains.conf
   kubelet_api_servers: '${KUBELET_APISERVER}'
-  cbr-cidr: 10.123.45.0/29
 EOF
   else
     # If the kubelet is running disconnected from a master, give it a fixed
@@ -110,7 +109,6 @@ salt-node-role() {
 grains:
   roles:
     - kubernetes-pool
-  cbr-cidr: 10.123.45.0/29
   cloud: aws
   api_servers: '${API_SERVERS}'
 EOF
diff --git a/cluster/gce/configure-vm.sh b/cluster/gce/configure-vm.sh
index 968258edd87..609fd582d89 100755
--- a/cluster/gce/configure-vm.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/configure-vm.sh
@@ -958,7 +958,6 @@ EOF
   if [[ ! -z "${KUBELET_APISERVER:-}" ]] && [[ ! -z "${KUBELET_CERT:-}" ]] && [[ ! -z "${KUBELET_KEY:-}" ]]; then
     cat <<EOF >>/etc/salt/minion.d/grains.conf
   kubelet_api_servers: '${KUBELET_APISERVER}'
-  cbr-cidr: 10.123.45.0/29
 EOF
   else
     # If the kubelet is running disconnected from a master, give it a fixed
@@ -977,7 +976,6 @@ function salt-node-role() {
 grains:
   roles:
     - kubernetes-pool
-  cbr-cidr: 10.123.45.0/29
   cloud: gce
   api_servers: '${KUBERNETES_MASTER_NAME}'
 EOF
diff --git a/cluster/gce/gci/configure-helper.sh b/cluster/gce/gci/configure-helper.sh
index 583c8767cf3..b02f7846d95 100644
--- a/cluster/gce/gci/configure-helper.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/gci/configure-helper.sh
@@ -483,11 +483,8 @@ function start-kubelet {
     if [[ ! -z "${KUBELET_APISERVER:-}" && ! -z "${KUBELET_CERT:-}" && ! -z "${KUBELET_KEY:-}" ]]; then
       flags+=" --api-servers=https://${KUBELET_APISERVER}"
       flags+=" --register-schedulable=false"
-      # need at least a /29 pod cidr for now due to #32844
-      # TODO: determine if we still allow non-hostnetwork pods to run on master, clean up master pod setup
-      # WARNING: potential ip range collision with 10.123.45.0/29
-      flags+=" --pod-cidr=10.123.45.0/29"
     else
+      # Standalone mode (not widely used?)
       flags+=" --pod-cidr=${MASTER_IP_RANGE}"
     fi
   else # For nodes
diff --git a/cluster/gce/trusty/configure-helper.sh b/cluster/gce/trusty/configure-helper.sh
index 9e04aafa206..33be3919f5c 100644
--- a/cluster/gce/trusty/configure-helper.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/trusty/configure-helper.sh
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ assemble_kubelet_flags() {
     if [ ! -z "${KUBELET_APISERVER:-}" ] && \
        [ ! -z "${KUBELET_CERT:-}" ] && \
        [ ! -z "${KUBELET_KEY:-}" ]; then
-      KUBELET_CMD_FLAGS="${KUBELET_CMD_FLAGS} --api-servers=https://${KUBELET_APISERVER} --register-schedulable=false --pod-cidr=10.123.45.0/29"
+      KUBELET_CMD_FLAGS="${KUBELET_CMD_FLAGS} --api-servers=https://${KUBELET_APISERVER} --register-schedulable=false"
     else
       KUBELET_CMD_FLAGS="${KUBELET_CMD_FLAGS} --pod-cidr=${MASTER_IP_RANGE}"
     fi
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
index 42054573b1f..e4fcaee1a7e 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
@@ -1422,6 +1422,11 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) syncPod(o syncPodOptions) error {
 		return syncErr
 	}
 
+	// If the network plugin is not ready, only start the pod if it uses the host network
+	if rs := kl.runtimeState.networkErrors(); len(rs) != 0 && !podUsesHostNetwork(pod) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("network is not ready: %v", rs)
+	}
+
 	// Create Cgroups for the pod and apply resource parameters
 	// to them if cgroup-per-qos flag is enabled.
 	pcm := kl.containerManager.NewPodContainerManager()
@@ -1696,7 +1701,7 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) syncLoop(updates <-chan kubetypes.PodUpdate, handler SyncHand
 	defer housekeepingTicker.Stop()
 	plegCh := kl.pleg.Watch()
 	for {
-		if rs := kl.runtimeState.errors(); len(rs) != 0 {
+		if rs := kl.runtimeState.runtimeErrors(); len(rs) != 0 {
 			glog.Infof("skipping pod synchronization - %v", rs)
 			time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
 			continue
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_node_status.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_node_status.go
index cd4c6836361..d616f41d4bf 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_node_status.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_node_status.go
@@ -591,7 +591,8 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) setNodeReadyCondition(node *api.Node) {
 	// ref: https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/16961
 	currentTime := unversioned.NewTime(kl.clock.Now())
 	var newNodeReadyCondition api.NodeCondition
-	if rs := kl.runtimeState.errors(); len(rs) == 0 {
+	rs := append(kl.runtimeState.runtimeErrors(), kl.runtimeState.networkErrors()...)
+	if len(rs) == 0 {
 		newNodeReadyCondition = api.NodeCondition{
 			Type:              api.NodeReady,
 			Status:            api.ConditionTrue,
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
index e17807222d2..767f286d237 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
@@ -1054,6 +1054,48 @@ func TestPrivilegedContainerDisallowed(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Error(t, err, "expected pod infra creation to fail")
 }
 
+func TestNetworkErrorsWithoutHostNetwork(t *testing.T) {
+	testKubelet := newTestKubelet(t, false /* controllerAttachDetachEnabled */)
+	testKubelet.fakeCadvisor.On("VersionInfo").Return(&cadvisorapi.VersionInfo{}, nil)
+	testKubelet.fakeCadvisor.On("MachineInfo").Return(&cadvisorapi.MachineInfo{}, nil)
+	testKubelet.fakeCadvisor.On("ImagesFsInfo").Return(cadvisorapiv2.FsInfo{}, nil)
+	testKubelet.fakeCadvisor.On("RootFsInfo").Return(cadvisorapiv2.FsInfo{}, nil)
+	kubelet := testKubelet.kubelet
+
+	kubelet.runtimeState.setNetworkState(fmt.Errorf("simulated network error"))
+	capabilities.SetForTests(capabilities.Capabilities{
+		PrivilegedSources: capabilities.PrivilegedSources{
+			HostNetworkSources: []string{kubetypes.ApiserverSource, kubetypes.FileSource},
+		},
+	})
+
+	pod := podWithUidNameNsSpec("12345678", "hostnetwork", "new", api.PodSpec{
+		SecurityContext: &api.PodSecurityContext{
+			HostNetwork: false,
+		},
+		Containers: []api.Container{
+			{Name: "foo"},
+		},
+	})
+
+	kubelet.podManager.SetPods([]*api.Pod{pod})
+	err := kubelet.syncPod(syncPodOptions{
+		pod:        pod,
+		podStatus:  &kubecontainer.PodStatus{},
+		updateType: kubetypes.SyncPodUpdate,
+	})
+	assert.Error(t, err, "expected pod with hostNetwork=false to fail when network in error")
+
+	pod.Annotations[kubetypes.ConfigSourceAnnotationKey] = kubetypes.FileSource
+	pod.Spec.SecurityContext.HostNetwork = true
+	err = kubelet.syncPod(syncPodOptions{
+		pod:        pod,
+		podStatus:  &kubecontainer.PodStatus{},
+		updateType: kubetypes.SyncPodUpdate,
+	})
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "expected pod with hostNetwork=true to succeed when network in error")
+}
+
 func TestFilterOutTerminatedPods(t *testing.T) {
 	testKubelet := newTestKubelet(t, false /* controllerAttachDetachEnabled */)
 	kubelet := testKubelet.kubelet
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/runonce_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/runonce_test.go
index c611f5ad0f6..8862dd1da4a 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/runonce_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/runonce_test.go
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ func TestRunOnce(t *testing.T) {
 		kubeClient:          &fake.Clientset{},
 		hostname:            testKubeletHostname,
 		nodeName:            testKubeletHostname,
+		runtimeState:        newRuntimeState(time.Second),
 	}
 	kb.containerManager = cm.NewStubContainerManager()
 
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/runtime.go b/pkg/kubelet/runtime.go
index 90a83898a31..6cb74fe364c 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/runtime.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/runtime.go
@@ -68,16 +68,13 @@ func (s *runtimeState) setInitError(err error) {
 	s.initError = err
 }
 
-func (s *runtimeState) errors() []string {
+func (s *runtimeState) runtimeErrors() []string {
 	s.RLock()
 	defer s.RUnlock()
 	var ret []string
 	if s.initError != nil {
 		ret = append(ret, s.initError.Error())
 	}
-	if s.networkError != nil {
-		ret = append(ret, s.networkError.Error())
-	}
 	if !s.lastBaseRuntimeSync.Add(s.baseRuntimeSyncThreshold).After(time.Now()) {
 		ret = append(ret, "container runtime is down")
 	}
@@ -87,6 +84,16 @@ func (s *runtimeState) errors() []string {
 	return ret
 }
 
+func (s *runtimeState) networkErrors() []string {
+	s.RLock()
+	defer s.RUnlock()
+	var ret []string
+	if s.networkError != nil {
+		ret = append(ret, s.networkError.Error())
+	}
+	return ret
+}
+
 func newRuntimeState(
 	runtimeSyncThreshold time.Duration,
 ) *runtimeState {