diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/pods.go b/test/e2e/framework/pods.go
index 263900e690c..484508aa39e 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/pods.go
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/pods.go
@@ -122,33 +122,37 @@ func (c *PodClient) DeleteSync(name string, options *api.DeleteOptions, timeout
 
 // mungeSpec apply test-suite specific transformations to the pod spec.
 func (c *PodClient) mungeSpec(pod *api.Pod) {
-	if TestContext.NodeName != "" {
-		Expect(pod.Spec.NodeName).To(Or(BeZero(), Equal(TestContext.NodeName)), "Test misconfigured")
-		pod.Spec.NodeName = TestContext.NodeName
-		// Node e2e does not support the default DNSClusterFirst policy. Set
-		// the policy to DNSDefault, which is configured per node.
-		pod.Spec.DNSPolicy = api.DNSDefault
+	if !TestContext.NodeE2E {
+		return
+	}
 
-		if !TestContext.PrepullImages {
-			return
-		}
-		// If prepull is enabled, munge the container spec to make sure the images are not pulled
-		// during the test.
-		for i := range pod.Spec.Containers {
-			c := &pod.Spec.Containers[i]
-			if c.ImagePullPolicy == api.PullAlways {
-				// If the image pull policy is PullAlways, the image doesn't need to be in
-				// the white list or pre-pulled, because the image is expected to be pulled
-				// in the test anyway.
-				continue
-			}
-			// If the image policy is not PullAlways, the image must be in the white list and
-			// pre-pulled.
-			Expect(ImageWhiteList.Has(c.Image)).To(BeTrue(), "Image %q is not in the white list, consider adding it to CommonImageWhiteList in test/e2e/common/util.go or NodeImageWhiteList in test/e2e_node/image_list.go", c.Image)
-			// Do not pull images during the tests because the images in white list should have
-			// been prepulled.
-			c.ImagePullPolicy = api.PullNever
+	Expect(pod.Spec.NodeName).To(Or(BeZero(), Equal(TestContext.NodeName)), "Test misconfigured")
+	pod.Spec.NodeName = TestContext.NodeName
+	// Node e2e does not support the default DNSClusterFirst policy. Set
+	// the policy to DNSDefault, which is configured per node.
+	pod.Spec.DNSPolicy = api.DNSDefault
+
+	// PrepullImages only works for node e2e now. For cluster e2e, image prepull is not enforced,
+	// we should not munge ImagePullPolicy for cluster e2e pods.
+	if !TestContext.PrepullImages {
+		return
+	}
+	// If prepull is enabled, munge the container spec to make sure the images are not pulled
+	// during the test.
+	for i := range pod.Spec.Containers {
+		c := &pod.Spec.Containers[i]
+		if c.ImagePullPolicy == api.PullAlways {
+			// If the image pull policy is PullAlways, the image doesn't need to be in
+			// the white list or pre-pulled, because the image is expected to be pulled
+			// in the test anyway.
+			continue
 		}
+		// If the image policy is not PullAlways, the image must be in the white list and
+		// pre-pulled.
+		Expect(ImageWhiteList.Has(c.Image)).To(BeTrue(), "Image %q is not in the white list, consider adding it to CommonImageWhiteList in test/e2e/common/util.go or NodeImageWhiteList in test/e2e_node/image_list.go", c.Image)
+		// Do not pull images during the tests because the images in white list should have
+		// been prepulled.
+		c.ImagePullPolicy = api.PullNever
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/test_context.go b/test/e2e/framework/test_context.go
index 6a0530457d9..6a1a4b79890 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/test_context.go
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/test_context.go
@@ -100,7 +100,9 @@ type TestContextType struct {
 
 // NodeTestContextType is part of TestContextType, it is shared by all node e2e test.
 type NodeTestContextType struct {
-	// Name of the node to run tests on (node e2e suite only).
+	// NodeE2E indicates whether it is running node e2e.
+	NodeE2E bool
+	// Name of the node to run tests on.
 	NodeName string
 	// NodeConformance indicates whether the test is running in node conformance mode.
 	NodeConformance bool
@@ -208,7 +210,9 @@ func RegisterClusterFlags() {
 
 // Register flags specific to the node e2e test suite.
 func RegisterNodeFlags() {
-	flag.StringVar(&TestContext.NodeName, "node-name", "", "Name of the node to run tests on (node e2e suite only).")
+	// Mark the test as node e2e when node flags are registered.
+	TestContext.NodeE2E = true
+	flag.StringVar(&TestContext.NodeName, "node-name", "", "Name of the node to run tests on.")
 	// TODO(random-liu): Move kubelet start logic out of the test.
 	// TODO(random-liu): Move log fetch logic out of the test.
 	// There are different ways to start kubelet (systemd, initd, docker, rkt, manually started etc.)
diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/util.go b/test/e2e/framework/util.go
index 8dd6029f796..d0023faa1af 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/util.go
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/util.go
@@ -1789,7 +1789,7 @@ func restclientConfig(kubeContext string) (*clientcmdapi.Config, error) {
 type ClientConfigGetter func() (*restclient.Config, error)
 
 func LoadConfig() (*restclient.Config, error) {
-	if TestContext.NodeName != "" {
+	if TestContext.NodeE2E {
 		// This is a node e2e test, apply the node e2e configuration
 		return &restclient.Config{Host: TestContext.Host}, nil
 	}
diff --git a/test/e2e_node/e2e_node_suite_test.go b/test/e2e_node/e2e_node_suite_test.go
index 1a407ed3b76..740f67b2a0e 100644
--- a/test/e2e_node/e2e_node_suite_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e_node/e2e_node_suite_test.go
@@ -119,13 +119,6 @@ func TestE2eNode(t *testing.T) {
 
 // Setup the kubelet on the node
 var _ = SynchronizedBeforeSuite(func() []byte {
-	// Initialize node name here, so that the following code can get right node name.
-	if framework.TestContext.NodeName == "" {
-		hostname, err := os.Hostname()
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "should be able to get node name")
-		framework.TestContext.NodeName = hostname
-	}
-
 	// Run system validation test.
 	Expect(validateSystem()).To(Succeed(), "system validation")
 
@@ -166,6 +159,9 @@ var _ = SynchronizedBeforeSuite(func() []byte {
 	// The node test context is updated in the first function, update it on every test node.
 	err := json.Unmarshal(data, &framework.TestContext.NodeTestContextType)
 	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "should be able to deserialize node test context.")
+
+	// update test context with node configuration.
+	Expect(updateTestContext()).To(Succeed(), "update test context with node config.")
 })
 
 // Tear down the kubelet on the node
@@ -217,24 +213,60 @@ func waitForNodeReady() {
 		// nodeReadyPollInterval is the interval to check node ready.
 		nodeReadyPollInterval = 1 * time.Second
 	)
-	config, err := framework.LoadConfig()
-	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
-	client, err := clientset.NewForConfig(config)
-	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+	client, err := getAPIServerClient()
+	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "should be able to get apiserver client.")
 	Eventually(func() error {
-		nodes, err := client.Nodes().List(api.ListOptions{})
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
-		if nodes == nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("the node list is nil.")
+		node, err := getNode(client)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to get node: %v", err)
 		}
-		Expect(len(nodes.Items) > 1).NotTo(BeTrue())
-		if len(nodes.Items) == 0 {
-			return fmt.Errorf("empty node list: %+v", nodes)
-		}
-		node := nodes.Items[0]
-		if !api.IsNodeReady(&node) {
+		if !api.IsNodeReady(node) {
 			return fmt.Errorf("node is not ready: %+v", node)
 		}
 		return nil
 	}, nodeReadyTimeout, nodeReadyPollInterval).Should(Succeed())
 }
+
+// updateTestContext updates the test context with the node name.
+// TODO(random-liu): Using dynamic kubelet configuration feature to
+// update test context with node configuration.
+func updateTestContext() error {
+	client, err := getAPIServerClient()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get apiserver client: %v", err)
+	}
+	node, err := getNode(client)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get node: %v", err)
+	}
+	// Initialize the node name
+	framework.TestContext.NodeName = node.Name
+	return nil
+}
+
+// getNode gets node object from the apiserver.
+func getNode(c *clientset.Clientset) (*api.Node, error) {
+	nodes, err := c.Nodes().List(api.ListOptions{})
+	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "should be able to list nodes.")
+	if nodes == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("the node list is nil.")
+	}
+	Expect(len(nodes.Items) > 1).NotTo(BeTrue(), "should not be more than 1 nodes.")
+	if len(nodes.Items) == 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("empty node list: %+v", nodes)
+	}
+	return &nodes.Items[0], nil
+}
+
+// getAPIServerClient gets a apiserver client.
+func getAPIServerClient() (*clientset.Clientset, error) {
+	config, err := framework.LoadConfig()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to load config: %v", err)
+	}
+	client, err := clientset.NewForConfig(config)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create client: %v", err)
+	}
+	return client, nil
+}
diff --git a/test/e2e_node/services/services.go b/test/e2e_node/services/services.go
index 728151ef044..87341371eb6 100644
--- a/test/e2e_node/services/services.go
+++ b/test/e2e_node/services/services.go
@@ -199,7 +199,6 @@ func (e *E2EServices) startKubelet() (*server, error) {
 		"--address", "0.0.0.0",
 		"--port", kubeletPort,
 		"--read-only-port", kubeletReadOnlyPort,
-		"--hostname-override", framework.TestContext.NodeName, // Required because hostname is inconsistent across hosts
 		"--volume-stats-agg-period", "10s", // Aggregate volumes frequently so tests don't need to wait as long
 		"--allow-privileged", "true",
 		"--serialize-image-pulls", "false",
@@ -213,7 +212,9 @@ func (e *E2EServices) startKubelet() (*server, error) {
 
 		"--experimental-mounter-path", framework.TestContext.MounterPath,
 	)
-
+	if framework.TestContext.NodeName != "" { // If node name is specified, set hostname override.
+		cmdArgs = append(cmdArgs, "--hostname-override", framework.TestContext.NodeName)
+	}
 	if framework.TestContext.EnableCRI {
 		cmdArgs = append(cmdArgs, "--experimental-cri", "true") // Whether to use experimental cri integration.
 	}