diff --git a/cluster/saltbase/salt/docker/docker-defaults b/cluster/saltbase/salt/docker/docker-defaults
index 7e5725064d1..f325b4945d5 100644
--- a/cluster/saltbase/salt/docker/docker-defaults
+++ b/cluster/saltbase/salt/docker/docker-defaults
@@ -2,6 +2,5 @@ DOCKER_OPTS=""
 {% if grains.docker_opts is defined and grains.docker_opts %}
 DOCKER_OPTS="${DOCKER_OPTS} {{grains.docker_opts}}"
 {% endif %}
-
 DOCKER_OPTS="${DOCKER_OPTS} --bridge=cbr0 --iptables=false --ip-masq=false"
 DOCKER_NOFILE=1000000
diff --git a/contrib/mesos/pkg/executor/service/service.go b/contrib/mesos/pkg/executor/service/service.go
index dd3b6605b9e..06ffbd6255d 100644
--- a/contrib/mesos/pkg/executor/service/service.go
+++ b/contrib/mesos/pkg/executor/service/service.go
@@ -354,6 +354,7 @@ func (ks *KubeletExecutorServer) createAndInitKubelet(
 		kc.DockerDaemonContainer,
 		kc.SystemContainer,
 		kc.ConfigureCBR0,
+		kc.PodCIDR,
 		kc.MaxPods,
 		kc.DockerExecHandler,
 	)
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/container_bridge.go b/pkg/kubelet/container_bridge.go
index 0aaa885195c..5fb6319ec5a 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/container_bridge.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/container_bridge.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"os/exec"
 	"regexp"
 
+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/util"
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
 )
 
@@ -43,10 +44,16 @@ func createCBR0(wantCIDR *net.IPNet) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	// restart docker
-	if err := exec.Command("service", "docker", "restart").Run(); err != nil {
-		glog.Error(err)
-		// For now just log the error. The containerRuntime check will catch docker failures.
-		// TODO (dawnchen) figure out what we should do for rkt here.
+	// For now just log the error. The containerRuntime check will catch docker failures.
+	// TODO (dawnchen) figure out what we should do for rkt here.
+	if util.UsingSystemdInitSystem() {
+		if err := exec.Command("systemctl", "restart", "docker").Run(); err != nil {
+			glog.Error(err)
+		}
+	} else {
+		if err := exec.Command("service", "docker", "restart").Run(); err != nil {
+			glog.Error(err)
+		}
 	}
 	glog.V(2).Info("Recreated cbr0 and restarted docker")
 	return nil
@@ -60,7 +67,8 @@ func ensureCbr0(wantCIDR *net.IPNet) error {
 	if !exists {
 		glog.V(2).Infof("CBR0 doesn't exist, attempting to create it with range: %s", wantCIDR)
 		return createCBR0(wantCIDR)
-	} else if !cbr0CidrCorrect(wantCIDR) {
+	}
+	if !cbr0CidrCorrect(wantCIDR) {
 		glog.V(2).Infof("Attempting to recreate cbr0 with address range: %s", wantCIDR)
 
 		// delete cbr0
@@ -78,8 +86,7 @@ func ensureCbr0(wantCIDR *net.IPNet) error {
 }
 
 func cbr0Exists() (bool, error) {
-	_, err := os.Stat("/sys/class/net/cbr0")
-	if err != nil {
+	if _, err := os.Stat("/sys/class/net/cbr0"); err != nil {
 		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
 			return false, nil
 		}
@@ -103,6 +110,7 @@ func cbr0CidrCorrect(wantCIDR *net.IPNet) bool {
 		return false
 	}
 	cbr0CIDR.IP = cbr0IP
+
 	glog.V(5).Infof("Want cbr0 CIDR: %s, have cbr0 CIDR: %s", wantCIDR, cbr0CIDR)
 	return wantCIDR.IP.Equal(cbr0IP) && bytes.Equal(wantCIDR.Mask, cbr0CIDR.Mask)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
index 537c95bed48..9c0e4260748 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
@@ -321,8 +321,8 @@ func NewMainKubelet(
 	klet.containerManager = containerManager
 
 	// Start syncing node status immediately, this may set up things the runtime needs to run.
+	go util.Until(klet.syncNetworkStatus, 30*time.Second, util.NeverStop)
 	go klet.syncNodeStatus()
-	go klet.syncNetworkStatus()
 
 	// Wait for the runtime to be up with a timeout.
 	if err := waitUntilRuntimeIsUp(klet.containerRuntime, maxWaitForContainerRuntime); err != nil {
@@ -419,7 +419,8 @@ type Kubelet struct {
 	lastTimestampRuntimeUp time.Time
 
 	// Network Status information
-	networkConfigured bool
+	networkConfigMutex sync.Mutex
+	networkConfigured  bool
 
 	// Volume plugins.
 	volumePluginMgr volume.VolumePluginMgr
@@ -717,6 +718,7 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) Run(updates <-chan PodUpdate) {
 	}
 
 	go util.Until(kl.updateRuntimeUp, 5*time.Second, util.NeverStop)
+
 	// Run the system oom watcher forever.
 	kl.statusManager.Start()
 	kl.syncLoop(updates, kl)
@@ -1714,9 +1716,10 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) syncLoopIteration(updates <-chan PodUpdate, handler SyncHandl
 		glog.Infof("Skipping pod synchronization, container runtime is not up.")
 		return
 	}
-	if !kl.networkConfigured {
+	if !kl.doneNetworkConfigure() {
 		time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
 		glog.Infof("Skipping pod synchronization, network is not configured")
+		return
 	}
 	unsyncedPod := false
 	podSyncTypes := make(map[types.UID]SyncPodType)
@@ -1871,6 +1874,7 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) reconcileCBR0(podCIDR string) error {
 		glog.V(5).Info("PodCIDR not set. Will not configure cbr0.")
 		return nil
 	}
+	glog.V(5).Infof("PodCIDR is set to %q", podCIDR)
 	_, cidr, err := net.ParseCIDR(podCIDR)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -1906,19 +1910,19 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) recordNodeStatusEvent(event string) {
 var oldNodeUnschedulable bool
 
 func (kl *Kubelet) syncNetworkStatus() {
-	for {
-		networkConfigured := true
-		if kl.configureCBR0 {
-			if len(kl.podCIDR) == 0 {
-				networkConfigured = false
-			} else if err := kl.reconcileCBR0(kl.podCIDR); err != nil {
-				networkConfigured = false
-				glog.Errorf("Error configuring cbr0: %v", err)
-			}
+	kl.networkConfigMutex.Lock()
+	defer kl.networkConfigMutex.Unlock()
+
+	networkConfigured := true
+	if kl.configureCBR0 {
+		if len(kl.podCIDR) == 0 {
+			networkConfigured = false
+		} else if err := kl.reconcileCBR0(kl.podCIDR); err != nil {
+			networkConfigured = false
+			glog.Errorf("Error configuring cbr0: %v", err)
 		}
-		kl.networkConfigured = networkConfigured
-		time.Sleep(30 * time.Second)
 	}
+	kl.networkConfigured = networkConfigured
 }
 
 // setNodeStatus fills in the Status fields of the given Node, overwriting
@@ -1997,11 +2001,13 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) setNodeStatus(node *api.Node) error {
 
 	// Check whether container runtime can be reported as up.
 	containerRuntimeUp := kl.containerRuntimeUp()
+	// Check whether network is configured properly
+	networkConfigured := kl.doneNetworkConfigure()
 
 	currentTime := util.Now()
 	var newNodeReadyCondition api.NodeCondition
 	var oldNodeReadyConditionStatus api.ConditionStatus
-	if containerRuntimeUp && kl.networkConfigured {
+	if containerRuntimeUp && networkConfigured {
 		newNodeReadyCondition = api.NodeCondition{
 			Type:              api.NodeReady,
 			Status:            api.ConditionTrue,
@@ -2013,7 +2019,7 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) setNodeStatus(node *api.Node) error {
 		if !containerRuntimeUp {
 			reasons = append(reasons, "container runtime is down")
 		}
-		if !kl.networkConfigured {
+		if !networkConfigured {
 			reasons = append(reasons, "network not configured correctly")
 		}
 		newNodeReadyCondition = api.NodeCondition{
@@ -2065,6 +2071,12 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) containerRuntimeUp() bool {
 	return kl.lastTimestampRuntimeUp.Add(kl.runtimeUpThreshold).After(time.Now())
 }
 
+func (kl *Kubelet) doneNetworkConfigure() bool {
+	kl.networkConfigMutex.Lock()
+	defer kl.networkConfigMutex.Unlock()
+	return kl.networkConfigured
+}
+
 // tryUpdateNodeStatus tries to update node status to master. If ReconcileCBR0
 // is set, this function will also confirm that cbr0 is configured correctly.
 func (kl *Kubelet) tryUpdateNodeStatus() error {
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
index 96183eda521..4957f57906d 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ func newTestKubelet(t *testing.T) *TestKubelet {
 	}
 	kubelet.volumeManager = newVolumeManager()
 	kubelet.containerManager, _ = newContainerManager(mockCadvisor, "", "", "")
+	kubelet.networkConfigured = true
 	return &TestKubelet{kubelet, fakeRuntime, mockCadvisor, fakeKubeClient, fakeMirrorClient}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/status_manager.go b/pkg/kubelet/status_manager.go
index d8bf9bbb4e9..15495f0a41a 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/status_manager.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/status_manager.go
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
 	"sync"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/api"
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/client"
@@ -60,8 +59,6 @@ func (s *statusManager) Start() {
 		err := s.syncBatch()
 		if err != nil {
 			glog.Warningf("Failed to updated pod status: %v", err)
-			// Errors and tight-looping are bad, m-kay
-			time.Sleep(30 * time.Second)
 		}
 	}, 0)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/util/util.go b/pkg/util/util.go
index 17f56187ea4..fc335b95f8a 100644
--- a/pkg/util/util.go
+++ b/pkg/util/util.go
@@ -198,6 +198,20 @@ func CompileRegexps(regexpStrings []string) ([]*regexp.Regexp, error) {
 	return regexps, nil
 }
 
+// Detects if using systemd as the init system
+// Please note that simply reading /proc/1/cmdline can be misleading because
+// some installation of various init programs can automatically make /sbin/init
+// a symlink or even a renamed version of their main program.
+// TODO(dchen1107): realiably detects the init system using on the system:
+// systemd, upstart, initd, etc.
+func UsingSystemdInitSystem() bool {
+	if _, err := os.Stat("/run/systemd/system"); err != nil {
+		return true
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
+
 // Writes 'value' to /proc/<pid>/oom_score_adj. PID = 0 means self
 func ApplyOomScoreAdj(pid int, value int) error {
 	if value < -1000 || value > 1000 {