diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/token_test.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/token_test.go
index ebbba192c57..71d75fee1a2 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/token_test.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/token_test.go
@@ -249,18 +249,14 @@ func TestNewCmdToken(t *testing.T) {
 			if _, err = f.WriteString(tc.configToWrite); err != nil {
 				t.Errorf("Unable to write test file %q: %v", fullPath, err)
 			}
-			// store the current value of the environment variable.
-			storedEnv := os.Getenv(clientcmd.RecommendedConfigPathEnvVar)
 			if tc.kubeConfigEnv != "" {
-				os.Setenv(clientcmd.RecommendedConfigPathEnvVar, tc.kubeConfigEnv)
+				t.Setenv(clientcmd.RecommendedConfigPathEnvVar, tc.kubeConfigEnv)
 			}
 			cmd.SetArgs(tc.args)
 			err := cmd.Execute()
 			if (err != nil) != tc.expectedError {
 				t.Errorf("Test case %q: newCmdToken expected error: %v, saw: %v", tc.name, tc.expectedError, (err != nil))
 			}
-			// restore the environment variable.
-			os.Setenv(clientcmd.RecommendedConfigPathEnvVar, storedEnv)
 		})
 	}
 }
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/test/cmd/init_test.go b/cmd/kubeadm/test/cmd/init_test.go
index daa0a92a17e..f61d2b2a9d5 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/test/cmd/init_test.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/test/cmd/init_test.go
@@ -27,11 +27,9 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/version"
 )
 
-func runKubeadmInit(args ...string) (string, string, int, error) {
-	const dryRunDir = "KUBEADM_INIT_DRYRUN_DIR"
-	if err := os.Setenv(dryRunDir, os.TempDir()); err != nil {
-		panic(fmt.Sprintf("could not set the %s environment variable", dryRunDir))
-	}
+func runKubeadmInit(t testing.TB, args ...string) (string, string, int, error) {
+	t.Helper()
+	t.Setenv("KUBEADM_INIT_DRYRUN_DIR", os.TempDir())
 	kubeadmPath := getKubeadmPath()
 	kubeadmArgs := []string{"init", "--dry-run", "--ignore-preflight-errors=all"}
 	kubeadmArgs = append(kubeadmArgs, args...)
@@ -73,7 +71,7 @@ func TestCmdInitToken(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, rt := range initTest {
 		t.Run(rt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			_, _, _, err := runKubeadmInit(rt.args)
+			_, _, _, err := runKubeadmInit(t, rt.args)
 			if (err == nil) != rt.expected {
 				t.Fatalf(dedent.Dedent(`
 					CmdInitToken test case %q failed with an error: %v
@@ -112,7 +110,7 @@ func TestCmdInitKubernetesVersion(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, rt := range initTest {
 		t.Run(rt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			_, _, _, err := runKubeadmInit(rt.args)
+			_, _, _, err := runKubeadmInit(t, rt.args)
 			if (err == nil) != rt.expected {
 				t.Fatalf(dedent.Dedent(`
 					CmdInitKubernetesVersion test case %q failed with an error: %v
@@ -176,7 +174,7 @@ func TestCmdInitConfig(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, rt := range initTest {
 		t.Run(rt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			_, _, _, err := runKubeadmInit(rt.args)
+			_, _, _, err := runKubeadmInit(t, rt.args)
 			if (err == nil) != rt.expected {
 				t.Fatalf(dedent.Dedent(`
 						CmdInitConfig test case %q failed with an error: %v
@@ -225,7 +223,7 @@ func TestCmdInitAPIPort(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, rt := range initTest {
 		t.Run(rt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			_, _, _, err := runKubeadmInit(rt.args)
+			_, _, _, err := runKubeadmInit(t, rt.args)
 			if (err == nil) != rt.expected {
 				t.Fatalf(dedent.Dedent(`
 							CmdInitAPIPort test case %q failed with an error: %v
@@ -267,7 +265,7 @@ func TestCmdInitFeatureGates(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, rt := range initTest {
 		t.Run(rt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			_, _, exitcode, err := runKubeadmInit(rt.args)
+			_, _, exitcode, err := runKubeadmInit(t, rt.args)
 			if exitcode == PanicExitcode {
 				t.Fatalf(dedent.Dedent(`
 							CmdInitFeatureGates test case %q failed with an error: %v