diff --git a/cluster/gce/config-default.sh b/cluster/gce/config-default.sh
index d1114893e3a..df776fda518 100755
--- a/cluster/gce/config-default.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/config-default.sh
@@ -36,7 +36,10 @@ PREEMPTIBLE_NODE=${PREEMPTIBLE_NODE:-false}
 PREEMPTIBLE_MASTER=${PREEMPTIBLE_MASTER:-false}
 
 MASTER_OS_DISTRIBUTION=${KUBE_MASTER_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-${KUBE_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-gci}}
-NODE_OS_DISTRIBUTION=${KUBE_NODE_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-${KUBE_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-gci}}
+NODE_OS_DISTRIBUTION=${KUBE_NODE_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-${KUBE_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-debian}}
+# By default a cluster will be started with the master on GCI and nodes on
+# containervm. If you are updating the containervm version, update this
+# variable.
 CVM_VERSION=container-v1-3-v20160604
 GCI_VERSION="gci-dev-54-8743-3-0"
 MASTER_IMAGE=${KUBE_GCE_MASTER_IMAGE:-}
diff --git a/cluster/gce/config-test.sh b/cluster/gce/config-test.sh
index 1c4c9ef86c1..4002833d28b 100755
--- a/cluster/gce/config-test.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/config-test.sh
@@ -37,7 +37,10 @@ PREEMPTIBLE_NODE=${PREEMPTIBLE_NODE:-false}
 PREEMPTIBLE_MASTER=${PREEMPTIBLE_MASTER:-false}
 
 MASTER_OS_DISTRIBUTION=${KUBE_MASTER_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-${KUBE_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-gci}}
-NODE_OS_DISTRIBUTION=${KUBE_NODE_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-${KUBE_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-gci}}
+NODE_OS_DISTRIBUTION=${KUBE_NODE_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-${KUBE_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-debian}}
+# By default a cluster will be started with the master on GCI and nodes on
+# containervm. If you are updating the containervm version, update this
+# variable.
 CVM_VERSION=container-v1-3-v20160604
 GCI_VERSION="gci-dev-54-8743-3-0"
 MASTER_IMAGE=${KUBE_GCE_MASTER_IMAGE:-}