diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/preflight/checks_darwin.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/preflight/checks_darwin.go
index 9779a5f7427..bf06ae46a72 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/preflight/checks_darwin.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/preflight/checks_darwin.go
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 package preflight
 
+import utilsexec "k8s.io/utils/exec"
+
 // This is a MacOS stub
 
 // Check number of memory required by kubeadm
@@ -26,3 +28,9 @@ package preflight
 func (mc MemCheck) Check() (warnings, errorList []error) {
 	return nil, nil
 }
+
+// addExecChecks adds checks that verify if certain binaries are in PATH
+// No-op for Darwin (MacOS).
+func addExecChecks(checks []Checker, _ utilsexec.Interface, _ string) []Checker {
+	return checks
+}
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/preflight/checks_linux.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/preflight/checks_linux.go
index 1b052487250..bc1ce2683d6 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/preflight/checks_linux.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/preflight/checks_linux.go
@@ -88,5 +88,8 @@ func addExecChecks(checks []Checker, execer utilsexec.Interface, k8sVersion stri
 
 	// kubelet requires mount to be present in PATH for in-tree volume plugins.
 	checks = append(checks, InPathCheck{executable: "mount", mandatory: true, exec: execer})
+
+	// kubeadm requires cp to be present in PATH for copying etcd directories.
+	checks = append(checks, InPathCheck{executable: "cp", mandatory: true, exec: execer})
 	return checks
 }
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/preflight/checks_other.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/preflight/checks_other.go
index 171d4bf80a6..d790d7d46f3 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/preflight/checks_other.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/preflight/checks_other.go
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ package preflight
 
 import (
 	system "k8s.io/system-validators/validators"
-	utilsexec "k8s.io/utils/exec"
 )
 
 // addOSValidator adds a new OSValidator
@@ -47,9 +46,3 @@ func addIPv4Checks(checks []Checker) []Checker {
 func addSwapCheck(checks []Checker) []Checker {
 	return checks
 }
-
-// addExecChecks adds checks that verify if certain binaries are in PATH
-// No-op for Darwin (MacOS), Windows.
-func addExecChecks(checks []Checker, _ utilsexec.Interface, _ string) []Checker {
-	return checks
-}
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/preflight/checks_windows.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/preflight/checks_windows.go
index de0d52c6eca..bb5f13d5774 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/preflight/checks_windows.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/preflight/checks_windows.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ package preflight
 import (
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"golang.org/x/sys/windows"
+	utilsexec "k8s.io/utils/exec"
 )
 
 // Check validates if a user has elevated (administrator) privileges.
@@ -38,3 +39,10 @@ func (ipuc IsPrivilegedUserCheck) Check() (warnings, errorList []error) {
 func (mc MemCheck) Check() (warnings, errorList []error) {
 	return nil, nil
 }
+
+// addExecChecks adds checks that verify if certain binaries are in PATH.
+func addExecChecks(checks []Checker, execer utilsexec.Interface, _ string) []Checker {
+	// kubeadm requires xcopy to be present in PATH for copying etcd directories.
+	checks = append(checks, InPathCheck{executable: "xcopy", mandatory: true, exec: execer})
+	return checks
+}
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/initsystem/initsystem_unix.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/initsystem/initsystem_unix.go
index 04c21772127..93ba9b9becb 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/initsystem/initsystem_unix.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/initsystem/initsystem_unix.go
@@ -160,6 +160,13 @@ func GetInitSystem() (InitSystem, error) {
 	}
 	_, err = exec.LookPath("openrc")
 	if err == nil {
+		binaries := []string{"rc-service", "rc-update"}
+		for _, binary := range binaries {
+			_, err = exec.LookPath(binary)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "openrc detected, but missing required binary: %s", binary)
+			}
+		}
 		return &OpenRCInitSystem{}, nil
 	}