diff --git a/cluster/gce/util.sh b/cluster/gce/util.sh
index 085efa3c1df..5fac25689e6 100755
--- a/cluster/gce/util.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/util.sh
@@ -241,17 +241,6 @@ function kube-up {
           echo "Please run ./cluster/kube-down.sh and re-create the cluster. (sorry!)"
           exit 1
       fi
-
-    # Make sure the kubelet is healthy
-    if [ "$(curl --insecure --user ${user}:${passwd} https://${KUBE_MASTER_IP}/proxy/minion/${MINION_NAMES[$i]}/healthz)" != "ok" ]; then
-        echo "Kubelet failed to install on ${MINION_NAMES[$i]}. Your cluster is unlikely to work correctly."
-        echo "Please run ./cluster/kube-down.sh and re-create the cluster. (sorry!)"
-        exit 1
-    else
-  echo "Kubelet is successfully installed on ${MINION_NAMES[$i]}"
-
-    fi
-
   done
 
   echo
diff --git a/cluster/validate-cluster.sh b/cluster/validate-cluster.sh
index 3a4db6b5de2..85d74bc3de4 100755
--- a/cluster/validate-cluster.sh
+++ b/cluster/validate-cluster.sh
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ set -e
 source $(dirname $0)/kube-env.sh
 source $(dirname $0)/$KUBERNETES_PROVIDER/util.sh
 
+get-password
+detect-master > /dev/null
 detect-minions > /dev/null
 
 MINIONS_FILE=/tmp/minions
@@ -37,6 +39,16 @@ for (( i=0; i<${#MINION_NAMES[@]}; i++)); do
 	echo "Failed to find ${MINION_NAMES[i]}, cluster is probably broken."
         exit 1
     fi
+
+    # Make sure the kubelet is healthy
+    if [ "$(curl --insecure -sw '%{http_code}' --user ${user}:${passwd} https://${KUBE_MASTER_IP}/proxy/minion/${MINION_NAMES[$i]}/healthz)" != "200" ]; then
+        echo "Kubelet failed to install on ${MINION_NAMES[$i]}. Your cluster is unlikely to work correctly."
+        echo "Please run ./cluster/kube-down.sh and re-create the cluster. (sorry!)"
+        exit 1
+    else
+    echo "Kubelet is successfully installed on ${MINION_NAMES[$i]}"
+
+    fi
 done
 echo "Cluster validation succeeded"