diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
index 725e2423c49..cf5a5cf03b6 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
@@ -2425,15 +2425,18 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) syncNetworkStatus() {
 			err = fmt.Errorf("Error on adding ip table rules: %v", err)
 			glog.Error(err)
 		}
-		if len(kl.podCIDR) == 0 {
+		kl.networkConfigMutex.Lock()
+		podCIDR := kl.podCIDR
+		kl.networkConfigMutex.Unlock()
+		if len(podCIDR) == 0 {
 			err = fmt.Errorf("ConfigureCBR0 requested, but PodCIDR not set. Will not configure CBR0 right now")
 			glog.Warning(err)
-		} else if err := kl.reconcileCBR0(kl.podCIDR); err != nil {
+		} else if err := kl.reconcileCBR0(podCIDR); err != nil {
 			err = fmt.Errorf("Error configuring cbr0: %v", err)
 			glog.Error(err)
 		}
 	}
-	kl.runtimeState.setNetworkError(err)
+	kl.runtimeState.setNetworkState(err)
 }
 
 // setNodeStatus fills in the Status fields of the given Node, overwriting
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
index 138a5e98a7d..4e833d41d2e 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ func newTestKubelet(t *testing.T) *TestKubelet {
 
 	kubelet.volumeManager = newVolumeManager()
 	kubelet.containerManager, _ = newContainerManager(fakeContainerMgrMountInt(), mockCadvisor, "", "", "")
-	kubelet.runtimeState.setNetworkError(nil)
+	kubelet.runtimeState.setNetworkState(nil)
 	fakeClock := &util.FakeClock{Time: time.Now()}
 	kubelet.backOff = util.NewBackOff(time.Second, time.Minute)
 	kubelet.backOff.Clock = fakeClock
@@ -2996,8 +2996,8 @@ func TestUpdateNodeStatusWithoutContainerRuntime(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 	}
-
 	kubelet.runtimeState = newRuntimeState(time.Duration(0))
+	kubelet.runtimeState.setNetworkState(nil)
 	kubelet.updateRuntimeUp()
 	if err := kubelet.updateNodeStatus(); err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v", err)
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/runtime.go b/pkg/kubelet/runtime.go
index c0068adf3bc..30c30ce7a7b 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/runtime.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/runtime.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package kubelet
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -35,10 +36,7 @@ func (s *runtimeState) setRuntimeSync(t time.Time) {
 	s.lastBaseRuntimeSync = t
 }
 
-func (s *runtimeState) setNetworkError(err error) {
-	if err == nil {
-		return
-	}
+func (s *runtimeState) setNetworkState(err error) {
 	s.Lock()
 	defer s.Unlock()
 	s.networkError = err
@@ -70,5 +68,6 @@ func newRuntimeState(runtimeSyncThreshold time.Duration) *runtimeState {
 	return &runtimeState{
 		lastBaseRuntimeSync:      time.Time{},
 		baseRuntimeSyncThreshold: runtimeSyncThreshold,
+		networkError:             fmt.Errorf("network state unknown"),
 	}
 }