diff --git a/hack/verify-flags/exceptions.txt b/hack/verify-flags/exceptions.txt
index adac72a3d42..764eaf0accb 100644
--- a/hack/verify-flags/exceptions.txt
+++ b/hack/verify-flags/exceptions.txt
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ docs/getting-started-guides/coreos/azure/lib/deployment_logic/kubernetes.js:var
 examples/cassandra/image/run.sh:	cluster_name \
 examples/cluster-dns/images/frontend/client.py:  service_address = socket.gethostbyname(hostname)
 examples/vitess/env.sh:    node_ip=$(get_node_ip)
+hack/jenkins/e2e-runner.sh:    local image_project="$1"
 hack/local-up-cluster.sh:      runtime_config="--runtime-config=${RUNTIME_CONFIG}"
 hack/local-up-cluster.sh:    runtime_config=""
 hack/test-update-storage-objects.sh:  local storage_media_type=${2:-""}
diff --git a/hack/verify-flags/known-flags.txt b/hack/verify-flags/known-flags.txt
index 796afbb6d03..30d1983df6e 100644
--- a/hack/verify-flags/known-flags.txt
+++ b/hack/verify-flags/known-flags.txt
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ ignore-daemonsets
 ignore-not-found
 image-gc-high-threshold
 image-gc-low-threshold
+image-project
 image-pull-policy
 include-extended-apis
 included-types-overrides
@@ -410,6 +411,7 @@ service-node-ports
 service-overrides
 service-sync-period
 session-affinity
+setup-node
 show-all
 show-events
 show-labels
diff --git a/test/e2e_node/e2e_node_suite_test.go b/test/e2e_node/e2e_node_suite_test.go
index b450db81318..3fed3209eae 100644
--- a/test/e2e_node/e2e_node_suite_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e_node/e2e_node_suite_test.go
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ var _ = AfterSuite(func() {
 		glog.Infof("Stopping node services...")
 		e2es.stop()
 	}
+
 	glog.Infof("Tests Finished")
 })
 
diff --git a/test/e2e_node/e2e_remote.go b/test/e2e_node/e2e_remote.go
index 20f4280664b..a81ce4bf544 100644
--- a/test/e2e_node/e2e_remote.go
+++ b/test/e2e_node/e2e_remote.go
@@ -124,9 +124,19 @@ func CreateTestArchive() string {
 	return filepath.Join(dir, archiveName)
 }
 
-// RunRemote copies the archive file to a /tmp file on host, unpacks it, and runs the e2e_node.test
 // Returns the command output, whether the exit was ok, and any errors
-func RunRemote(archive string, host string, cleanup bool, junitFileNumber int) (string, bool, error) {
+func RunRemote(archive string, host string, cleanup bool, junitFileNumber int, setupNode bool) (string, bool, error) {
+	if setupNode {
+		uname, err := user.Current()
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", false, fmt.Errorf("could not find username: %v", err)
+		}
+		output, err := RunSshCommand("ssh", host, "--", "sudo", "usermod", "-a", "-G", "docker", uname.Username)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", false, fmt.Errorf("Instance %s not running docker daemon - Command failed: %s", host, output)
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Create the temp staging directory
 	glog.Infof("Staging test binaries on %s", host)
 	tmp := fmt.Sprintf("/tmp/gcloud-e2e-%d", rand.Int31())
diff --git a/test/e2e_node/environment/setup_host.sh b/test/e2e_node/environment/setup_host.sh
index ebbfd5d4e48..700a975c119 100755
--- a/test/e2e_node/environment/setup_host.sh
+++ b/test/e2e_node/environment/setup_host.sh
@@ -64,4 +64,4 @@ fi
 # delete init kubelet from containervm so that is doesn't startup
 if [ -f /etc/init.d/kubelet ]; then
   sudo rm /etc/init.d/kubelet
-fi
\ No newline at end of file
+fi
diff --git a/test/e2e_node/jenkins/e2e-node-jenkins.sh b/test/e2e_node/jenkins/e2e-node-jenkins.sh
index 573f6833977..67e3ed626d1 100755
--- a/test/e2e_node/jenkins/e2e-node-jenkins.sh
+++ b/test/e2e_node/jenkins/e2e-node-jenkins.sh
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ go build test/e2e_node/environment/conformance.go
 ARTIFACTS=${WORKSPACE}/_artifacts
 mkdir -p ${ARTIFACTS}
 go run test/e2e_node/runner/run_e2e.go  --logtostderr --vmodule=*=2 --ssh-env="gce" \
-  --zone="$GCE_ZONE" --project="$GCE_PROJECT"  \
+  --zone="$GCE_ZONE" --project="$GCE_PROJECT" --image-project="$GCE_IMAGE_PROJECT" \
   --hosts="$GCE_HOSTS" --images="$GCE_IMAGES" --cleanup="$CLEANUP" \
-  --results-dir="$ARTIFACTS" --ginkgo-flags="$GINKGO_FLAGS"
+  --results-dir="$ARTIFACTS" --ginkgo-flags="$GINKGO_FLAGS" \
+  --setup-node="$SETUP_NODE"
diff --git a/test/e2e_node/jenkins/jenkins-ci.properties b/test/e2e_node/jenkins/jenkins-ci.properties
index 04b778b11e5..03ce988d9c9 100644
--- a/test/e2e_node/jenkins/jenkins-ci.properties
+++ b/test/e2e_node/jenkins/jenkins-ci.properties
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ GCE_HOSTS=
 GCE_IMAGES=e2e-node-ubuntu-trusty-docker10-image,e2e-node-ubuntu-trusty-docker9-image,e2e-node-ubuntu-trusty-docker8-image,e2e-node-coreos-stable20160218-image,e2e-node-containervm-v20160321-image
 GCE_ZONE=us-central1-f
 GCE_PROJECT=kubernetes-jenkins
+GCE_IMAGE_PROJECT=kubernetes-jenkins
 INSTALL_GODEP=true
 CLEANUP=true
 GINKGO_FLAGS=
+SETUP_NODE=false
+
diff --git a/test/e2e_node/jenkins/jenkins-pull.properties b/test/e2e_node/jenkins/jenkins-pull.properties
index 76d0afdf2b5..027a69d3fbc 100644
--- a/test/e2e_node/jenkins/jenkins-pull.properties
+++ b/test/e2e_node/jenkins/jenkins-pull.properties
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ GCE_HOSTS=
 GCE_IMAGES=e2e-node-ubuntu-trusty-docker10-image,e2e-node-ubuntu-trusty-docker9-image,e2e-node-ubuntu-trusty-docker8-image,e2e-node-coreos-stable20160218-image,e2e-node-containervm-v20160321-image
 GCE_ZONE=us-central1-f
 GCE_PROJECT=kubernetes-jenkins-pull
+GCE_IMAGE_PROJECT=kubernetes-jenkins-pull
 INSTALL_GODEP=true
 CLEANUP=true
 GINKGO_FLAGS=
+SETUP_NODE=false
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/e2e_node/jenkins/template.properties b/test/e2e_node/jenkins/template.properties
index 70d0a5506f2..4c0277df8d7 100644
--- a/test/e2e_node/jenkins/template.properties
+++ b/test/e2e_node/jenkins/template.properties
@@ -5,9 +5,15 @@ GCE_HOSTS=
 GCE_IMAGES=
 # Gce zone to use - required when using GCE_IMAGES
 GCE_ZONE=
-# Gce project to use - required when using GCE_IMAGES
+# Gce project to use for creating instances 
+# required when using GCE_IMAGES
 GCE_PROJECT=
+# Gce project to use for GCE_IMAGES
+# required when using GCE_IMAGES
+GCE_IMAGE_PROJECT=
 # If true, assume a pristine GOPATH and install necessary godeps
 INSTALL_GODEP=false
 # If true, delete instances created from GCE_IMAGES and files copied to GCE_HOSTS
 CLEANUP=true
+# If true, current user will be added to the docker group on test node
+SETUP_NODE=false
diff --git a/test/e2e_node/runner/run_e2e.go b/test/e2e_node/runner/run_e2e.go
index e4f4022d9f3..1019073fa09 100644
--- a/test/e2e_node/runner/run_e2e.go
+++ b/test/e2e_node/runner/run_e2e.go
@@ -41,10 +41,12 @@ import (
 var instanceNamePrefix = flag.String("instance-name-prefix", "", "prefix for instance names")
 var zone = flag.String("zone", "", "gce zone the hosts live in")
 var project = flag.String("project", "", "gce project the hosts live in")
+var imageProject = flag.String("image-project", "", "gce project the hosts live in")
 var images = flag.String("images", "", "images to test")
 var hosts = flag.String("hosts", "", "hosts to test")
 var cleanup = flag.Bool("cleanup", true, "If true remove files from remote hosts and delete temporary instances")
 var buildOnly = flag.Bool("build-only", false, "If true, build e2e_node_test.tar.gz and exit.")
+var setupNode = flag.Bool("setup-node", false, "When true, current user will be added to docker group on the test machine")
 
 var computeService *compute.Service
 
@@ -70,8 +72,13 @@ func main() {
 	if *images != "" && *zone == "" {
 		glog.Fatal("Must specify --zone flag")
 	}
-	if *images != "" && *project == "" {
-		glog.Fatal("Must specify --project flag")
+	if *images != "" {
+		if *imageProject == "" {
+			glog.Fatal("Must specify --image-project flag")
+		}
+		if *project == "" {
+			glog.Fatal("Must specify --project flag")
+		}
 	}
 	if *instanceNamePrefix == "" {
 		*instanceNamePrefix = "tmp-node-e2e-" + uuid.NewUUID().String()[:8]
@@ -123,7 +130,7 @@ func main() {
 			fmt.Printf("Initializing e2e tests using host %s.\n", host)
 			running++
 			go func(host string, junitFileNum int) {
-				results <- testHost(host, archive, *cleanup, junitFileNum)
+				results <- testHost(host, archive, *cleanup, junitFileNum, *setupNode)
 			}(host, running)
 		}
 	}
@@ -153,8 +160,8 @@ func main() {
 }
 
 // Run tests in archive against host
-func testHost(host, archive string, deleteFiles bool, junitFileNum int) *TestResult {
-	output, exitOk, err := e2e_node.RunRemote(archive, host, deleteFiles, junitFileNum)
+func testHost(host, archive string, deleteFiles bool, junitFileNum int, setupNode bool) *TestResult {
+	output, exitOk, err := e2e_node.RunRemote(archive, host, deleteFiles, junitFileNum, setupNode)
 	return &TestResult{
 		output: output,
 		err:    err,
@@ -175,7 +182,7 @@ func testImage(image, archive string, junitFileNum int) *TestResult {
 			err: fmt.Errorf("Unable to create gce instance with running docker daemon for image %s.  %v", image, err),
 		}
 	}
-	return testHost(host, archive, false, junitFileNum)
+	return testHost(host, archive, false, junitFileNum, *setupNode)
 }
 
 // Provision a gce instance using image
@@ -253,7 +260,7 @@ func imageToInstanceName(image string) string {
 }
 
 func sourceImage(image string) string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("projects/%s/global/images/%s", *project, image)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("projects/%s/global/images/%s", *imageProject, image)
 }
 
 func machineType() string {