diff --git a/hack/make-rules/test-e2e-node.sh b/hack/make-rules/test-e2e-node.sh
index 7ee66c14ef8..3778fef5382 100755
--- a/hack/make-rules/test-e2e-node.sh
+++ b/hack/make-rules/test-e2e-node.sh
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ extra_envs=${EXTRA_ENVS:-}
 runtime_config=${RUNTIME_CONFIG:-}
 ssh_user=${SSH_USER:-"${USER}"}
 ssh_key=${SSH_KEY:-}
-kubelet_config_file=${KUBELET_CONFIG_FILE:-""}
+kubelet_config_file=${KUBELET_CONFIG_FILE:-"test/e2e_node/jenkins/default-kubelet-config.yaml"}
 
 # Parse the flags to pass to ginkgo
 ginkgoflags=""
diff --git a/test/e2e_node/jenkins/default-kubelet-config.yaml b/test/e2e_node/jenkins/default-kubelet-config.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..36acf31218b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/e2e_node/jenkins/default-kubelet-config.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+apiVersion: kubelet.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
+kind: KubeletConfiguration
+cgroupDriver: cgroupfs
+cgroupRoot: /
+
+# Assign a fixed CIDR to the node because we do not run a node controller
+# This MUST be in sync with IPs in:
+# - cluster/gce/config-test.sh and
+# - test/e2e_node/conformance/run_test.sh
+podCIDR: "10.100.0.0/24"
+
+# Aggregate volumes frequently to reduce test wait times
+volumeStatsAggPeriod: 10s
+# Check files frequently to reduce test wait times
+fileCheckFrequency: 10s
+
+evictionPressureTransitionPeriod: 30s
+evictionHard:
+  memory.available: 250Mi
+  nodefs.available: 10%
+  nodefs.inodesFree: 5%
+evictionMinimumReclaim:
+  nodefs.available: 5%
+  nodefs.inodesFree: 5%
+
+serializeImagePulls: false
+
diff --git a/test/e2e_node/services/kubelet.go b/test/e2e_node/services/kubelet.go
index 34d63089520..dff1da3ce99 100644
--- a/test/e2e_node/services/kubelet.go
+++ b/test/e2e_node/services/kubelet.go
@@ -24,9 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
-	"time"
 
-	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
 	cliflag "k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
@@ -173,38 +171,9 @@ func (e *E2EServices) startKubelet() (*server, error) {
 	// --read-only-port
 	kc.ReadOnlyPort = ports.KubeletReadOnlyPort
 
-	// Setup general overrides for the kubelet.
-	// TODO(endocrimes): Move the following to a `default` configuration file
-
-	kc.CgroupRoot = "/"
-
-	kc.VolumeStatsAggPeriod = metav1.Duration{Duration: 10 * time.Second} // Aggregate volumes frequently so tests don't need to wait as long
-
-	kc.SerializeImagePulls = false
-
+	// Static Pods are in a per-test location, so we override them for tests.
 	kc.StaticPodPath = podPath
 
-	kc.FileCheckFrequency = metav1.Duration{Duration: 10 * time.Second} // Check file frequently so tests won't wait too long
-
-	// Assign a fixed CIDR to the node because there is no node controller.
-	// Note: this MUST be in sync with the IP in
-	// - cluster/gce/config-test.sh and
-	// - test/e2e_node/conformance/run_test.sh.
-	kc.PodCIDR = "10.100.0.0/24"
-
-	kc.EvictionPressureTransitionPeriod = metav1.Duration{Duration: 30 * time.Second}
-
-	kc.EvictionHard = map[string]string{
-		"memory.available":  "250Mi",
-		"nodefs.available":  "10%",
-		"nodefs.inodesFree": "5%",
-	}
-
-	kc.EvictionMinimumReclaim = map[string]string{
-		"nodefs.available":  "5%",
-		"nodefs.inodesFree": "5%",
-	}
-
 	var killCommand, restartCommand *exec.Cmd
 	var isSystemd bool
 	// Apply default kubelet flags.