diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
index 0207a88eddc..cb2b567b79d 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
@@ -780,7 +780,7 @@ func NewMainKubelet(kubeCfg *kubeletconfiginternal.KubeletConfiguration,
 		containerRefManager,
 		kubeDeps.Recorder)
 
-	tokenManager := token.NewManager(kubeDeps.KubeClient.CoreV1())
+	tokenManager := token.NewManager(kubeDeps.KubeClient)
 
 	klet.volumePluginMgr, err =
 		NewInitializedVolumePluginMgr(klet, secretManager, configMapManager, tokenManager, kubeDeps.VolumePlugins, kubeDeps.DynamicPluginProber)
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
index f49d86eed1c..fd18b128331 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ func newTestKubeletWithImageList(
 
 	var prober volume.DynamicPluginProber = nil // TODO (#51147) inject mock
 	kubelet.volumePluginMgr, err =
-		NewInitializedVolumePluginMgr(kubelet, kubelet.secretManager, kubelet.configMapManager, token.NewManager(kubelet.kubeClient.CoreV1()), allPlugins, prober)
+		NewInitializedVolumePluginMgr(kubelet, kubelet.secretManager, kubelet.configMapManager, token.NewManager(kubelet.kubeClient), allPlugins, prober)
 	require.NoError(t, err, "Failed to initialize VolumePluginMgr")
 
 	kubelet.mounter = &mount.FakeMounter{}
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/token/BUILD b/pkg/kubelet/token/BUILD
index d861681f574..d4d812a25a5 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/token/BUILD
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/token/BUILD
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ go_library(
         "//vendor/k8s.io/api/authentication/v1:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/clock:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait:go_default_library",
-        "//vendor/k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/typed/core/v1:go_default_library",
+        "//vendor/k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes:go_default_library",
     ],
 )
 
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/token/token_manager.go b/pkg/kubelet/token/token_manager.go
index 6d7ce23aea0..db052e51e41 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/token/token_manager.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/token/token_manager.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package token
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ import (
 	authenticationv1 "k8s.io/api/authentication/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/clock"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
-	corev1 "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/typed/core/v1"
+	clientset "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -36,10 +37,13 @@ const (
 )
 
 // NewManager returns a new token manager.
-func NewManager(c corev1.CoreV1Interface) *Manager {
+func NewManager(c clientset.Interface) *Manager {
 	m := &Manager{
 		getToken: func(name, namespace string, tr *authenticationv1.TokenRequest) (*authenticationv1.TokenRequest, error) {
-			return c.ServiceAccounts(namespace).CreateToken(name, tr)
+			if c == nil {
+				return nil, errors.New("cannot use TokenManager when kubelet is in standalone mode")
+			}
+			return c.CoreV1().ServiceAccounts(namespace).CreateToken(name, tr)
 		},
 		cache: make(map[string]*authenticationv1.TokenRequest),
 		clock: clock.RealClock{},