diff --git a/hack/lib/init.sh b/hack/lib/init.sh
index 53fdb69c3ad..60baa0b742a 100644
--- a/hack/lib/init.sh
+++ b/hack/lib/init.sh
@@ -39,8 +39,6 @@ source "${KUBE_ROOT}/hack/lib/version.sh"
 source "${KUBE_ROOT}/hack/lib/golang.sh"
 source "${KUBE_ROOT}/hack/lib/etcd.sh"
 
-KUBE_GIT_UPSTREAM="${KUBE_GIT_UPSTREAM:-upstream}"
-
 KUBE_OUTPUT_HOSTBIN="${KUBE_OUTPUT_BINPATH}/$(kube::util::host_platform)"
 
 # This emulates "readlink -f" which is not available on MacOS X.
diff --git a/hack/update-munge-docs.sh b/hack/update-munge-docs.sh
index f6ce5fb9e5b..2c1dec561a7 100755
--- a/hack/update-munge-docs.sh
+++ b/hack/update-munge-docs.sh
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ set -o pipefail
 KUBE_ROOT=$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE}")/..
 source "${KUBE_ROOT}/hack/lib/init.sh"
 
+git_upstream=$(kube::util::git_upstream_remote_name)
+: ${git_upstream:="upstream"}
+
 kube::golang::setup_env
 
 "${KUBE_ROOT}/hack/build-go.sh" \
@@ -31,7 +34,10 @@ kube::util::ensure-temp-dir
 kube::util::gen-analytics "${KUBE_ROOT}"
 
 mungedocs=$(kube::util::find-binary "mungedocs")
-"${mungedocs}" "--upstream=${KUBE_GIT_UPSTREAM}" "--root-dir=${KUBE_ROOT}/docs/" && ret=0 || ret=$?
+
+"${mungedocs}" "--upstream=${git_upstream}" "--root-dir=${KUBE_ROOT}/docs/" \
+ && ret=0 || ret=$?
+
 if [[ $ret -eq 1 ]]; then
   echo "${KUBE_ROOT}/docs/ requires manual changes.  See preceding errors."
   exit 1
@@ -40,7 +46,9 @@ elif [[ $ret -gt 1 ]]; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
-"${mungedocs}" "--upstream=${KUBE_GIT_UPSTREAM}" "--root-dir=${KUBE_ROOT}/examples/" && ret=0 || ret=$?
+"${mungedocs}" "--upstream=${git_upstream}" \
+               "--root-dir=${KUBE_ROOT}/examples/" && ret=0 || ret=$?
+
 if [[ $ret -eq 1 ]]; then
   echo "${KUBE_ROOT}/examples/ requires manual changes.  See preceding errors."
   exit 1
@@ -49,7 +57,7 @@ elif [[ $ret -gt 1 ]]; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
-"${mungedocs}" "--upstream=${KUBE_GIT_UPSTREAM}" \
+"${mungedocs}" "--upstream=${git_upstream}" \
                "--skip-munges=unversioned-warning,analytics" \
                "--norecurse" \
                "--root-dir=${KUBE_ROOT}/" && ret=0 || ret=$?
diff --git a/hack/verify-munge-docs.sh b/hack/verify-munge-docs.sh
index 52a68582526..69555680e9e 100755
--- a/hack/verify-munge-docs.sh
+++ b/hack/verify-munge-docs.sh
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ set -o pipefail
 KUBE_ROOT=$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE}")/..
 source "${KUBE_ROOT}/hack/lib/init.sh"
 
+git_upstream=$(kube::util::git_upstream_remote_name)
+: ${git_upstream:="upstream"}
+
 kube::golang::setup_env
 
 "${KUBE_ROOT}/hack/build-go.sh" \
@@ -35,7 +38,7 @@ EXAMPLEROOT="${KUBE_ROOT}/examples/"
 # mungedocs --verify can (and should) be run on the real docs, otherwise their
 # links will be distorted. --verify means that it will not make changes.
 # --verbose gives us output we can use for a diff.
-"${mungedocs}" "--verify=true" "--verbose=true" "--upstream=${KUBE_GIT_UPSTREAM}" "--root-dir=${DOCROOT}" && ret=0 || ret=$?
+"${mungedocs}" "--verify=true" "--verbose=true" "--upstream=${git_upstream}" "--root-dir=${DOCROOT}" && ret=0 || ret=$?
 if [[ $ret -eq 1 ]]; then
   echo "${DOCROOT} is out of date. Please run hack/update-munge-docs.sh"
   exit 1
@@ -45,7 +48,7 @@ if [[ $ret -gt 1 ]]; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
-"${mungedocs}" "--verify=true" "--verbose=true" "--upstream=${KUBE_GIT_UPSTREAM}" "--root-dir=${EXAMPLEROOT}" && ret=0 || ret=$?
+"${mungedocs}" "--verify=true" "--verbose=true" "--upstream=${git_upstream}" "--root-dir=${EXAMPLEROOT}" && ret=0 || ret=$?
 if [[ $ret -eq 1 ]]; then
   echo "${EXAMPLEROOT} is out of date. Please run hack/update-munge-docs.sh"
   exit 1