diff --git a/cluster/gce/configure-vm.sh b/cluster/gce/configure-vm.sh
index 30c0e9ecd03..256406bd9e9 100644
--- a/cluster/gce/configure-vm.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/configure-vm.sh
@@ -245,14 +245,34 @@ admission_control: '$(echo "$ADMISSION_CONTROL" | sed -e "s/'/''/g")'
 EOF
 }
 
-# This should only happen on cluster initialization. Uses
-# KUBE_PASSWORD and KUBE_USER to generate basic_auth.csv. Uses
-# KUBE_BEARER_TOKEN, KUBELET_TOKEN, and KUBE_PROXY_TOKEN to generate
-# known_tokens.csv (KNOWN_TOKENS_FILE). After the first boot and
-# on upgrade, this file exists on the master-pd and should never
-# be touched again (except perhaps an additional service account,
-# see NB below.)
+# This should only happen on cluster initialization.
+#
+#  - Uses KUBE_PASSWORD and KUBE_USER to generate basic_auth.csv.
+#  - Uses KUBE_BEARER_TOKEN, KUBELET_TOKEN, and KUBE_PROXY_TOKEN to generate
+#    known_tokens.csv (KNOWN_TOKENS_FILE).
+#  - Uses CA_CERT, MASTER_CERT, and MASTER_KEY to populate the SSL credentials
+#    for the apiserver.
+#  - Optionally uses KUBECFG_CERT and KUBECFG_KEY to store a copy of the client
+#    cert credentials.
+#
+# After the first boot and on upgrade, these files exists on the master-pd
+# and should never be touched again (except perhaps an additional service
+# account, see NB below.)
 function create-salt-master-auth() {
+  if [[ ! -e /srv/kubernetes/ca.crt ]]; then
+    if  [[ ! -z "${CA_CERT:-}" ]] && [[ ! -z "${MASTER_CERT:-}" ]] && [[ ! -z "${MASTER_KEY:-}" ]]; then
+      mkdir -p /srv/kubernetes
+      (umask 077;
+        echo "${CA_CERT}" | base64 -d > /srv/kubernetes/ca.crt;
+        echo "${MASTER_CERT}" | base64 -d > /srv/kubernetes/server.cert;
+        echo "${MASTER_KEY}" | base64 -d > /srv/kubernetes/server.key;
+        # Kubecfg cert/key are optional and included for backwards compatibility.
+        # TODO(roberthbailey): Remove these two lines once GKE no longer requires
+        # fetching clients certs from the master VM.
+        echo "${KUBECFG_CERT:-}" | base64 -d > /srv/kubernetes/kubecfg.crt;
+        echo "${KUBECFG_KEY:-}" | base64 -d > /srv/kubernetes/kubecfg.key)
+    fi
+  fi
   if [ ! -e "${BASIC_AUTH_FILE}" ]; then
     mkdir -p /srv/salt-overlay/salt/kube-apiserver
     (umask 077;
@@ -278,12 +298,46 @@ function create-salt-master-auth() {
   fi
 }
 
+# TODO(roberthbailey): Remove the insecure kubeconfig configuration files
+# once the certs are being plumbed through for GKE.
 function create-salt-node-auth() {
+  if [[ ! -e /srv/kubernetes/ca.crt ]]; then
+    if [[ ! -z "${CA_CERT:-}" ]] && [[ ! -z "${KUBELET_CERT:-}" ]] && [[ ! -z "${KUBELET_KEY:-}" ]]; then
+      mkdir -p /srv/kubernetes
+      (umask 077;
+        echo "${CA_CERT}" | base64 -d > /srv/kubernetes/ca.crt;
+        echo "${KUBELET_CERT}" | base64 -d > /srv/kubernetes/kubelet.crt;
+        echo "${KUBELET_KEY}" | base64 -d > /srv/kubernetes/kubelet.key)
+    fi
+  fi
   kubelet_kubeconfig_file="/srv/salt-overlay/salt/kubelet/kubeconfig"
   if [ ! -e "${kubelet_kubeconfig_file}" ]; then
     mkdir -p /srv/salt-overlay/salt/kubelet
-    (umask 077;
-    cat > "${kubelet_kubeconfig_file}" <<EOF
+    if [[ ! -z "${CA_CERT:-}" ]] && [[ ! -z "${KUBELET_CERT:-}" ]] && [[ ! -z "${KUBELET_KEY:-}" ]]; then
+      (umask 077;
+        cat > "${kubelet_kubeconfig_file}" <<EOF
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Config
+users:
+- name: kubelet
+  user:
+    client-certificate-data: ${KUBELET_CERT}
+    client-key-data: ${KUBELET_KEY}
+clusters:
+- name: local
+  cluster:
+    certificate-authority-data: ${CA_CERT}
+contexts:
+- context:
+    cluster: local
+    user: kubelet
+  name: service-account-context
+current-context: service-account-context
+EOF
+)
+    else
+      (umask 077;
+      cat > "${kubelet_kubeconfig_file}" <<EOF
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: Config
 users:
@@ -302,17 +356,36 @@ contexts:
 current-context: service-account-context
 EOF
 )
+    fi
   fi
 
   kube_proxy_kubeconfig_file="/srv/salt-overlay/salt/kube-proxy/kubeconfig"
   if [ ! -e "${kube_proxy_kubeconfig_file}" ]; then
     mkdir -p /srv/salt-overlay/salt/kube-proxy
-
-    # Make a kubeconfig file with the token.
-    # TODO(etune): put apiserver certs into secret too, and reference from authfile,
-    # so that "Insecure" is not needed.
-    (umask 077;
-    cat > "${kube_proxy_kubeconfig_file}" <<EOF
+    if [[ ! -z "${CA_CERT}" ]]; then
+      (umask 077;
+        cat > "${kube_proxy_kubeconfig_file}" <<EOF
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Config
+users:
+- name: kube-proxy
+  user:
+    token: ${KUBE_PROXY_TOKEN}
+clusters:
+- name: local
+  cluster:
+    certificate-authority-data: ${CA_CERT}
+contexts:
+- context:
+    cluster: local
+    user: kube-proxy
+  name: service-account-context
+current-context: service-account-context
+EOF
+)
+    else
+      (umask 077;
+      cat > "${kube_proxy_kubeconfig_file}" <<EOF
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: Config
 users:
@@ -331,6 +404,7 @@ contexts:
 current-context: service-account-context
 EOF
 )
+    fi
   fi
 }
 
@@ -430,14 +504,8 @@ EOF
 }
 
 function salt-set-apiserver() {
-  local kube_master_fqdn
-  until kube_master_fqdn=$(getent hosts ${KUBERNETES_MASTER_NAME} | awk '{ print $2 }'); do
-    echo 'Waiting for DNS resolution of ${KUBERNETES_MASTER_NAME}...'
-    sleep 3
-  done
-
   cat <<EOF >>/etc/salt/minion.d/grains.conf
-  api_servers: '${kube_master_fqdn}'
+  api_servers: '${KUBERNETES_MASTER_NAME}'
 EOF
 }
 
diff --git a/cluster/gce/coreos/helper.sh b/cluster/gce/coreos/helper.sh
index bf3c373402c..a5c63c5ef2c 100644
--- a/cluster/gce/coreos/helper.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/coreos/helper.sh
@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@ KUBE_PROXY_TOKEN: $(yaml-quote ${KUBE_PROXY_TOKEN:-})
 ADMISSION_CONTROL: $(yaml-quote ${ADMISSION_CONTROL:-})
 MASTER_IP_RANGE: $(yaml-quote ${MASTER_IP_RANGE})
 KUBERNETES_CONTAINER_RUNTIME: $(yaml-quote ${CONTAINER_RUNTIME})
+CA_CERT: $(yaml-quote ${CA_CERT_BASE64})
+MASTER_CERT: $(yaml-quote ${MASTER_CERT_BASE64:-})
+MASTER_KEY: $(yaml-quote ${MASTER_KEY_BASE64:-})
+KUBECFG_CERT: $(yaml-quote ${KUBECFG_CERT_BASE64:-})
+KUBECFG_KEY: $(yaml-quote ${KUBECFG_KEY_BASE64:-})
 EOF
   else
     cat >>$file <<EOF
@@ -79,6 +84,9 @@ EXTRA_DOCKER_OPTS=$(yaml-quote ${EXTRA_DOCKER_OPTS})
 ENABLE_DOCKER_REGISTRY_CACHE=$(yaml-quote ${ENABLE_DOCKER_REGISTRY_CACHE:-false})
 PROJECT_ID=$(yaml-quote ${PROJECT})
 KUBERNETES_CONTAINER_RUNTIME=$(yaml-quote ${CONTAINER_RUNTIME})
+CA_CERT: $(yaml-quote ${CA_CERT_BASE64})
+KUBELET_CERT: $(yaml-quote ${KUBELET_CERT_BASE64:-})
+KUBELET_KEY: $(yaml-quote ${KUBELET_KEY_BASE64:-})
 EOF
   fi
 }
diff --git a/cluster/gce/debian/helper.sh b/cluster/gce/debian/helper.sh
index 17367328532..d3a61d2fb33 100644
--- a/cluster/gce/debian/helper.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/debian/helper.sh
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ KUBELET_TOKEN: $(yaml-quote ${KUBELET_TOKEN:-})
 KUBE_PROXY_TOKEN: $(yaml-quote ${KUBE_PROXY_TOKEN:-})
 ADMISSION_CONTROL: $(yaml-quote ${ADMISSION_CONTROL:-})
 MASTER_IP_RANGE: $(yaml-quote ${MASTER_IP_RANGE})
+CA_CERT: $(yaml-quote ${CA_CERT_BASE64})
 EOF
 
   if [[ "${master}" == "true" ]]; then
@@ -53,6 +54,10 @@ EOF
 KUBE_USER: $(yaml-quote ${KUBE_USER})
 KUBE_PASSWORD: $(yaml-quote ${KUBE_PASSWORD})
 KUBE_BEARER_TOKEN: $(yaml-quote ${KUBE_BEARER_TOKEN})
+MASTER_CERT: $(yaml-quote ${MASTER_CERT_BASE64:-})
+MASTER_KEY: $(yaml-quote ${MASTER_KEY_BASE64:-})
+KUBECFG_CERT: $(yaml-quote ${KUBECFG_CERT_BASE64:-})
+KUBECFG_KEY: $(yaml-quote ${KUBECFG_KEY_BASE64:-})
 EOF
   else
     # Node-only env vars.
@@ -61,6 +66,8 @@ KUBERNETES_MASTER_NAME: $(yaml-quote ${MASTER_NAME})
 ZONE: $(yaml-quote ${ZONE})
 EXTRA_DOCKER_OPTS: $(yaml-quote ${EXTRA_DOCKER_OPTS})
 ENABLE_DOCKER_REGISTRY_CACHE: $(yaml-quote ${ENABLE_DOCKER_REGISTRY_CACHE:-false})
+KUBELET_CERT: $(yaml-quote ${KUBELET_CERT_BASE64:-})
+KUBELET_KEY: $(yaml-quote ${KUBELET_KEY_BASE64:-})
 EOF
   fi
 }
diff --git a/cluster/gce/util.sh b/cluster/gce/util.sh
index 46b5682eefc..9c10fa17da0 100755
--- a/cluster/gce/util.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/util.sh
@@ -479,6 +479,64 @@ function write-node-env {
   build-kube-env false "${KUBE_TEMP}/node-kube-env.yaml"
 }
 
+# Create certificate pairs for the cluster.
+# $1: The public IP for the master.
+#
+# These are used for static cert distribution (e.g. static clustering) at
+# cluster creation time. This will be obsoleted once we implement dynamic
+# clustering.
+#
+# The following certificate pairs are created:
+#
+#  - ca (the cluster's certificate authority)
+#  - server
+#  - kubelet
+#  - kubecfg (for kubectl)
+#
+# TODO(roberthbailey): Replace easyrsa with a simple Go program to generate
+# the certs that we need.
+#
+# Assumed vars
+#   KUBE_TEMP
+#
+# Vars set:
+#   CERT_DIR
+#   CA_CERT_BASE64
+#   MASTER_CERT_BASE64
+#   MASTER_KEY_BASE64
+#   KUBELET_CERT_BASE64
+#   KUBELET_KEY_BASE64
+#   KUBECFG_CERT_BASE64
+#   KUBECFG_KEY_BASE64
+function create-certs {
+  local cert_ip
+  cert_ip="${1}"
+
+  # Note: This was heavily cribbed from make-ca-cert.sh
+  (cd "${KUBE_TEMP}"
+    curl -L -O https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-release/easy-rsa/easy-rsa.tar.gz > /dev/null 2>&1
+    tar xzf easy-rsa.tar.gz > /dev/null 2>&1
+    cd easy-rsa-master/easyrsa3
+    ./easyrsa init-pki > /dev/null 2>&1
+    ./easyrsa --batch "--req-cn=${cert_ip}@$(date +%s)" build-ca nopass > /dev/null 2>&1
+    ./easyrsa --subject-alt-name=IP:"${cert_ip}" build-server-full "${MASTER_NAME}" nopass > /dev/null 2>&1
+    ./easyrsa build-client-full kubelet nopass > /dev/null 2>&1
+    ./easyrsa build-client-full kubecfg nopass > /dev/null 2>&1) || {
+    # If there was an error in the subshell, just die.
+    # TODO(roberthbailey): add better error handling here
+    echo "=== Failed to generate certificates: Aborting ==="
+    exit 2
+  }
+  CERT_DIR="${KUBE_TEMP}/easy-rsa-master/easyrsa3"
+  CA_CERT_BASE64=$(cat "${CERT_DIR}/pki/ca.crt" | base64)
+  MASTER_CERT_BASE64=$(cat "${CERT_DIR}/pki/issued/${MASTER_NAME}.crt" | base64)
+  MASTER_KEY_BASE64=$(cat "${CERT_DIR}/pki/private/${MASTER_NAME}.key" | base64)
+  KUBELET_CERT_BASE64=$(cat "${CERT_DIR}/pki/issued/kubelet.crt" | base64)
+  KUBELET_KEY_BASE64=$(cat "${CERT_DIR}/pki/private/kubelet.key" | base64)
+  KUBECFG_CERT_BASE64=$(cat "${CERT_DIR}/pki/issued/kubecfg.crt" | base64)
+  KUBECFG_KEY_BASE64=$(cat "${CERT_DIR}/pki/private/kubecfg.key" | base64)
+}
+
 # Instantiate a kubernetes cluster
 #
 # Assumed vars
@@ -549,7 +607,9 @@ function kube-up {
     --project "${PROJECT}" \
     --region "${REGION}" -q --format yaml | awk '/^address:/ { print $2 }')
 
-  create-master-instance $MASTER_RESERVED_IP &
+  create-certs "${MASTER_RESERVED_IP}"
+
+  create-master-instance "${MASTER_RESERVED_IP}" &
 
   # Create a single firewall rule for all minions.
   create-firewall-rule "${MINION_TAG}-all" "${CLUSTER_IP_RANGE}" "${MINION_TAG}" &
@@ -594,7 +654,8 @@ function kube-up {
   echo "  up."
   echo
 
-  until curl --insecure -H "Authorization: Bearer ${KUBE_BEARER_TOKEN}" \
+  until curl --cacert "${CERT_DIR}/pki/ca.crt" \
+          -H "Authorization: Bearer ${KUBE_BEARER_TOKEN}" \
           --max-time 5 --fail --output /dev/null --silent \
           "https://${KUBE_MASTER_IP}/api/v1beta3/pods"; do
       printf "."
@@ -603,20 +664,12 @@ function kube-up {
 
   echo "Kubernetes cluster created."
 
-  # TODO use token instead of basic auth
-  export KUBE_CERT="/tmp/$RANDOM-kubecfg.crt"
-  export KUBE_KEY="/tmp/$RANDOM-kubecfg.key"
-  export CA_CERT="/tmp/$RANDOM-kubernetes.ca.crt"
+  export KUBE_CERT="${CERT_DIR}/pki/issued/kubecfg.crt"
+  export KUBE_KEY="${CERT_DIR}/pki/private/kubecfg.key"
+  export CA_CERT="${CERT_DIR}/pki/ca.crt"
   export CONTEXT="${PROJECT}_${INSTANCE_PREFIX}"
-
-  # TODO: generate ADMIN (and KUBELET) tokens and put those in the master's
-  # config file.  Distribute the same way the htpasswd is done.
   (
    umask 077
-   gcloud compute ssh --project "${PROJECT}" --zone "$ZONE" "${MASTER_NAME}" --command "sudo cat /srv/kubernetes/kubecfg.crt" >"${KUBE_CERT}" 2>/dev/null
-   gcloud compute ssh --project "${PROJECT}" --zone "$ZONE" "${MASTER_NAME}" --command "sudo cat /srv/kubernetes/kubecfg.key" >"${KUBE_KEY}" 2>/dev/null
-   gcloud compute ssh --project "${PROJECT}" --zone "$ZONE" "${MASTER_NAME}" --command "sudo cat /srv/kubernetes/ca.crt" >"${CA_CERT}" 2>/dev/null
-
    create-kubeconfig
   )