diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
index 06a8e8d4055..32f9869cc4c 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
@@ -495,12 +495,6 @@ func NewMainKubelet(kubeCfg *componentconfig.KubeletConfiguration, kubeDeps *Kub
 		klet.flannelHelper = NewFlannelHelper()
 		glog.Infof("Flannel is in charge of podCIDR and overlay networking.")
 	}
-	if klet.nodeIP != nil {
-		if err := klet.validateNodeIP(); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		glog.Infof("Using node IP: %q", klet.nodeIP.String())
-	}
 
 	if mode, err := effectiveHairpinMode(componentconfig.HairpinMode(kubeCfg.HairpinMode), kubeCfg.ContainerRuntime, kubeCfg.ConfigureCBR0, kubeCfg.NetworkPluginName); err != nil {
 		// This is a non-recoverable error. Returning it up the callstack will just
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_network.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_network.go
index 2672c2f6ea0..618ed522340 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_network.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_network.go
@@ -81,39 +81,6 @@ func effectiveHairpinMode(hairpinMode componentconfig.HairpinMode, containerRunt
 	return hairpinMode, nil
 }
 
-// Validate given node IP belongs to the current host
-func (kl *Kubelet) validateNodeIP() error {
-	if kl.nodeIP == nil {
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	// Honor IP limitations set in setNodeStatus()
-	if kl.nodeIP.IsLoopback() {
-		return fmt.Errorf("nodeIP can't be loopback address")
-	}
-	if kl.nodeIP.To4() == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("nodeIP must be IPv4 address")
-	}
-
-	addrs, err := net.InterfaceAddrs()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	for _, addr := range addrs {
-		var ip net.IP
-		switch v := addr.(type) {
-		case *net.IPNet:
-			ip = v.IP
-		case *net.IPAddr:
-			ip = v.IP
-		}
-		if ip != nil && ip.Equal(kl.nodeIP) {
-			return nil
-		}
-	}
-	return fmt.Errorf("Node IP: %q not found in the host's network interfaces", kl.nodeIP.String())
-}
-
 // providerRequiresNetworkingConfiguration returns whether the cloud provider
 // requires special networking configuration.
 func (kl *Kubelet) providerRequiresNetworkingConfiguration() bool {
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_node_status.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_node_status.go
index e6d135fcf80..b340f148818 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_node_status.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_node_status.go
@@ -359,6 +359,14 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) recordNodeStatusEvent(eventtype, event string) {
 
 // Set IP addresses for the node.
 func (kl *Kubelet) setNodeAddress(node *api.Node) error {
+
+	if kl.nodeIP != nil {
+		if err := kl.validateNodeIP(); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to validate nodeIP: %v", err)
+		}
+		glog.V(2).Infof("Using node IP: %q", kl.nodeIP.String())
+	}
+
 	if kl.cloud != nil {
 		instances, ok := kl.cloud.Instances()
 		if !ok {
@@ -861,3 +869,36 @@ func SetNodeStatus(f func(*api.Node) error) Option {
 		k.setNodeStatusFuncs = append(k.setNodeStatusFuncs, f)
 	}
 }
+
+// Validate given node IP belongs to the current host
+func (kl *Kubelet) validateNodeIP() error {
+	if kl.nodeIP == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// Honor IP limitations set in setNodeStatus()
+	if kl.nodeIP.IsLoopback() {
+		return fmt.Errorf("nodeIP can't be loopback address")
+	}
+	if kl.nodeIP.To4() == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("nodeIP must be IPv4 address")
+	}
+
+	addrs, err := net.InterfaceAddrs()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	for _, addr := range addrs {
+		var ip net.IP
+		switch v := addr.(type) {
+		case *net.IPNet:
+			ip = v.IP
+		case *net.IPAddr:
+			ip = v.IP
+		}
+		if ip != nil && ip.Equal(kl.nodeIP) {
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+	return fmt.Errorf("Node IP: %q not found in the host's network interfaces", kl.nodeIP.String())
+}