diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/config/common.go b/pkg/kubelet/config/common.go
index 04cbd899462..e917f89880b 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/config/common.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/config/common.go
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ func tryDecodePodList(data []byte, source string, isFile bool) (parsed bool, pod
 	return true, *newPods, err
 }
 
-func tryDecodeSingleManifest(data []byte) (parsed bool, manifest v1beta1.ContainerManifest, pod api.Pod, err error) {
+func tryDecodeSingleManifest(data []byte, source string, isFile bool) (parsed bool, manifest v1beta1.ContainerManifest, pod api.Pod, err error) {
 	// TODO: should be api.Scheme.Decode
 	// This is awful.  DecodeInto() expects to find an APIObject, which
 	// Manifest is not.  We keep reading manifest for now for compat, but
@@ -149,11 +149,14 @@ func tryDecodeSingleManifest(data []byte) (parsed bool, manifest v1beta1.Contain
 	if err = api.Scheme.Convert(&newManifest, &pod); err != nil {
 		return true, manifest, pod, err
 	}
+	if err = applyDefaults(&pod, source, isFile); err != nil {
+		return true, manifest, pod, err
+	}
 	// Success.
 	return true, manifest, pod, nil
 }
 
-func tryDecodeManifestList(data []byte) (parsed bool, manifests []v1beta1.ContainerManifest, pods api.PodList, err error) {
+func tryDecodeManifestList(data []byte, source string, isFile bool) (parsed bool, manifests []v1beta1.ContainerManifest, pods api.PodList, err error) {
 	// TODO: should be api.Scheme.Decode
 	// See the comment in tryDecodeSingle().
 	if err = yaml.Unmarshal(data, &manifests); err != nil {
@@ -174,6 +177,12 @@ func tryDecodeManifestList(data []byte) (parsed bool, manifests []v1beta1.Contai
 	if err = api.Scheme.Convert(&list, &pods); err != nil {
 		return true, manifests, pods, err
 	}
+	for i := range pods.Items {
+		pod := &pods.Items[i]
+		if err = applyDefaults(pod, source, isFile); err != nil {
+			return true, manifests, pods, err
+		}
+	}
 	// Success.
 	return true, manifests, pods, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/config/file.go b/pkg/kubelet/config/file.go
index ab8c9423a45..beb536cdd42 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/config/file.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/config/file.go
@@ -138,16 +138,12 @@ func extractFromFile(filename string) (pod api.Pod, err error) {
 		return pod, err
 	}
 
-	parsed, _, pod, manifestErr := tryDecodeSingleManifest(data)
+	parsed, _, pod, manifestErr := tryDecodeSingleManifest(data, filename, true)
 	if parsed {
 		if manifestErr != nil {
 			// It parsed but could not be used.
 			return pod, manifestErr
 		}
-		// It parsed!
-		if err = applyDefaults(&pod, filename, true); err != nil {
-			return pod, err
-		}
 		return pod, nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/config/http.go b/pkg/kubelet/config/http.go
index bb9e95f311b..d9638942a00 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/config/http.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/config/http.go
@@ -78,22 +78,19 @@ func (s *sourceURL) extractFromURL() error {
 	s.data = data
 
 	// First try as if it's a single manifest
-	parsed, manifest, pod, singleErr := tryDecodeSingleManifest(data)
+	parsed, manifest, pod, singleErr := tryDecodeSingleManifest(data, s.url, false)
 	if parsed {
 		if singleErr != nil {
 			// It parsed but could not be used.
 			return singleErr
 		}
 		// It parsed!
-		if err = applyDefaults(&pod, s.url, false); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
 		s.updates <- kubelet.PodUpdate{[]api.Pod{pod}, kubelet.SET, kubelet.HTTPSource}
 		return nil
 	}
 
 	// That didn't work, so try an array of manifests.
-	parsed, manifests, pods, multiErr := tryDecodeManifestList(data)
+	parsed, manifests, pods, multiErr := tryDecodeManifestList(data, s.url, false)
 	if parsed {
 		if multiErr != nil {
 			// It parsed but could not be used.
@@ -106,13 +103,7 @@ func (s *sourceURL) extractFromURL() error {
 		if len(manifests) == 0 && len(manifest.Version) != 0 {
 			return singleErr
 		}
-		// Assume it parsed.
-		for i := range pods.Items {
-			pod := &pods.Items[i]
-			if err = applyDefaults(pod, s.url, false); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-		}
+		// It parsed!
 		s.updates <- kubelet.PodUpdate{pods.Items, kubelet.SET, kubelet.HTTPSource}
 		return nil
 	}