diff --git a/cluster/gce/coreos/helper.sh b/cluster/gce/coreos/helper.sh
index b1c09355e5e..92fe690fe42 100644
--- a/cluster/gce/coreos/helper.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/coreos/helper.sh
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ 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})
+KUBERNETES_CONTAINER_RUNTIME: $(yaml-quote ${CONTAINER_RUNTIME})
 EOF
   else
     cat >>$file <<EOF
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ ZONE=$(yaml-quote ${ZONE})
 EXTRA_DOCKER_OPTS=$(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 ${CONTAINER_RUNTIME})
 EOF
   fi
 }
diff --git a/cluster/gce/coreos/node.yaml b/cluster/gce/coreos/node.yaml
index 6e22d0e8653..3872829fce7 100644
--- a/cluster/gce/coreos/node.yaml
+++ b/cluster/gce/coreos/node.yaml
@@ -129,7 +129,8 @@ coreos:
         --v=2 \
         --cluster_dns=10.0.0.10 \
         --cluster_domain=kubernetes.local \
-        --logtostderr=true
+        --logtostderr=true \
+        --container-runtime=${KUBERNETES_CONTAINER_RUNTIME}
         Restart=always
         RestartSec=10