diff --git a/pkg/api/unversioned/well_known_labels.go b/pkg/api/unversioned/well_known_labels.go
index 379d1065d5b..0815e80832e 100644
--- a/pkg/api/unversioned/well_known_labels.go
+++ b/pkg/api/unversioned/well_known_labels.go
@@ -18,3 +18,4 @@ package unversioned
 
 const LabelZoneFailureDomain = "failure-domain.alpha.kubernetes.io/zone"
 const LabelZoneRegion = "failure-domain.alpha.kubernetes.io/region"
+const LabelInstanceType = "beta.kubernetes.io/instance-type"
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/cloud.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/cloud.go
index d5d99b17aa7..e145b26dea4 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/cloud.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/cloud.go
@@ -108,6 +108,9 @@ type Instances interface {
 	// InstanceID returns the cloud provider ID of the specified instance.
 	// Note that if the instance does not exist or is no longer running, we must return ("", cloudprovider.InstanceNotFound)
 	InstanceID(name string) (string, error)
+	// InstanceType returns the type of the specified instance.
+	// Note that if the instance does not exist or is no longer running, we must return ("", cloudprovider.InstanceNotFound)
+	InstanceType(name string) (string, error)
 	// List lists instances that match 'filter' which is a regular expression which must match the entire instance name (fqdn)
 	List(filter string) ([]string, error)
 	// AddSSHKeyToAllInstances adds an SSH public key as a legal identity for all instances
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/aws/aws.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/aws/aws.go
index c74cc707722..25640c47b38 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/aws/aws.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/aws/aws.go
@@ -491,6 +491,10 @@ func readAWSCloudConfig(config io.Reader, metadata EC2Metadata) (*AWSCloudConfig
 	return &cfg, nil
 }
 
+func getInstanceType(metadata EC2Metadata) (string, error) {
+	return metadata.GetMetadata("instance-type")
+}
+
 func getAvailabilityZone(metadata EC2Metadata) (string, error) {
 	return metadata.GetMetadata("placement/availability-zone")
 }
@@ -751,6 +755,24 @@ func (aws *AWSCloud) InstanceID(name string) (string, error) {
 	}
 }
 
+// InstanceType returns the type of the specified instance.
+func (aws *AWSCloud) InstanceType(name string) (string, error) {
+	awsInstance, err := aws.getSelfAWSInstance()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	if awsInstance.nodeName == name {
+		return awsInstance.instanceType, nil
+	} else {
+		inst, err := aws.getInstanceByNodeName(name)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", err
+		}
+		return orEmpty(inst.InstanceType), nil
+	}
+}
+
 // Check if the instance is alive (running or pending)
 // We typically ignore instances that are not alive
 func isAlive(instance *ec2.Instance) bool {
@@ -873,6 +895,9 @@ type awsInstance struct {
 	// availability zone the instance resides in
 	availabilityZone string
 
+	// instance type
+	instanceType string
+
 	mutex sync.Mutex
 
 	// We must cache because otherwise there is a race condition,
@@ -880,8 +905,8 @@ type awsInstance struct {
 	deviceMappings map[mountDevice]string
 }
 
-func newAWSInstance(ec2 EC2, awsID, nodeName string, availabilityZone string) *awsInstance {
-	self := &awsInstance{ec2: ec2, awsID: awsID, nodeName: nodeName, availabilityZone: availabilityZone}
+func newAWSInstance(ec2 EC2, awsID, nodeName, availabilityZone, instanceType string) *awsInstance {
+	self := &awsInstance{ec2: ec2, awsID: awsID, nodeName: nodeName, availabilityZone: availabilityZone, instanceType: instanceType}
 
 	// We lazy-init deviceMappings
 	self.deviceMappings = nil
@@ -1157,8 +1182,12 @@ func (s *AWSCloud) getSelfAWSInstance() (*awsInstance, error) {
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("error fetching availability zone from ec2 metadata service: %v", err)
 		}
+		instanceType, err := getInstanceType(s.metadata)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("error fetching instance type from ec2 metadata service: %v", err)
+		}
 
-		i = newAWSInstance(s.ec2, instanceId, privateDnsName, availabilityZone)
+		i = newAWSInstance(s.ec2, instanceId, privateDnsName, availabilityZone, instanceType)
 		s.selfAWSInstance = i
 	}
 
@@ -1180,7 +1209,7 @@ func (aws *AWSCloud) getAwsInstance(nodeName string) (*awsInstance, error) {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("error finding instance %s: %v", nodeName, err)
 		}
 
-		awsInstance = newAWSInstance(aws.ec2, orEmpty(instance.InstanceId), orEmpty(instance.PrivateDnsName), orEmpty(instance.Placement.AvailabilityZone))
+		awsInstance = newAWSInstance(aws.ec2, orEmpty(instance.InstanceId), orEmpty(instance.PrivateDnsName), orEmpty(instance.Placement.AvailabilityZone), orEmpty(instance.InstanceType))
 	}
 
 	return awsInstance, nil
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/fake/fake.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/fake/fake.go
index fdcc9bcb175..498dce53c32 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/fake/fake.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/fake/fake.go
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ type FakeCloud struct {
 	Calls         []string
 	Addresses     []api.NodeAddress
 	ExtID         map[string]string
+	InstanceTypes map[string]string
 	Machines      []string
 	NodeResources *api.NodeResources
 	ClusterList   []string
@@ -189,6 +190,12 @@ func (f *FakeCloud) InstanceID(instance string) (string, error) {
 	return f.ExtID[instance], nil
 }
 
+// InstanceType returns the type of the specified instance.
+func (f *FakeCloud) InstanceType(instance string) (string, error) {
+	f.addCall("instance-type")
+	return f.InstanceTypes[instance], nil
+}
+
 // List is a test-spy implementation of Instances.List.
 // It adds an entry "list" into the internal method call record.
 func (f *FakeCloud) List(filter string) ([]string, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce.go
index 3f9f542afe6..f7bd672fb14 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce.go
@@ -1797,6 +1797,15 @@ func (gce *GCECloud) InstanceID(instanceName string) (string, error) {
 	return gce.projectID + "/" + instance.Zone + "/" + instance.Name, nil
 }
 
+// InstanceType returns the type of the specified instance.
+func (gce *GCECloud) InstanceType(instanceName string) (string, error) {
+	instance, err := gce.getInstanceByName(instanceName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return instance.Type, nil
+}
+
 // List is an implementation of Instances.List.
 func (gce *GCECloud) List(filter string) ([]string, error) {
 	var instances []string
@@ -2151,6 +2160,7 @@ type gceInstance struct {
 	Name  string
 	ID    uint64
 	Disks []*compute.AttachedDisk
+	Type  string
 }
 
 type gceDisk struct {
@@ -2185,7 +2195,7 @@ func (gce *GCECloud) getInstancesByNames(names []string) ([]*gceInstance, error)
 		// Add the filter for hosts
 		listCall = listCall.Filter("name eq (" + strings.Join(remaining, "|") + ")")
 
-		listCall = listCall.Fields("items(name,id,disks)")
+		listCall = listCall.Fields("items(name,id,disks,machineType)")
 
 		res, err := listCall.Do()
 		if err != nil {
@@ -2199,6 +2209,7 @@ func (gce *GCECloud) getInstancesByNames(names []string) ([]*gceInstance, error)
 				Name:  name,
 				ID:    i.Id,
 				Disks: i.Disks,
+				Type:  lastComponent(i.MachineType),
 			}
 			instances[name] = instance
 		}
@@ -2236,6 +2247,7 @@ func (gce *GCECloud) getInstanceByName(name string) (*gceInstance, error) {
 			Name:  res.Name,
 			ID:    res.Id,
 			Disks: res.Disks,
+			Type:  lastComponent(res.MachineType),
 		}, nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/mesos/mesos.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/mesos/mesos.go
index 606ffad0e7f..20285843b65 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/mesos/mesos.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/mesos/mesos.go
@@ -216,6 +216,11 @@ func (c *MesosCloud) InstanceID(name string) (string, error) {
 	return "", nil
 }
 
+// InstanceType returns the type of the specified instance.
+func (c *MesosCloud) InstanceType(name string) (string, error) {
+	return "", nil
+}
+
 func (c *MesosCloud) listNodes() (map[string]*slaveNode, error) {
 	//TODO(jdef) use a timeout here? 15s?
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.TODO())
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/openstack/openstack.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/openstack/openstack.go
index 86ff39addab..2a9376c2b78 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/openstack/openstack.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/openstack/openstack.go
@@ -480,6 +480,11 @@ func (i *Instances) InstanceID(name string) (string, error) {
 	return "/" + srv.ID, nil
 }
 
+// InstanceType returns the type of the specified instance.
+func (i *Instances) InstanceType(name string) (string, error) {
+	return "", nil
+}
+
 func (os *OpenStack) Clusters() (cloudprovider.Clusters, bool) {
 	return nil, false
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/ovirt/ovirt.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/ovirt/ovirt.go
index ba30633d767..24b47c85284 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/ovirt/ovirt.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/ovirt/ovirt.go
@@ -193,6 +193,11 @@ func (v *OVirtCloud) InstanceID(name string) (string, error) {
 	return "/" + instance.UUID, err
 }
 
+// InstanceType returns the type of the specified instance.
+func (v *OVirtCloud) InstanceType(name string) (string, error) {
+	return "", nil
+}
+
 func getInstancesFromXml(body io.Reader) (OVirtInstanceMap, error) {
 	if body == nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("ovirt rest-api response body is missing")
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/rackspace/rackspace.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/rackspace/rackspace.go
index 6cb95dbdb14..fbc0d7bff04 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/rackspace/rackspace.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/rackspace/rackspace.go
@@ -344,6 +344,11 @@ func (i *Instances) InstanceID(name string) (string, error) {
 	return "", nil
 }
 
+// InstanceType returns the type of the specified instance.
+func (i *Instances) InstanceType(name string) (string, error) {
+	return "", nil
+}
+
 func (i *Instances) AddSSHKeyToAllInstances(user string, keyData []byte) error {
 	return errors.New("unimplemented")
 }
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
index f66fad114ef..be75dd49ba4 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
@@ -1010,6 +1010,14 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) initialNodeStatus() (*api.Node, error) {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 
+		instanceType, err := instances.InstanceType(kl.nodeName)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		if instanceType != "" {
+			glog.Infof("Adding node label from cloud provider: %s=%s", unversioned.LabelInstanceType, instanceType)
+			node.ObjectMeta.Labels[unversioned.LabelInstanceType] = instanceType
+		}
 		// If the cloud has zone information, label the node with the zone information
 		zones, ok := kl.cloud.Zones()
 		if ok {