diff --git a/cluster/kubemark/iks/config-default.sh b/cluster/kubemark/iks/config-default.sh
index 62c041a6faf..779dee1e9df 100644
--- a/cluster/kubemark/iks/config-default.sh
+++ b/cluster/kubemark/iks/config-default.sh
@@ -25,8 +25,16 @@ CLUSTER_LOCATION="${CLUSTER_LOCATION:-wdc06}"
 REGISTRY_LOGIN_URL="${REGISTRY_LOGIN_URL:-https://api.ng.bluemix.net}"
 
 # User defined
+# number of real workers in spawnTester cluster
 NUM_NODES="${NUM_NODES:-2}"
+# spec of real workers in spawnTester cluster
+NODE_SIZE=${NODE_SIZE:-u2c.2x4}
 DESIRED_NODES="${DESIRED_NODES:-10}"
+# number of hollow nodes
+# TODO: once IKS supports `kubetest`, i.e. the base cluster provisioning implemented in `kubetest`
+# we can use NUM_NODES=${KUBEMARK_NUM_NODES:-10} to avoid usage of KUBEMARK_NUM_NODES
+# more context, see https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/76909#discussion_r277735942
+KUBEMARK_NUM_NODES="${KUBEMARK_NUM_NODES:-10}"
 ENABLE_KUBEMARK_CLUSTER_AUTOSCALER="${ENABLE_KUBEMARK_CLUSTER_AUTOSCALER:-true}"
 ENABLE_KUBEMARK_KUBE_DNS="${ENABLE_KUBEMARK_KUBE_DNS:-false}"
 KUBELET_TEST_LOG_LEVEL="${KUBELET_TEST_LOG_LEVEL:-"--v=2"}"
diff --git a/test/kubemark/iks/startup.sh b/test/kubemark/iks/startup.sh
index c5bcd9f3f1a..ea574c5a024 100644
--- a/test/kubemark/iks/startup.sh
+++ b/test/kubemark/iks/startup.sh
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ EOF
 
   # Create the replication controller for hollow-nodes.
   # We allow to override the NUM_REPLICAS when running Cluster Autoscaler.
-  NUM_REPLICAS=${NUM_REPLICAS:-${NUM_NODES}}
+  NUM_REPLICAS=${NUM_REPLICAS:-${KUBEMARK_NUM_NODES}}
   sed "s/{{numreplicas}}/${NUM_REPLICAS}/g" "${RESOURCE_DIRECTORY}/hollow-node_template.yaml" > "${RESOURCE_DIRECTORY}/hollow-node.yaml"
   proxy_cpu=20
   if [ "${NUM_NODES}" -gt 1000 ]; then
@@ -240,9 +240,8 @@ EOF
   sed -i'' -e "s'{{kubemark_image_registry}}'${KUBEMARK_IMAGE_REGISTRY}${KUBE_NAMESPACE}'g" "${RESOURCE_DIRECTORY}/hollow-node.yaml"
   sed -i'' -e "s/{{kubemark_image_tag}}/${KUBEMARK_IMAGE_TAG}/g" "${RESOURCE_DIRECTORY}/hollow-node.yaml"
   sed -i'' -e "s/{{master_ip}}/${MASTER_IP}/g" "${RESOURCE_DIRECTORY}/hollow-node.yaml"
-  sed -i'' -e "s/{{kubelet_verbosity_level}}/${KUBELET_TEST_LOG_LEVEL}/g" "${RESOURCE_DIRECTORY}/hollow-node.yaml"
-  sed -i'' -e "s/{{kubeproxy_verbosity_level}}/${KUBEPROXY_TEST_LOG_LEVEL}/g" "${RESOURCE_DIRECTORY}/hollow-node.yaml"
-  sed -i'' -e "s/{{use_real_proxier}}/${USE_REAL_PROXIER}/g" "${RESOURCE_DIRECTORY}/hollow-node.yaml"
+  sed -i'' -e "s/{{hollow_kubelet_params}}/${HOLLOW_KUBELET_TEST_ARGS:-}/g" "${RESOURCE_DIRECTORY}/hollow-node.yaml"
+  sed -i'' -e "s/{{hollow_proxy_params}}/${HOLLOW_PROXY_TEST_ARGS:-}/g" "${RESOURCE_DIRECTORY}/hollow-node.yaml"
   sed -i'' -e "s'{{kubemark_mig_config}}'${KUBEMARK_MIG_CONFIG:-}'g" "${RESOURCE_DIRECTORY}/hollow-node.yaml"
   "${KUBECTL}" create -f "${RESOURCE_DIRECTORY}/hollow-node.yaml" --namespace="kubemark"
 
@@ -253,7 +252,8 @@ EOF
 function wait-for-hollow-nodes-to-run-or-timeout {
   echo -n "Waiting for all hollow-nodes to become Running"
   start=$(date +%s)
-  nodes=$("${KUBECTL}" --kubeconfig="${KUBECONFIG}" get node 2> /dev/null) || true
+  # IKS uses a real cluster for hollow master, so need to exclude the real worker nodes
+  nodes=$("${KUBECTL}" --kubeconfig="${KUBECONFIG}" get node | grep hollow-node 2> /dev/null) || true
   ready=$(($(echo "${nodes}" | grep -vc "NotReady") - 1))
   until [[ "${ready}" -ge "${NUM_REPLICAS}" ]]; do
     echo -n "."
diff --git a/test/kubemark/iks/util.sh b/test/kubemark/iks/util.sh
index de91618f9a8..b8f74dffb0a 100644
--- a/test/kubemark/iks/util.sh
+++ b/test/kubemark/iks/util.sh
@@ -20,39 +20,44 @@ KUBE_ROOT=$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/../../..
 function create-clusters {
 	# shellcheck disable=SC2154	# Color defined in sourced script
 	echo -e "${color_yellow}CHECKING CLUSTERS${color_norm}"
-	if bx cs clusters | grep -Fq 'deleting'; then
+	if ibmcloud ks clusters | grep -Fq 'deleting'; then
 		echo -n "Deleting old clusters"
 	fi
-	while bx cs clusters | grep -Fq 'deleting'
+	while ibmcloud ks clusters | grep -Fq 'deleting'
 	do
 		echo -n "."
 		sleep 10
 	done
 	echo ""
-	bx cs region-set us-east >/dev/null
-	bx cs vlans wdc06 >/dev/null
-	PRIVLAN=$(bx cs vlans wdc06 --json | jq '. | .[] | select(.type == "private") | .id' | sed -e "s/\"//g")
-	PUBVLAN=$(bx cs vlans wdc06 --json | jq '. | .[] | select(.type == "public") | .id' | sed -e "s/\"//g")
-	if ! bx cs clusters | grep -Fq 'kubeSpawnTester'; then
+	ibmcloud ks region-set us-east >/dev/null
+	ibmcloud ks vlans wdc06 >/dev/null
+	PRIVLAN=$(ibmcloud ks vlans wdc06 --json | jq '. | .[] | select(.type == "private") | .id' | sed -e "s/\"//g")
+	PUBVLAN=$(ibmcloud ks vlans wdc06 --json | jq '. | .[] | select(.type == "public") | .id' | sed -e "s/\"//g")
+	if ! ibmcloud ks clusters | grep -Fq 'kubeSpawnTester'; then
 		echo "Creating spawning cluster"
-		bx cs cluster-create --location "${CLUSTER_LOCATION}" --public-vlan "${PUBVLAN}" --private-vlan "${PRIVLAN}" --workers 2 --machine-type u2c.2x4 --name kubeSpawnTester
+		# make number and spec of node workers configurable
+		# otherwise it can't afford tests like kubemark-5000
+		# TODO: dynamically adjust the number and spec
+		ibmcloud ks cluster-create --location "${CLUSTER_LOCATION}" --public-vlan "${PUBVLAN}" --private-vlan "${PRIVLAN}" --workers "${NUM_NODES:-2}" --machine-type "${NODE_SIZE}" --name kubeSpawnTester
 	fi
-	if ! bx cs clusters | grep -Fq 'kubeMasterTester'; then
+	if ! ibmcloud ks clusters | grep -Fq 'kubeMasterTester'; then
 		echo "Creating master cluster"
-		bx cs cluster-create --location "${CLUSTER_LOCATION}" --public-vlan "${PUBVLAN}" --private-vlan "${PRIVLAN}" --workers 2 --machine-type u2c.2x4 --name kubeMasterTester
+		# if we can't make it a bare master (workers = 0)
+		# then make workers = 1 with the smallest machine spec
+		ibmcloud ks cluster-create --location "${CLUSTER_LOCATION}" --public-vlan "${PUBVLAN}" --private-vlan "${PRIVLAN}" --workers 1 --machine-type u2c.2x4 --name kubeMasterTester
 	fi
 	push-image
-	if ! bx cs clusters | grep 'kubeSpawnTester' | grep -Fq 'normal'; then
+	if ! ibmcloud ks clusters | grep 'kubeSpawnTester' | grep -Fq 'normal'; then
 		# shellcheck disable=SC2154 # Color defined in sourced script
 		echo -e "${color_cyan}Warning: new clusters may take up to 60 minutes to be ready${color_norm}"
 		echo -n "Clusters loading"
 	fi
-	while ! bx cs clusters | grep 'kubeSpawnTester' | grep -Fq 'normal'
+	while ! ibmcloud ks clusters | grep 'kubeSpawnTester' | grep -Fq 'normal'
 	do
 		echo -n "."
 		sleep 5
 	done
-	while ! bx cs clusters | grep 'kubeMasterTester' | grep -Fq 'normal'
+	while ! ibmcloud ks clusters | grep 'kubeMasterTester' | grep -Fq 'normal'
 	do
 		echo -n "."
 		sleep 5
@@ -63,17 +68,17 @@ function create-clusters {
 # Builds and pushes image to registry
 function push-image {
 	if [[ "${ISBUILD}" = "y" ]]; then
-		if ! bx cr namespaces | grep -Fq "${KUBE_NAMESPACE}"; then
+		if ! ibmcloud cr namespaces | grep -Fq "${KUBE_NAMESPACE}"; then
 			echo "Creating registry namespace"
-			bx cr namespace-add "${KUBE_NAMESPACE}"
-			echo "bx cr namespace-rm ${KUBE_NAMESPACE}" >> "${RESOURCE_DIRECTORY}/iks-namespacelist.sh"
+			ibmcloud cr namespace-add "${KUBE_NAMESPACE}"
+			echo "ibmcloud cr namespace-rm ${KUBE_NAMESPACE}" >> "${RESOURCE_DIRECTORY}/iks-namespacelist.sh"
 		fi
 		docker build -t "${KUBEMARK_INIT_TAG}" "${KUBEMARK_IMAGE_LOCATION}"
 		docker tag "${KUBEMARK_INIT_TAG}" "${KUBEMARK_IMAGE_REGISTRY}${KUBE_NAMESPACE}/${PROJECT}:${KUBEMARK_IMAGE_TAG}"
 		docker push "${KUBEMARK_IMAGE_REGISTRY}${KUBE_NAMESPACE}/${PROJECT}:${KUBEMARK_IMAGE_TAG}"
 		echo "Image pushed"
 	else
-		KUBEMARK_IMAGE_REGISTRY="brandondr96"
+		KUBEMARK_IMAGE_REGISTRY="${KUBEMARK_IMAGE_REGISTRY:-brandondr96}"
 		KUBE_NAMESPACE=""
 	fi
 }
@@ -122,7 +127,7 @@ function master-config {
 	if [[ "${USE_EXISTING}" = "y" ]]; then
 		export KUBECONFIG=${CUSTOM_MASTER_CONFIG}
 	else
-		eval "$(bx cs cluster-config kubeMasterTester --admin | grep export)"
+		eval "$(ibmcloud ks cluster-config kubeMasterTester --admin | grep export)"
 	fi
 }
 
@@ -133,20 +138,20 @@ function spawn-config {
 	if [[ "${USE_EXISTING}" = "y" ]]; then
 		export KUBECONFIG=${CUSTOM_SPAWN_CONFIG}
 	else
-		eval "$(bx cs cluster-config kubeSpawnTester --admin | grep export)"
+		eval "$(ibmcloud ks cluster-config kubeSpawnTester --admin | grep export)"
 	fi
 }
 
 # Deletes existing clusters
 function delete-clusters {
 	echo "DELETING CLUSTERS"
- 	bx cs cluster-rm kubeSpawnTester
- 	bx cs cluster-rm kubeMasterTester
- 	while ! bx cs clusters | grep 'kubeSpawnTester' | grep -Fq 'deleting'
- 	do
- 		sleep 5
- 	done
-	while ! bx cs clusters | grep 'kubeMasterTester' | grep -Fq 'deleting'
+	ibmcloud ks cluster-rm kubeSpawnTester
+	ibmcloud ks cluster-rm kubeMasterTester
+	while ! ibmcloud ks clusters | grep 'kubeSpawnTester' | grep -Fq 'deleting'
+	do
+		sleep 5
+	done
+	while ! ibmcloud ks clusters | grep 'kubeMasterTester' | grep -Fq 'deleting'
 	do
 		sleep 5
 	done
@@ -159,14 +164,14 @@ function complete-login {
 	echo -n -e "Do you have a federated IBM cloud login? [y/N]${color_cyan}>${color_norm} "
 	read -r ISFED
 	if [[ "${ISFED}" = "y" ]]; then
-		bx login --sso -a "${REGISTRY_LOGIN_URL}"
+		ibmcloud login --sso -a "${REGISTRY_LOGIN_URL}"
 	elif [[ "${ISFED}" = "N" ]]; then
-		bx login -a "${REGISTRY_LOGIN_URL}"
+		ibmcloud login -a "${REGISTRY_LOGIN_URL}"
 	else
 		echo -e "${color_red}Invalid response, please try again:${color_norm}"
 		complete-login
 	fi
-	bx cr login
+	ibmcloud cr login
 }
 
 # Generate values to fill the hollow-node configuration templates.