diff --git a/nodeup/pkg/model/kubelet.go b/nodeup/pkg/model/kubelet.go
index 88c28db5f3..58b74283e1 100644
--- a/nodeup/pkg/model/kubelet.go
+++ b/nodeup/pkg/model/kubelet.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"strings"
 
 	"k8s.io/kops/pkg/model/components"
 
@@ -440,7 +439,7 @@ func (b *KubeletBuilder) buildKubeletConfigSpec() (*kops.KubeletConfigSpec, erro
 		instanceTypeName, err := metadata.GetMetadata("instance-type")
 		if err != nil {
 			// Otherwise, fall back to the Instance Group spec.
-			instanceTypeName = strings.Split(b.InstanceGroup.Spec.MachineType, ",")[0]
+			instanceTypeName = *b.NodeupConfig.DefaultMachineType
 		}
 
 		region, err := awsup.FindRegion(b.Cluster)
diff --git a/pkg/apis/nodeup/config.go b/pkg/apis/nodeup/config.go
index 924e44cd1a..758bac4dfc 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/nodeup/config.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/nodeup/config.go
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ limitations under the License.
 package nodeup
 
 import (
+	"strings"
+
 	"k8s.io/kops/pkg/apis/kops"
 	"k8s.io/kops/pkg/nodelabels"
 	"k8s.io/kops/upup/pkg/fi"
@@ -51,6 +53,8 @@ type Config struct {
 	// Manifests for running etcd
 	EtcdManifests []string `json:"etcdManifests,omitempty"`
 
+	// DefaultMachineType is the first-listed instance machine type, used if querying instance metadata fails.
+	DefaultMachineType *string `json:",omitempty"`
 	// StaticManifests describes generic static manifests
 	// Using this allows us to keep complex logic out of nodeup
 	StaticManifests []*StaticManifest `json:"staticManifests,omitempty"`
@@ -119,5 +123,9 @@ func NewConfig(cluster *kops.Cluster, instanceGroup *kops.InstanceGroup) *Config
 
 	config.KubeletConfig.Taints = append(config.KubeletConfig.Taints, instanceGroup.Spec.Taints...)
 
+	if cluster.Spec.Networking != nil && cluster.Spec.Networking.AmazonVPC != nil {
+		config.DefaultMachineType = fi.String(strings.Split(instanceGroup.Spec.MachineType, ",")[0])
+	}
+
 	return &config
 }