diff --git a/nodeup/pkg/model/context.go b/nodeup/pkg/model/context.go
index 72490a4869..709b25a2a8 100644
--- a/nodeup/pkg/model/context.go
+++ b/nodeup/pkg/model/context.go
@@ -66,9 +66,7 @@ func (c *NodeupModelContext) Init() error {
 	}
 	c.kubernetesVersion = *k8sVersion
 
-	if c.InstanceGroup == nil {
-		klog.Warningf("cannot determine role, InstanceGroup not set")
-	} else if c.InstanceGroup.Spec.Role == kops.InstanceGroupRoleMaster {
+	if c.NodeupConfig.InstanceGroupRole == kops.InstanceGroupRoleMaster {
 		c.IsMaster = true
 	}
 
diff --git a/nodeup/pkg/model/file_assets.go b/nodeup/pkg/model/file_assets.go
index d0e81cb6aa..05818de32d 100644
--- a/nodeup/pkg/model/file_assets.go
+++ b/nodeup/pkg/model/file_assets.go
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func (f *FileAssetsBuilder) Build(c *fi.ModelBuilderContext) error {
 func (f *FileAssetsBuilder) buildFileAssets(c *fi.ModelBuilderContext, assets []kops.FileAssetSpec, tracker map[string]bool) error {
 	for _, asset := range assets {
 		// @check if the file asset applies to us. If no roles applied we assume its applied to all roles
-		if len(asset.Roles) > 0 && !containsRole(f.InstanceGroup.Spec.Role, asset.Roles) {
+		if len(asset.Roles) > 0 && !containsRole(f.NodeupConfig.InstanceGroupRole, asset.Roles) {
 			continue
 		}
 		// @check if e have a path and if not use the default path
diff --git a/nodeup/pkg/model/hooks.go b/nodeup/pkg/model/hooks.go
index ee503a5241..7a3f766e9e 100644
--- a/nodeup/pkg/model/hooks.go
+++ b/nodeup/pkg/model/hooks.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ func (h *HookBuilder) Build(c *fi.ModelBuilderContext) error {
 		for j, hook := range *spec {
 			isInstanceGroup := i == 0
 			// filter roles if required
-			if len(hook.Roles) > 0 && !containsRole(h.InstanceGroup.Spec.Role, hook.Roles) {
+			if len(hook.Roles) > 0 && !containsRole(h.NodeupConfig.InstanceGroupRole, hook.Roles) {
 				continue
 			}
 
diff --git a/nodeup/pkg/model/kubelet_test.go b/nodeup/pkg/model/kubelet_test.go
index 4b4eb2c5af..8b384bf828 100644
--- a/nodeup/pkg/model/kubelet_test.go
+++ b/nodeup/pkg/model/kubelet_test.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/klog"
 	"k8s.io/kops/nodeup/pkg/distros"
 	"k8s.io/kops/pkg/apis/kops"
+	"k8s.io/kops/pkg/apis/nodeup"
 	"k8s.io/kops/pkg/assets"
 	"k8s.io/kops/pkg/client/simple/vfsclientset"
 	"k8s.io/kops/pkg/pki"
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ func Test_InstanceGroupKubeletMerge(t *testing.T) {
 		&NodeupModelContext{
 			Cluster:       cluster,
 			InstanceGroup: instanceGroup,
+			NodeupConfig:  nodeup.NewConfig(cluster, instanceGroup),
 		},
 	}
 	if err := b.Init(); err != nil {
@@ -91,6 +93,7 @@ func TestTaintsApplied(t *testing.T) {
 			&NodeupModelContext{
 				Cluster:       cluster,
 				InstanceGroup: ig,
+				NodeupConfig:  nodeup.NewConfig(cluster, ig),
 			},
 		}
 		if err := b.Init(); err != nil {
@@ -205,12 +208,14 @@ func BuildNodeupModelContext(basedir string) (*NodeupModelContext, error) {
 		Cluster:      model.Cluster,
 		Architecture: "amd64",
 		Distribution: distros.DistributionXenial,
+		NodeupConfig: &nodeup.Config{},
 	}
 
 	if len(model.InstanceGroups) == 0 {
 		// We tolerate this - not all tests need an instance group
 	} else if len(model.InstanceGroups) == 1 {
 		nodeUpModelContext.InstanceGroup = model.InstanceGroups[0]
+		nodeUpModelContext.NodeupConfig = nodeup.NewConfig(model.Cluster, nodeUpModelContext.InstanceGroup)
 	} else {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected number of instance groups in %s, found %d", basedir, len(model.InstanceGroups))
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/apis/nodeup/BUILD.bazel b/pkg/apis/nodeup/BUILD.bazel
index 130e98c72d..03f16aea5d 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/nodeup/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pkg/apis/nodeup/BUILD.bazel
@@ -5,4 +5,5 @@ go_library(
     srcs = ["config.go"],
     importpath = "k8s.io/kops/pkg/apis/nodeup",
     visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+    deps = ["//pkg/apis/kops:go_default_library"],
 )
diff --git a/pkg/apis/nodeup/config.go b/pkg/apis/nodeup/config.go
index deefb7f8b3..d677c9489a 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/nodeup/config.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/nodeup/config.go
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 package nodeup
 
+import "k8s.io/kops/pkg/apis/kops"
+
 // Config is the configuration for the nodeup binary
 type Config struct {
 	// Tags enable/disable chunks of the model
@@ -31,6 +33,8 @@ type Config struct {
 	ClusterLocation *string `json:",omitempty"`
 	// InstanceGroupName is the name of the instance group
 	InstanceGroupName string `json:",omitempty"`
+	// InstanceGroupRole is the instance group role.
+	InstanceGroupRole kops.InstanceGroupRole
 	// ClusterName is the name of the cluster
 	ClusterName string `json:",omitempty"`
 	// ProtokubeImage is the docker image to load for protokube (bootstrapping)
@@ -63,3 +67,9 @@ type StaticManifest struct {
 	// Path is the path to the manifest
 	Path string `json:"path,omitempty"`
 }
+
+func NewConfig(cluster *kops.Cluster, instanceGroup *kops.InstanceGroup) *Config {
+	return &Config{
+		InstanceGroupRole: instanceGroup.Spec.Role,
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/model/bootstrapscript_test.go b/pkg/model/bootstrapscript_test.go
index cdced004f9..bb1f84139f 100644
--- a/pkg/model/bootstrapscript_test.go
+++ b/pkg/model/bootstrapscript_test.go
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ func TestBootstrapUserData(t *testing.T) {
 		group := makeTestInstanceGroup(x.Role, x.HookSpecRoles, x.FileAssetSpecRoles)
 
 		renderNodeUpConfig := func(ig *kops.InstanceGroup) (*nodeup.Config, error) {
-			return &nodeup.Config{}, nil
+			return nodeup.NewConfig(cluster, ig), nil
 		}
 
 		bs := &BootstrapScript{
diff --git a/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/apply_cluster.go b/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/apply_cluster.go
index 1b080964fd..0a39ec81c1 100644
--- a/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/apply_cluster.go
+++ b/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/apply_cluster.go
@@ -1254,7 +1254,7 @@ func (c *ApplyClusterCmd) BuildNodeUpConfig(assetBuilder *assets.AssetBuilder, i
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	config := &nodeup.Config{}
+	config := nodeup.NewConfig(cluster, ig)
 	config.Tags = append(config.Tags, nodeUpTags.List()...)
 
 	for _, a := range c.Assets {