diff --git a/cmd/nodeup/main.go b/cmd/nodeup/main.go
index e94796727e..e89da898c4 100644
--- a/cmd/nodeup/main.go
+++ b/cmd/nodeup/main.go
@@ -101,7 +101,6 @@ func main() {
 			i := bootstrap.Installation{
 				CacheDir: flagCacheDir,
 				Command:  command,
-				FSRoot:   flagRootFS,
 			}
 			i.RunTasksOptions.InitDefaults()
 			i.RunTasksOptions.MaxTaskDuration = 5 * time.Minute
@@ -115,7 +114,6 @@ func main() {
 				ConfigLocation: flagConf,
 				Target:         target,
 				CacheDir:       flagCacheDir,
-				FSRoot:         flagRootFS,
 			}
 			err = cmd.Run(os.Stdout)
 			if err == nil {
diff --git a/nodeup/pkg/bootstrap/install.go b/nodeup/pkg/bootstrap/install.go
index 675e828537..2e5349bb6f 100644
--- a/nodeup/pkg/bootstrap/install.go
+++ b/nodeup/pkg/bootstrap/install.go
@@ -32,14 +32,13 @@ import (
 )
 
 type Installation struct {
-	FSRoot          string
 	CacheDir        string
 	RunTasksOptions fi.RunTasksOptions
 	Command         []string
 }
 
 func (i *Installation) Run() error {
-	_, err := distros.FindDistribution(i.FSRoot)
+	_, err := distros.FindDistribution("/")
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error determining OS distribution: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/upup/pkg/fi/nodeup/command.go b/upup/pkg/fi/nodeup/command.go
index b9c5e1b81f..43df77a21d 100644
--- a/upup/pkg/fi/nodeup/command.go
+++ b/upup/pkg/fi/nodeup/command.go
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ const MaxTaskDuration = 365 * 24 * time.Hour
 type NodeUpCommand struct {
 	CacheDir       string
 	ConfigLocation string
-	FSRoot         string
 	Target         string
 	cluster        *api.Cluster
 	config         *nodeup.Config
@@ -65,10 +64,6 @@ type NodeUpCommand struct {
 
 // Run is responsible for perform the nodeup process
 func (c *NodeUpCommand) Run(out io.Writer) error {
-	if c.FSRoot == "" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("FSRoot is required")
-	}
-
 	if c.ConfigLocation != "" {
 		config, err := vfs.Context.ReadFile(c.ConfigLocation)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -162,7 +157,7 @@ func (c *NodeUpCommand) Run(out io.Writer) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error determining OS architecture: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	distribution, err := distros.FindDistribution(c.FSRoot)
+	distribution, err := distros.FindDistribution("/")
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error determining OS distribution: %v", err)
 	}