diff --git a/pkg/apis/componentconfig/v1alpha1/defaults.go b/pkg/apis/componentconfig/v1alpha1/defaults.go
index b06b766c99b..72736b22254 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/componentconfig/v1alpha1/defaults.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/componentconfig/v1alpha1/defaults.go
@@ -249,11 +249,6 @@ func SetDefaults_KubeletConfiguration(obj *KubeletConfiguration) {
 	if obj.MinimumGCAge == zeroDuration {
 		obj.MinimumGCAge = unversioned.Duration{Duration: 0}
 	}
-	// For backwards-compat NetworkPluginDir is consulted as source of CNI config
-	// but CNIConfDir is preferred; don't set this default if CNI is in use.
-	if obj.NetworkPluginDir == "" && obj.NetworkPluginName != "cni" {
-		obj.NetworkPluginDir = "/usr/libexec/kubernetes/kubelet-plugins/net/exec/"
-	}
 	if obj.NonMasqueradeCIDR == "" {
 		obj.NonMasqueradeCIDR = "10.0.0.0/8"
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/network/exec/exec.go b/pkg/kubelet/network/exec/exec.go
index 9eb33738e45..e0d813627a9 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/network/exec/exec.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/network/exec/exec.go
@@ -85,11 +85,16 @@ const (
 	setUpCmd    = "setup"
 	tearDownCmd = "teardown"
 	statusCmd   = "status"
+	defaultDir  = "/usr/libexec/kubernetes/kubelet-plugins/net/exec/"
 )
 
 func ProbeNetworkPlugins(pluginDir string) []network.NetworkPlugin {
 	execPlugins := []network.NetworkPlugin{}
 
+	if pluginDir == "" {
+		pluginDir = defaultDir
+	}
+
 	files, _ := ioutil.ReadDir(pluginDir)
 	for _, f := range files {
 		// only directories are counted as plugins