diff --git a/node/cmd/calico-node/main.go b/node/cmd/calico-node/main.go
index eef9a1a1213..cac6db7ee85 100644
--- a/node/cmd/calico-node/main.go
+++ b/node/cmd/calico-node/main.go
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ var monitorAddrs = flagSet.Bool("monitor-addresses", false, "Monitor change in n
 var runAllocateTunnelAddrs = flagSet.Bool("allocate-tunnel-addrs", false, "Configure tunnel addresses for this node")
 var allocateTunnelAddrsRunOnce = flagSet.Bool("allocate-tunnel-addrs-run-once", false, "Run allocate-tunnel-addrs in oneshot mode")
 var monitorToken = flagSet.Bool("monitor-token", false, "Watch for Kubernetes token changes, update CNI config")
+var setNodeNetworkUnavailable = flagSet.Bool("set-node-network-unavailable", true, "Set nodeNetworkUnavailable after calico startup")
 
 // Options for liveness checks.
 var felixLive = flagSet.Bool("felix-live", false, "Run felix liveness checks")
@@ -135,7 +136,7 @@ func main() {
 		nodeinit.Run(*bestEffort)
 	} else if *runStartup {
 		logrus.SetFormatter(&logutils.Formatter{Component: "startup"})
-		startup.Run()
+		startup.Run(*setNodeNetworkUnavailable)
 	} else if *runShutdown {
 		logrus.SetFormatter(&logutils.Formatter{Component: "shutdown"})
 		shutdown.Run()
diff --git a/node/pkg/lifecycle/startup/startup.go b/node/pkg/lifecycle/startup/startup.go
index 4deb875fc0a..5ec55135dfd 100644
--- a/node/pkg/lifecycle/startup/startup.go
+++ b/node/pkg/lifecycle/startup/startup.go
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ var (
 //   - Configuring the node resource with IP/AS information provided in the
 //     environment, or autodetected.
 //   - Creating default IP Pools for quick-start use
-func Run() {
+func Run(setNodeNetworkUnavailable bool) {
 	// Check $CALICO_STARTUP_LOGLEVEL to capture early log statements
 	ConfigureLogging()
 
@@ -222,10 +222,12 @@ func Run() {
 	// node condition will trigger node-controller updating node taints.
 	if os.Getenv("CALICO_NETWORKING_BACKEND") != "none" {
 		if clientset != nil {
-			err := utils.SetNodeNetworkUnavailableCondition(*clientset, k8sNodeName, false, 30*time.Second)
-			if err != nil {
-				log.WithError(err).Error("Unable to set NetworkUnavailable to False")
-				utils.Terminate()
+			if setNodeNetworkUnavailable {
+				err := utils.SetNodeNetworkUnavailableCondition(*clientset, k8sNodeName, false, 30*time.Second)
+				if err != nil {
+					log.WithError(err).Error("Unable to set NetworkUnavailable to False")
+					utils.Terminate()
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}