diff --git a/cmd/nfd-topology-updater/main.go b/cmd/nfd-topology-updater/main.go
index e6115b3ee..0db443e27 100644
--- a/cmd/nfd-topology-updater/main.go
+++ b/cmd/nfd-topology-updater/main.go
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 	kubeletconfigv1beta1 "k8s.io/kubelet/config/v1beta1"
 
-	nfdclient "sigs.k8s.io/node-feature-discovery/pkg/nfd-client"
 	topology "sigs.k8s.io/node-feature-discovery/pkg/nfd-client/topology-updater"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/node-feature-discovery/pkg/resourcemonitor"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/node-feature-discovery/pkg/topologypolicy"
@@ -111,12 +110,12 @@ func parseArgs(flags *flag.FlagSet, osArgs ...string) (*topology.Args, *resource
 	}
 
 	if len(resourcemonitorArgs.KubeletConfigURI) == 0 {
-		if len(nfdclient.NodeName()) == 0 {
+		if len(utils.NodeName()) == 0 {
 			fmt.Fprintf(flags.Output(), "unable to determine the default kubelet config endpoint 'https://${NODE_NAME}:%d/configz' due to empty NODE_NAME environment, "+
 				"please either define the NODE_NAME environment variable or specify endpoint with the -kubelet-config-uri flag\n", kubeletSecurePort)
 			os.Exit(1)
 		}
-		resourcemonitorArgs.KubeletConfigURI = fmt.Sprintf("https://%s:%d/configz", nfdclient.NodeName(), kubeletSecurePort)
+		resourcemonitorArgs.KubeletConfigURI = fmt.Sprintf("https://%s:%d/configz", utils.NodeName(), kubeletSecurePort)
 	}
 
 	return args, resourcemonitorArgs
diff --git a/pkg/nfd-client/base.go b/pkg/nfd-client/base.go
index c96553542..e8f53ed05 100644
--- a/pkg/nfd-client/base.go
+++ b/pkg/nfd-client/base.go
@@ -56,15 +56,6 @@ type Args struct {
 	Klog map[string]*utils.KlogFlagVal
 }
 
-var nodeName string
-
-func init() {
-	nodeName = os.Getenv("NODE_NAME")
-}
-
-// NodeName returns the name of the k8s node we're running on.
-func NodeName() string { return nodeName }
-
 // NewNfdBaseClient creates a new NfdBaseClient instance.
 func NewNfdBaseClient(args *Args) (NfdBaseClient, error) {
 	nfd := NfdBaseClient{args: *args}
diff --git a/pkg/nfd-client/topology-updater/nfd-topology-updater.go b/pkg/nfd-client/topology-updater/nfd-topology-updater.go
index 7ada9cb3b..d3072bde2 100644
--- a/pkg/nfd-client/topology-updater/nfd-topology-updater.go
+++ b/pkg/nfd-client/topology-updater/nfd-topology-updater.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func NewTopologyUpdater(args Args, resourcemonitorArgs resourcemonitor.Args, pol
 		args:                args,
 		resourcemonitorArgs: resourcemonitorArgs,
 		nodeInfo: &staticNodeInfo{
-			nodeName: os.Getenv("NODE_NAME"),
+			nodeName: utils.NodeName(),
 			tmPolicy: policy,
 		},
 		stop:   make(chan struct{}, 1),
diff --git a/pkg/nfd-client/worker/nfd-worker.go b/pkg/nfd-client/worker/nfd-worker.go
index abc0fdb4a..1f7443cf0 100644
--- a/pkg/nfd-client/worker/nfd-worker.go
+++ b/pkg/nfd-client/worker/nfd-worker.go
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ func newDefaultConfig() *NFDConfig {
 // one request if OneShot is set to 'true' in the worker args.
 func (w *nfdWorker) Run() error {
 	klog.Infof("Node Feature Discovery Worker %s", version.Get())
-	klog.Infof("NodeName: '%s'", clientcommon.NodeName())
+	klog.Infof("NodeName: '%s'", utils.NodeName())
 	klog.Infof("Kubernetes namespace: '%s'", w.kubernetesNamespace)
 
 	// Create watcher for config file and read initial configuration
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ func (w *nfdWorker) advertiseFeatureLabels(labels Labels) error {
 	labelReq := pb.SetLabelsRequest{Labels: labels,
 		Features:   source.GetAllFeatures(),
 		NfdVersion: version.Get(),
-		NodeName:   clientcommon.NodeName()}
+		NodeName:   utils.NodeName()}
 
 	cli, err := w.getGrpcClient()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -581,7 +581,7 @@ func (m *nfdWorker) updateNodeFeatureObject(labels Labels) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	nodename := clientcommon.NodeName()
+	nodename := utils.NodeName()
 	namespace := m.kubernetesNamespace
 
 	features := source.GetAllFeatures()
diff --git a/pkg/nfd-master/nfd-master.go b/pkg/nfd-master/nfd-master.go
index 7446471c2..4d7c3d13c 100644
--- a/pkg/nfd-master/nfd-master.go
+++ b/pkg/nfd-master/nfd-master.go
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import (
 	"crypto/x509"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
-	"os"
 	"path"
 	"regexp"
 	"sort"
@@ -101,7 +100,7 @@ type nfdMaster struct {
 // NewNfdMaster creates a new NfdMaster server instance.
 func NewNfdMaster(args *Args) (NfdMaster, error) {
 	nfd := &nfdMaster{args: *args,
-		nodeName:  os.Getenv("NODE_NAME"),
+		nodeName:  utils.NodeName(),
 		namespace: utils.GetKubernetesNamespace(),
 		ready:     make(chan bool, 1),
 		stop:      make(chan struct{}, 1),
diff --git a/pkg/utils/kubernetes.go b/pkg/utils/kubernetes.go
index 4dd6ba09f..7601da0fc 100644
--- a/pkg/utils/kubernetes.go
+++ b/pkg/utils/kubernetes.go
@@ -21,6 +21,16 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 )
 
+var nodeName string
+
+// NodeName returns the name of the k8s node we're running on.
+func NodeName() string {
+	if nodeName == "" {
+		nodeName = os.Getenv("NODE_NAME")
+	}
+	return nodeName
+}
+
 // GetKubernetesNamespace returns the kubernetes namespace we're running under,
 // or an empty string if the namespace cannot be determined.
 func GetKubernetesNamespace() string {
diff --git a/source/system/system.go b/source/system/system.go
index 6945ef24d..9399bd1d9 100644
--- a/source/system/system.go
+++ b/source/system/system.go
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func (s *systemSource) Discover() error {
 
 	// Get node name
 	s.features.Attributes[NameFeature] = nfdv1alpha1.NewAttributeFeatures(nil)
-	s.features.Attributes[NameFeature].Elements["nodename"] = os.Getenv("NODE_NAME")
+	s.features.Attributes[NameFeature].Elements["nodename"] = utils.NodeName()
 
 	// Get os-release information
 	release, err := parseOSRelease()