diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/certs.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/certs.go
index 6749552a1c9fb..064e60e11bc36 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/certs.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/certs.go
@@ -38,14 +38,22 @@ func NewCmdCerts() *cobra.Command {
 		RunE:    cmdutil.SubCmdRunE("certs"),
 	}
 
-	cmd.AddCommand(getCertsSubCommands()...)
+	cmd.AddCommand(getCertsSubCommands("")...)
 	return cmd
 }
 
 // getCertsSubCommands returns sub commands for certs phase
-func getCertsSubCommands() []*cobra.Command {
+func getCertsSubCommands(defaultKubernetesVersion string) []*cobra.Command {
 
 	cfg := &kubeadmapiext.MasterConfiguration{}
+
+	// This is used for unit testing only...
+	// If we wouldn't set this to something, the code would dynamically look up the version from the internet
+	// By setting this explicitely for tests workarounds that
+	if defaultKubernetesVersion != "" {
+		cfg.KubernetesVersion = defaultKubernetesVersion
+	}
+
 	// Default values for the cobra help text
 	api.Scheme.Default(cfg)
 
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/certs_test.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/certs_test.go
index abf67f6992302..211eea5db8fba 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/certs_test.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/certs_test.go
@@ -33,9 +33,12 @@ import (
 	cmdtestutil "k8s.io/kubernetes/cmd/kubeadm/test/cmd"
 )
 
+// phaseTestK8sVersion is a fake kubernetes version to use when testing
+const phaseTestK8sVersion = "v1.8.0"
+
 func TestCertsSubCommandsHasFlags(t *testing.T) {
 
-	subCmds := getCertsSubCommands()
+	subCmds := getCertsSubCommands(phaseTestK8sVersion)
 
 	commonFlags := []string{
 		"cert-dir",
@@ -89,7 +92,7 @@ func TestCertsSubCommandsHasFlags(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestSubCmdCertsCreateFilesWithFlags(t *testing.T) {
 
-	subCmds := getCertsSubCommands()
+	subCmds := getCertsSubCommands(phaseTestK8sVersion)
 
 	var tests = []struct {
 		subCmds       []string
@@ -138,7 +141,7 @@ func TestSubCmdCertsCreateFilesWithFlags(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestSubCmdCertsApiServerForwardsFlags(t *testing.T) {
 
-	subCmds := getCertsSubCommands()
+	subCmds := getCertsSubCommands(phaseTestK8sVersion)
 
 	// Create temp folder for the test case
 	tmpdir := testutil.SetupTempDir(t)
@@ -180,7 +183,7 @@ func TestSubCmdCertsApiServerForwardsFlags(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestSubCmdCertsCreateFilesWithConfigFile(t *testing.T) {
 
-	subCmds := getCertsSubCommands()
+	subCmds := getCertsSubCommands(phaseTestK8sVersion)
 
 	var tests = []struct {
 		subCmds       []string
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/controlplane.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/controlplane.go
index 06571fed3948a..97bc51c4dc7d6 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/controlplane.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/controlplane.go
@@ -36,14 +36,22 @@ func NewCmdControlplane() *cobra.Command {
 	}
 
 	manifestPath := kubeadmconstants.GetStaticPodDirectory()
-	cmd.AddCommand(getControlPlaneSubCommands(manifestPath)...)
+	cmd.AddCommand(getControlPlaneSubCommands(manifestPath, "")...)
 	return cmd
 }
 
 // getControlPlaneSubCommands returns sub commands for Controlplane phase
-func getControlPlaneSubCommands(outDir string) []*cobra.Command {
+func getControlPlaneSubCommands(outDir, defaultKubernetesVersion string) []*cobra.Command {
 
 	cfg := &kubeadmapiext.MasterConfiguration{}
+
+	// This is used for unit testing only...
+	// If we wouldn't set this to something, the code would dynamically look up the version from the internet
+	// By setting this explicitely for tests workarounds that
+	if defaultKubernetesVersion != "" {
+		cfg.KubernetesVersion = defaultKubernetesVersion
+	}
+
 	// Default values for the cobra help text
 	api.Scheme.Default(cfg)
 
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/controlplane_test.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/controlplane_test.go
index 671794bbc8340..5f0ea93e87fdd 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/controlplane_test.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/controlplane_test.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestControlPlaneSubCommandsHasFlags(t *testing.T) {
 
-	subCmds := getControlPlaneSubCommands("")
+	subCmds := getControlPlaneSubCommands("", phaseTestK8sVersion)
 
 	commonFlags := []string{
 		"cert-dir",
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ func TestControlPlaneCreateFilesWithFlags(t *testing.T) {
 		defer os.RemoveAll(tmpdir)
 
 		// Get subcommands working in the temporary directory
-		subCmds := getControlPlaneSubCommands(tmpdir)
+		subCmds := getControlPlaneSubCommands(tmpdir, phaseTestK8sVersion)
 
 		// Execute the subcommand
 		certDirFlag := fmt.Sprintf("--cert-dir=%s", tmpdir)
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/etcd.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/etcd.go
index f3b9ab865f2f6..02dd8470d4b1a 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/etcd.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/etcd.go
@@ -36,14 +36,22 @@ func NewCmdEtcd() *cobra.Command {
 	}
 
 	manifestPath := kubeadmconstants.GetStaticPodDirectory()
-	cmd.AddCommand(getEtcdSubCommands(manifestPath)...)
+	cmd.AddCommand(getEtcdSubCommands(manifestPath, "")...)
 	return cmd
 }
 
 // getEtcdSubCommands returns sub commands for etcd phase
-func getEtcdSubCommands(outDir string) []*cobra.Command {
+func getEtcdSubCommands(outDir, defaultKubernetesVersion string) []*cobra.Command {
 
 	cfg := &kubeadmapiext.MasterConfiguration{}
+
+	// This is used for unit testing only...
+	// If we wouldn't set this to something, the code would dynamically look up the version from the internet
+	// By setting this explicitely for tests workarounds that
+	if defaultKubernetesVersion != "" {
+		cfg.KubernetesVersion = defaultKubernetesVersion
+	}
+
 	// Default values for the cobra help text
 	api.Scheme.Default(cfg)
 
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/etcd_test.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/etcd_test.go
index 0f6a1284307bf..90a82f96d1fba 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/etcd_test.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/etcd_test.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestEtcdSubCommandsHasFlags(t *testing.T) {
 
-	subCmds := getEtcdSubCommands("")
+	subCmds := getEtcdSubCommands("", phaseTestK8sVersion)
 
 	commonFlags := []string{
 		"cert-dir",
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func TestEtcdCreateFilesWithFlags(t *testing.T) {
 		defer os.RemoveAll(tmpdir)
 
 		// Get subcommands working in the temporary directory
-		subCmds := getEtcdSubCommands(tmpdir)
+		subCmds := getEtcdSubCommands(tmpdir, phaseTestK8sVersion)
 
 		// Execute the subcommand
 		certDirFlag := fmt.Sprintf("--cert-dir=%s", tmpdir)
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/kubeconfig.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/kubeconfig.go
index 47b88e80f2eae..1ed1a8d745842 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/kubeconfig.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/kubeconfig.go
@@ -38,14 +38,22 @@ func NewCmdKubeConfig(out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 		RunE:  cmdutil.SubCmdRunE("kubeconfig"),
 	}
 
-	cmd.AddCommand(getKubeConfigSubCommands(out, kubeadmconstants.KubernetesDir)...)
+	cmd.AddCommand(getKubeConfigSubCommands(out, kubeadmconstants.KubernetesDir, "")...)
 	return cmd
 }
 
 // getKubeConfigSubCommands returns sub commands for kubeconfig phase
-func getKubeConfigSubCommands(out io.Writer, outDir string) []*cobra.Command {
+func getKubeConfigSubCommands(out io.Writer, outDir, defaultKubernetesVersion string) []*cobra.Command {
 
 	cfg := &kubeadmapiext.MasterConfiguration{}
+
+	// This is used for unit testing only...
+	// If we wouldn't set this to something, the code would dynamically look up the version from the internet
+	// By setting this explicitely for tests workarounds that
+	if defaultKubernetesVersion != "" {
+		cfg.KubernetesVersion = defaultKubernetesVersion
+	}
+
 	// Default values for the cobra help text
 	api.Scheme.Default(cfg)
 
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/kubeconfig_test.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/kubeconfig_test.go
index 630ba6745a237..f3d86eff9bb81 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/kubeconfig_test.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/cmd/phases/kubeconfig_test.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestKubeConfigCSubCommandsHasFlags(t *testing.T) {
 
-	subCmds := getKubeConfigSubCommands(nil, "")
+	subCmds := getKubeConfigSubCommands(nil, "", phaseTestK8sVersion)
 
 	commonFlags := []string{
 		"cert-dir",
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ func TestKubeConfigSubCommandsThatCreateFilesWithFlags(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 
 		// Get subcommands working in the temporary directory
-		subCmds := getKubeConfigSubCommands(nil, tmpdir)
+		subCmds := getKubeConfigSubCommands(nil, tmpdir, phaseTestK8sVersion)
 
 		// Execute the subcommand
 		certDirFlag := fmt.Sprintf("--cert-dir=%s", pkidir)
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ func TestKubeConfigSubCommandsThatCreateFilesWithConfigFile(t *testing.T) {
 		cfgPath := testutil.SetupMasterConfigurationFile(t, tmpdir, cfg)
 
 		// Get subcommands working in the temporary directory
-		subCmds := getKubeConfigSubCommands(nil, tmpdir)
+		subCmds := getKubeConfigSubCommands(nil, tmpdir, phaseTestK8sVersion)
 
 		// Execute the subcommand
 		configFlag := fmt.Sprintf("--config=%s", cfgPath)
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ func TestKubeConfigSubCommandsThatWritesToOut(t *testing.T) {
 		buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
 
 		// Get subcommands working in the temporary directory
-		subCmds := getKubeConfigSubCommands(buf, tmpdir)
+		subCmds := getKubeConfigSubCommands(buf, tmpdir, phaseTestK8sVersion)
 
 		// Execute the subcommand
 		allFlags := append(commonFlags, test.additionalFlags...)