diff --git a/pkg/daemons/agent/agent.go b/pkg/daemons/agent/agent.go
index 2e7811ee31..143e3d2c8c 100644
--- a/pkg/daemons/agent/agent.go
+++ b/pkg/daemons/agent/agent.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package agent
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
-	"context"
 	"math/rand"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -11,11 +10,10 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/system"
 	"github.com/rancher/k3s/pkg/daemons/config"
+	"github.com/rancher/k3s/pkg/daemons/executor"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/net"
 	"k8s.io/component-base/logs"
-	proxy "k8s.io/kubernetes/cmd/kube-proxy/app"
-	kubelet "k8s.io/kubernetes/cmd/kubelet/app"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubeapiserver/authorizer/modes"
 
 	_ "k8s.io/component-base/metrics/prometheus/restclient" // for client metric registration
@@ -28,7 +26,9 @@ func Agent(config *config.Agent) error {
 	logs.InitLogs()
 	defer logs.FlushLogs()
 
-	startKubelet(config)
+	if err := startKubelet(config); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	if !config.DisableKubeProxy {
 		return startKubeProxy(config)
@@ -49,18 +49,11 @@ func startKubeProxy(cfg *config.Agent) error {
 	}
 
 	args := config.GetArgsList(argsMap, cfg.ExtraKubeProxyArgs)
-	command := proxy.NewProxyCommand()
-	command.SetArgs(args)
-
-	go func() {
-		logrus.Infof("Running kube-proxy %s", config.ArgString(args))
-		logrus.Fatalf("kube-proxy exited: %v", command.Execute())
-	}()
-
-	return nil
+	logrus.Infof("Running kube-proxy %s", config.ArgString(args))
+	return executor.KubeProxy(args)
 }
 
-func startKubelet(cfg *config.Agent) {
+func startKubelet(cfg *config.Agent) error {
 	argsMap := map[string]string{
 		"healthz-bind-address":     "127.0.0.1",
 		"read-only-port":           "0",
@@ -163,13 +156,9 @@ func startKubelet(cfg *config.Agent) {
 	}
 
 	args := config.GetArgsList(argsMap, cfg.ExtraKubeletArgs)
-	command := kubelet.NewKubeletCommand(context.Background().Done())
-	command.SetArgs(args)
+	logrus.Infof("Running kubelet %s", config.ArgString(args))
 
-	go func() {
-		logrus.Infof("Running kubelet %s", config.ArgString(args))
-		logrus.Fatalf("kubelet exited: %v", command.Execute())
-	}()
+	return executor.Kubelet(args)
 }
 
 func addFeatureGate(current, new string) string {
diff --git a/pkg/daemons/control/server.go b/pkg/daemons/control/server.go
index acfb110497..bd1b743f88 100644
--- a/pkg/daemons/control/server.go
+++ b/pkg/daemons/control/server.go
@@ -19,33 +19,31 @@ import (
 	"text/template"
 	"time"
 
-	// registering k3s cloud provider
-	_ "github.com/rancher/k3s/pkg/cloudprovider"
-
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	certutil "github.com/rancher/dynamiclistener/cert"
 	"github.com/rancher/k3s/pkg/clientaccess"
 	"github.com/rancher/k3s/pkg/cluster"
 	"github.com/rancher/k3s/pkg/daemons/config"
+	"github.com/rancher/k3s/pkg/daemons/executor"
 	"github.com/rancher/k3s/pkg/passwd"
 	"github.com/rancher/k3s/pkg/token"
 	"github.com/rancher/wrangler-api/pkg/generated/controllers/rbac"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
-
 	apiserverconfigv1 "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/apis/config/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/authentication/authenticator"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd"
-	_ "k8s.io/component-base/metrics/prometheus/restclient" // for client metric registration
 	ccmapp "k8s.io/kubernetes/cmd/cloud-controller-manager/app"
 	app2 "k8s.io/kubernetes/cmd/controller-manager/app"
-	"k8s.io/kubernetes/cmd/kube-apiserver/app"
-	cmapp "k8s.io/kubernetes/cmd/kube-controller-manager/app"
-	sapp "k8s.io/kubernetes/cmd/kube-scheduler/app"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubeapiserver/authorizer/modes"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/master"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/proxy/util"
+
+	// registering k3s cloud provider
+	_ "github.com/rancher/k3s/pkg/cloudprovider"
+	// for client metric registration
+	_ "k8s.io/component-base/metrics/prometheus/restclient"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -106,10 +104,14 @@ func Server(ctx context.Context, cfg *config.Control) error {
 	runtime.Authenticator = auth
 
 	if !cfg.NoScheduler {
-		scheduler(cfg, runtime)
+		if err := scheduler(cfg, runtime); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 
-	controllerManager(cfg, runtime)
+	if err := controllerManager(cfg, runtime); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	if !cfg.DisableCCM {
 		cloudControllerManager(ctx, cfg, runtime)
@@ -118,7 +120,7 @@ func Server(ctx context.Context, cfg *config.Control) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func controllerManager(cfg *config.Control, runtime *config.ControlRuntime) {
+func controllerManager(cfg *config.Control, runtime *config.ControlRuntime) error {
 	argsMap := map[string]string{
 		"kubeconfig":                       runtime.KubeConfigController,
 		"service-account-private-key-file": runtime.ServiceKey,
@@ -137,17 +139,12 @@ func controllerManager(cfg *config.Control, runtime *config.ControlRuntime) {
 	}
 
 	args := config.GetArgsList(argsMap, cfg.ExtraControllerArgs)
+	logrus.Infof("Running kube-controller-manager %s", config.ArgString(args))
 
-	command := cmapp.NewControllerManagerCommand()
-	command.SetArgs(args)
-
-	go func() {
-		logrus.Infof("Running kube-controller-manager %s", config.ArgString(args))
-		logrus.Fatalf("controller-manager exited: %v", command.Execute())
-	}()
+	return executor.ControllerManager(args)
 }
 
-func scheduler(cfg *config.Control, runtime *config.ControlRuntime) {
+func scheduler(cfg *config.Control, runtime *config.ControlRuntime) error {
 	argsMap := map[string]string{
 		"kubeconfig":   runtime.KubeConfigScheduler,
 		"port":         "10251",
@@ -159,13 +156,8 @@ func scheduler(cfg *config.Control, runtime *config.ControlRuntime) {
 	}
 	args := config.GetArgsList(argsMap, cfg.ExtraSchedulerAPIArgs)
 
-	command := sapp.NewSchedulerCommand()
-	command.SetArgs(args)
-
-	go func() {
-		logrus.Infof("Running kube-scheduler %s", config.ArgString(args))
-		logrus.Fatalf("scheduler exited: %v", command.Execute())
-	}()
+	logrus.Infof("Running kube-scheduler %s", config.ArgString(args))
+	return executor.Scheduler(args)
 }
 
 func apiServer(ctx context.Context, cfg *config.Control, runtime *config.ControlRuntime) (authenticator.Request, http.Handler, error) {
@@ -212,17 +204,8 @@ func apiServer(ctx context.Context, cfg *config.Control, runtime *config.Control
 	}
 	args := config.GetArgsList(argsMap, cfg.ExtraAPIArgs)
 
-	command := app.NewAPIServerCommand(ctx.Done())
-	command.SetArgs(args)
-
-	go func() {
-		logrus.Infof("Running kube-apiserver %s", config.ArgString(args))
-		logrus.Fatalf("apiserver exited: %v", command.Execute())
-	}()
-
-	startupConfig := <-app.StartupConfig
-
-	return startupConfig.Authenticator, startupConfig.Handler, nil
+	logrus.Infof("Running kube-apiserver %s", config.ArgString(args))
+	return executor.APIServer(ctx, args)
 }
 
 func defaults(config *config.Control) {
diff --git a/pkg/daemons/executor/embed.go b/pkg/daemons/executor/embed.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d918a54ae8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/daemons/executor/embed.go
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+// +build !no_embedded_executor
+
+package executor
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"net/http"
+
+	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/authentication/authenticator"
+
+	proxy "k8s.io/kubernetes/cmd/kube-proxy/app"
+	kubelet "k8s.io/kubernetes/cmd/kubelet/app"
+
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	"k8s.io/kubernetes/cmd/kube-apiserver/app"
+	cmapp "k8s.io/kubernetes/cmd/kube-controller-manager/app"
+	sapp "k8s.io/kubernetes/cmd/kube-scheduler/app"
+)
+
+func init() {
+	executor = Embedded{}
+}
+
+type Embedded struct{}
+
+func (Embedded) Kubelet(args []string) error {
+	command := kubelet.NewKubeletCommand(context.Background().Done())
+	command.SetArgs(args)
+
+	go func() {
+		logrus.Fatalf("kubelet exited: %v", command.Execute())
+	}()
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (Embedded) KubeProxy(args []string) error {
+	command := proxy.NewProxyCommand()
+	command.SetArgs(args)
+
+	go func() {
+		logrus.Fatalf("kube-proxy exited: %v", command.Execute())
+	}()
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (Embedded) APIServer(ctx context.Context, args []string) (authenticator.Request, http.Handler, error) {
+	command := app.NewAPIServerCommand(ctx.Done())
+	command.SetArgs(args)
+
+	go func() {
+		logrus.Fatalf("apiserver exited: %v", command.Execute())
+	}()
+
+	startupConfig := <-app.StartupConfig
+	return startupConfig.Authenticator, startupConfig.Handler, nil
+}
+
+func (Embedded) Scheduler(args []string) error {
+	command := sapp.NewSchedulerCommand()
+	command.SetArgs(args)
+
+	go func() {
+		logrus.Fatalf("scheduler exited: %v", command.Execute())
+	}()
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (Embedded) ControllerManager(args []string) error {
+	command := cmapp.NewControllerManagerCommand()
+	command.SetArgs(args)
+
+	go func() {
+		logrus.Fatalf("controller-manager exited: %v", command.Execute())
+	}()
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/daemons/executor/executor.go b/pkg/daemons/executor/executor.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f7fcc2f2ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/daemons/executor/executor.go
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package executor
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"net/http"
+
+	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/authentication/authenticator"
+)
+
+type Executor interface {
+	Kubelet(args []string) error
+	KubeProxy(args []string) error
+	APIServer(ctx context.Context, args []string) (authenticator.Request, http.Handler, error)
+	Scheduler(args []string) error
+	ControllerManager(args []string) error
+}
+
+var (
+	executor Executor
+)
+
+func Set(driver Executor) {
+	executor = driver
+}
+
+func Kubelet(args []string) error {
+	return executor.Kubelet(args)
+}
+
+func KubeProxy(args []string) error {
+	return executor.KubeProxy(args)
+}
+
+func APIServer(ctx context.Context, args []string) (authenticator.Request, http.Handler, error) {
+	return executor.APIServer(ctx, args)
+}
+
+func Scheduler(args []string) error {
+	return executor.Scheduler(args)
+}
+
+func ControllerManager(args []string) error {
+	return executor.ControllerManager(args)
+}