diff --git a/hack/ginkgo-e2e.sh b/hack/ginkgo-e2e.sh
index 1b8464bca2..acfb5e219c 100755
--- a/hack/ginkgo-e2e.sh
+++ b/hack/ginkgo-e2e.sh
@@ -88,9 +88,12 @@ if [[ ${GINKGO_PARALLEL} =~ ^[yY]$ ]]; then
   ginkgo_args+=("-p")
 fi
 
+
 # The --host setting is used only when providing --auth_config
 # If --kubeconfig is used, the host to use is retrieved from the .kubeconfig
 # file and the one provided with --host is ignored.
+# Add path for things like running kubectl binary.
+export PATH=$(dirname "${e2e_test}"):"${PATH}"
 "${ginkgo}" "${ginkgo_args[@]:+${ginkgo_args[@]}}" "${e2e_test}" -- \
   "${auth_config[@]:+${auth_config[@]}}" \
   --host="https://${KUBE_MASTER_IP-}" \
diff --git a/test/e2e/e2e_test.go b/test/e2e/e2e_test.go
index 465e61f018..288f1db867 100644
--- a/test/e2e/e2e_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/e2e_test.go
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ func init() {
 	flag.StringVar(&testContext.Host, "host", "", "The host, or apiserver, to connect to")
 	flag.StringVar(&testContext.RepoRoot, "repo-root", "../../", "Root directory of kubernetes repository, for finding test files.")
 	flag.StringVar(&testContext.Provider, "provider", "", "The name of the Kubernetes provider (gce, gke, local, vagrant, etc.)")
+	flag.StringVar(&testContext.KubectlPath, "kubectl-path", "kubectl", "The kubectl binary to use. For development, you might use 'cluster/kubectl.sh' here.")
 
 	// TODO: Flags per provider?  Rename gce-project/gce-zone?
 	flag.StringVar(&cloudConfig.MasterName, "kube-master", "", "Name of the kubernetes master. Only required if provider is gce or gke")
diff --git a/test/e2e/util.go b/test/e2e/util.go
index 6d0d71251a..ffb2ad627d 100644
--- a/test/e2e/util.go
+++ b/test/e2e/util.go
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ type TestContextType struct {
 	RepoRoot    string
 	Provider    string
 	CloudConfig CloudConfig
+	KubectlPath string
 }
 
 var testContext TestContextType
@@ -481,9 +482,11 @@ func kubectlCmd(args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
 	}
 	kubectlArgs := append(defaultArgs, args...)
 
-	//TODO: the "kubectl" path string might be worth externalizing into an (optional) ginko arg.
-	cmd := exec.Command(filepath.Join(testContext.RepoRoot, "cluster/kubectl.sh"), kubectlArgs...)
-	Logf("Running '%s %s'", cmd.Path, strings.Join(cmd.Args, " "))
+	//We allow users to specify path to kubectl, so you can test either "kubectl" or "cluster/kubectl.sh"
+	//and so on.
+	cmd := exec.Command(testContext.KubectlPath, kubectlArgs...)
+
+	//caller will invoke this and wait on it.
 	return cmd
 }
 
@@ -492,6 +495,7 @@ func runKubectl(args ...string) string {
 	cmd := kubectlCmd(args...)
 	cmd.Stdout, cmd.Stderr = &stdout, &stderr
 
+	Logf("Running '%s %s'", cmd.Path, strings.Join(cmd.Args, " "))
 	if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
 		Failf("Error running %v:\nCommand stdout:\n%v\nstderr:\n%v\n", cmd, cmd.Stdout, cmd.Stderr)
 		return ""