diff --git a/pkg/daemons/control/deps/deps.go b/pkg/daemons/control/deps/deps.go
index 230c2e97e7..86fcfa4bbe 100644
--- a/pkg/daemons/control/deps/deps.go
+++ b/pkg/daemons/control/deps/deps.go
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
+	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/apis/apiserver"
 	apiserverconfigv1 "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/apis/config/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/authentication/user"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -314,7 +316,7 @@ func genClientCerts(config *config.Control) error {
 	}
 	apiEndpoint := fmt.Sprintf("https://%s:%d", ip, config.APIServerPort)
 
-	certGen, err = factory("system:admin", []string{"system:masters"}, runtime.ClientAdminCert, runtime.ClientAdminKey)
+	certGen, err = factory("system:admin", []string{user.SystemPrivilegedGroup}, runtime.ClientAdminCert, runtime.ClientAdminKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -324,7 +326,7 @@ func genClientCerts(config *config.Control) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	certGen, err = factory("system:kube-controller-manager", nil, runtime.ClientControllerCert, runtime.ClientControllerKey)
+	certGen, err = factory(user.KubeControllerManager, nil, runtime.ClientControllerCert, runtime.ClientControllerKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -334,7 +336,7 @@ func genClientCerts(config *config.Control) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	certGen, err = factory("system:kube-scheduler", nil, runtime.ClientSchedulerCert, runtime.ClientSchedulerKey)
+	certGen, err = factory(user.KubeScheduler, nil, runtime.ClientSchedulerCert, runtime.ClientSchedulerKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -344,7 +346,7 @@ func genClientCerts(config *config.Control) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	certGen, err = factory("kube-apiserver", nil, runtime.ClientKubeAPICert, runtime.ClientKubeAPIKey)
+	certGen, err = factory(user.APIServerUser, []string{user.SystemPrivilegedGroup}, runtime.ClientKubeAPICert, runtime.ClientKubeAPIKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -354,7 +356,7 @@ func genClientCerts(config *config.Control) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if _, err = factory("system:kube-proxy", nil, runtime.ClientKubeProxyCert, runtime.ClientKubeProxyKey); err != nil {
+	if _, err = factory(user.KubeProxy, nil, runtime.ClientKubeProxyCert, runtime.ClientKubeProxyKey); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	// This user (system:k3s-controller by default) must be bound to a role in rolebindings.yaml or the downstream equivalent
@@ -493,23 +495,22 @@ func addSANs(altNames *certutil.AltNames, sans []string) {
 	}
 }
 
-func sansChanged(certFile string, sans *certutil.AltNames) bool {
+func fieldsChanged(certFile string, commonName string, organization []string, sans *certutil.AltNames, caCertFile string) bool {
 	if sans == nil {
-		return false
+		sans = &certutil.AltNames{}
 	}
 
-	certBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(certFile)
-	if err != nil {
+	certificates, err := certutil.CertsFromFile(certFile)
+	if err != nil || len(certificates) == 0 {
 		return false
 	}
 
-	certificates, err := certutil.ParseCertsPEM(certBytes)
-	if err != nil {
-		return false
+	if certificates[0].Subject.CommonName != commonName {
+		return true
 	}
 
-	if len(certificates) == 0 {
-		return false
+	if !sets.NewString(certificates[0].Subject.Organization...).Equal(sets.NewString(organization...)) {
+		return true
 	}
 
 	if !sets.NewString(certificates[0].DNSNames...).HasAll(sans.DNSNames...) {
@@ -527,44 +528,45 @@ func sansChanged(certFile string, sans *certutil.AltNames) bool {
 		}
 	}
 
-	return false
-}
-
-func createClientCertKey(regen bool, commonName string, organization []string, altNames *certutil.AltNames, extKeyUsage []x509.ExtKeyUsage, caCertFile, caKeyFile, certFile, keyFile string) (bool, error) {
-	caBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(caCertFile)
-	if err != nil {
-		return false, err
+	caCertificates, err := certutil.CertsFromFile(caCertFile)
+	if err != nil || len(caCertificates) == 0 {
+		return false
 	}
 
-	pool := x509.NewCertPool()
-	pool.AppendCertsFromPEM(caBytes)
+	verifyOpts := x509.VerifyOptions{
+		Roots: x509.NewCertPool(),
+		KeyUsages: []x509.ExtKeyUsage{
+			x509.ExtKeyUsageAny,
+		},
+	}
 
-	// check for certificate expiration
-	if !regen {
-		regen = expired(certFile, pool)
+	for _, cert := range caCertificates {
+		verifyOpts.Roots.AddCert(cert)
 	}
 
-	if !regen {
-		regen = sansChanged(certFile, altNames)
+	if _, err := certificates[0].Verify(verifyOpts); err != nil {
+		return true
 	}
 
+	return false
+}
+
+func createClientCertKey(regen bool, commonName string, organization []string, altNames *certutil.AltNames, extKeyUsage []x509.ExtKeyUsage, caCertFile, caKeyFile, certFile, keyFile string) (bool, error) {
+	// check for reasons to renew the certificate even if not manually requested.
+	regen = regen || expired(certFile) || fieldsChanged(certFile, commonName, organization, altNames, caCertFile)
+
 	if !regen {
 		if exists(certFile, keyFile) {
 			return false, nil
 		}
 	}
 
-	caKeyBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(caKeyFile)
-	if err != nil {
-		return false, err
-	}
-
-	caKey, err := certutil.ParsePrivateKeyPEM(caKeyBytes)
+	caKey, err := certutil.PrivateKeyFromFile(caKeyFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
 
-	caCert, err := certutil.ParseCertsPEM(caBytes)
+	caCert, err := certutil.CertsFromFile(caCertFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
@@ -648,24 +650,11 @@ func createSigningCertKey(prefix, certFile, keyFile string) (bool, error) {
 	return true, nil
 }
 
-func expired(certFile string, pool *x509.CertPool) bool {
-	certBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(certFile)
+func expired(certFile string) bool {
+	certificates, err := certutil.CertsFromFile(certFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false
 	}
-	certificates, err := certutil.ParseCertsPEM(certBytes)
-	if err != nil {
-		return false
-	}
-	_, err = certificates[0].Verify(x509.VerifyOptions{
-		Roots: pool,
-		KeyUsages: []x509.ExtKeyUsage{
-			x509.ExtKeyUsageAny,
-		},
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		return true
-	}
 	return certutil.IsCertExpired(certificates[0], config.CertificateRenewDays)
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/server/router.go b/pkg/server/router.go
index ceac36ab04..f3da6c93eb 100644
--- a/pkg/server/router.go
+++ b/pkg/server/router.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/json"
+	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/authentication/user"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -58,7 +59,7 @@ func router(ctx context.Context, config *Config, cfg *cmds.Server) http.Handler
 	}
 
 	nodeAuthed := mux.NewRouter()
-	nodeAuthed.Use(authMiddleware(serverConfig, "system:nodes"))
+	nodeAuthed.Use(authMiddleware(serverConfig, user.NodesGroup))
 	nodeAuthed.Path(prefix + "/connect").Handler(serverConfig.Runtime.Tunnel)
 	nodeAuthed.NotFoundHandler = authed
 
@@ -247,7 +248,7 @@ func clientKubeletCert(server *config.Control, keyFile string, auth nodePassBoot
 
 		cert, err := certutil.NewSignedCert(certutil.Config{
 			CommonName:   "system:node:" + nodeName,
-			Organization: []string{"system:nodes"},
+			Organization: []string{user.NodesGroup},
 			Usages:       []x509.ExtKeyUsage{x509.ExtKeyUsageClientAuth},
 		}, key, caCert[0], caKey)
 		if err != nil {