diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/test_context.go b/test/e2e/framework/test_context.go
index b6e87ef444..b6b530ff8a 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/test_context.go
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/test_context.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
 	"github.com/onsi/ginkgo/config"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
+	utilflag "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/flag"
 	restclient "k8s.io/client-go/rest"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd"
 	clientcmdapi "k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd/api"
@@ -103,8 +104,8 @@ type TestContextType struct {
 	LogexporterGCSPath string
 	// If the garbage collector is enabled in the kube-apiserver and kube-controller-manager.
 	GarbageCollectorEnabled bool
-	// FeatureGates is a set of key=value pairs that describe feature gates for alpha/experimental features.
-	FeatureGates string
+	// featureGates is a map of feature names to bools that enable or disable alpha/experimental features.
+	FeatureGates map[string]bool
 	// Node e2e specific test context
 	NodeTestContextType
 	// Monitoring solution that is used in current cluster.
@@ -202,7 +203,7 @@ func RegisterCommonFlags() {
 	flag.StringVar(&TestContext.Host, "host", "", fmt.Sprintf("The host, or apiserver, to connect to. Will default to %s if this argument and --kubeconfig are not set", defaultHost))
 	flag.StringVar(&TestContext.ReportPrefix, "report-prefix", "", "Optional prefix for JUnit XML reports. Default is empty, which doesn't prepend anything to the default name.")
 	flag.StringVar(&TestContext.ReportDir, "report-dir", "", "Path to the directory where the JUnit XML reports should be saved. Default is empty, which doesn't generate these reports.")
-	flag.StringVar(&TestContext.FeatureGates, "feature-gates", "", "A set of key=value pairs that describe feature gates for alpha/experimental features.")
+	flag.Var(utilflag.NewMapStringBool(&TestContext.FeatureGates), "feature-gates", "A set of key=value pairs that describe feature gates for alpha/experimental features.")
 	flag.StringVar(&TestContext.Viper, "viper-config", "e2e", "The name of the viper config i.e. 'e2e' will read values from 'e2e.json' locally.  All e2e parameters are meant to be configurable by viper.")
 	flag.StringVar(&TestContext.ContainerRuntime, "container-runtime", "docker", "The container runtime of cluster VM instances (docker/rkt/remote).")
 	flag.StringVar(&TestContext.ContainerRuntimeEndpoint, "container-runtime-endpoint", "unix:///var/run/dockershim.sock", "The container runtime endpoint of cluster VM instances.")
diff --git a/test/e2e_node/services/kubelet.go b/test/e2e_node/services/kubelet.go
index e1cd23a36c..d8f0fd667d 100644
--- a/test/e2e_node/services/kubelet.go
+++ b/test/e2e_node/services/kubelet.go
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ func (e *E2EServices) startKubelet() (*server, error) {
 	glog.Info("Starting kubelet")
 
 	// set feature gates so we can check which features are enabled and pass the appropriate flags
-	utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Set(framework.TestContext.FeatureGates)
+	utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.SetFromMap(framework.TestContext.FeatureGates)
 
 	// Build kubeconfig
 	kubeconfigPath, err := createKubeconfigCWD()
@@ -265,9 +265,9 @@ func (e *E2EServices) startKubelet() (*server, error) {
 
 	// Apply test framework feature gates by default. This could also be overridden
 	// by kubelet-flags.
-	if framework.TestContext.FeatureGates != "" {
-		cmdArgs = append(cmdArgs, "--feature-gates", framework.TestContext.FeatureGates)
-		utilflag.NewMapStringBool(&kc.FeatureGates).Set(framework.TestContext.FeatureGates)
+	if len(framework.TestContext.FeatureGates) > 0 {
+		cmdArgs = append(cmdArgs, "--feature-gates", utilflag.NewMapStringBool(&framework.TestContext.FeatureGates).String())
+		kc.FeatureGates = framework.TestContext.FeatureGates
 	}
 
 	if utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.DynamicKubeletConfig) {
diff --git a/test/e2e_node/services/services.go b/test/e2e_node/services/services.go
index fab133693c..7a442d38e6 100644
--- a/test/e2e_node/services/services.go
+++ b/test/e2e_node/services/services.go
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ func (e *E2EServices) Stop() {
 func RunE2EServices() {
 	// Populate global DefaultFeatureGate with value from TestContext.FeatureGates.
 	// This way, statically-linked components see the same feature gate config as the test context.
-	utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Set(framework.TestContext.FeatureGates)
+	utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.SetFromMap(framework.TestContext.FeatureGates)
 	e := newE2EServices()
 	if err := e.run(); err != nil {
 		glog.Fatalf("Failed to run e2e services: %v", err)