diff --git a/roles/network_plugin/calico/defaults/main.yml b/roles/network_plugin/calico/defaults/main.yml
index b5b275e04..45b04c8a9 100644
--- a/roles/network_plugin/calico/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/network_plugin/calico/defaults/main.yml
@@ -5,5 +5,6 @@ nat_outgoing: true
 # Use IP-over-IP encapsulation across hosts
 ipip: false
 
-# cloud_provider can only be set to 'gce' or 'aws'
-# cloud_provider:
+# Set to true if you want your calico cni binaries to overwrite the
+# ones from hyperkube while leaving other cni plugins intact.
+overwrite_hyperkube_cni: false
diff --git a/roles/network_plugin/calico/tasks/main.yml b/roles/network_plugin/calico/tasks/main.yml
index d0d5c47c9..2ce342b20 100644
--- a/roles/network_plugin/calico/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/network_plugin/calico/tasks/main.yml
@@ -32,18 +32,8 @@
     use_hyperkube_cni: true
   when: kube_version | version_compare('v1.3.4','>=')
 
-- name: Calico | Install calico cni bin
-  command: rsync -piu "{{ local_release_dir }}/calico/bin/calico" "/opt/cni/bin/calico"
-  changed_when: false
-  when: "{{ not use_hyperkube_cni|bool }}"
-
-- name: Calico | Install calico-ipam cni bin
-  command: rsync -piu "{{ local_release_dir }}/calico/bin/calico" "/opt/cni/bin/calico-ipam"
-  changed_when: false
-  when: "{{ not use_hyperkube_cni|bool }}"
-
 - name: Calico | Copy cni plugins from hyperkube
-  command: "/usr/bin/docker run --rm -v /opt/cni/bin:/cnibindir {{ hyperkube_image_repo }}:{{ hyperkube_image_tag }} /bin/cp -r /opt/cni/bin/. /cnibindir/"
+  command: "/usr/bin/docker run --rm -v /opt/cni/bin:/cnibindir {{ hyperkube_image_repo }}:{{ hyperkube_image_tag }} /usr/bin/rsync -a /opt/cni/bin/ /cnibindir/"
   register: cni_task_result
   until: cni_task_result.rc == 0
   retries: 4
@@ -51,6 +41,16 @@
   changed_when: false
   when: "{{ use_hyperkube_cni|bool }}"
 
+- name: Calico | Install calico cni bin
+  command: rsync -pi "{{ local_release_dir }}/calico/bin/calico" "/opt/cni/bin/calico"
+  changed_when: false
+  when: "{{ not use_hyperkube_cni|bool or overwrite_hyperkube_cni|bool }}"
+
+- name: Calico | Install calico-ipam cni bin
+  command: rsync -pi "{{ local_release_dir }}/calico/bin/calico-ipam" "/opt/cni/bin/calico-ipam"
+  changed_when: false
+  when: "{{ not use_hyperkube_cni|bool or overwrite_hyperkube_cni|bool }}"
+
 - name: Calico | wait for etcd
   uri: url=http://localhost:2379/health
   register: result