diff --git a/oci/oci.go b/oci/oci.go
index ff19d59e..13754633 100644
--- a/oci/oci.go
+++ b/oci/oci.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/containernetworking/cni/pkg/ns"
 	"github.com/kubernetes-incubator/cri-o/utils"
+	"github.com/kubernetes-incubator/cri-o/pkg/ocicni"
 	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/fields"
 	pb "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/api/v1alpha1/runtime"
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ const (
 )
 
 // New creates a new Runtime with options provided
-func New(runtimePath string, runtimeHostPrivilegedPath string, conmonPath string, conmonEnv []string, cgroupManager string) (*Runtime, error) {
+func New(runtimePath string, runtimeHostPrivilegedPath string, conmonPath string, conmonEnv []string, cgroupManager string, netPlugin ocicni.CNIPlugin) (*Runtime, error) {
 	r := &Runtime{
 		name:           filepath.Base(runtimePath),
 		path:           runtimePath,
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ func New(runtimePath string, runtimeHostPrivilegedPath string, conmonPath string
 		conmonPath:     conmonPath,
 		conmonEnv:      conmonEnv,
 		cgroupManager:  cgroupManager,
+		netPlugin:      netPlugin,
 	}
 	return r, nil
 }
@@ -56,6 +58,7 @@ type Runtime struct {
 	conmonPath     string
 	conmonEnv      []string
 	cgroupManager  string
+	netPlugin      ocicni.CNIPlugin
 }
 
 // syncInfo is used to return data from monitor process to daemon
@@ -579,5 +582,8 @@ func (r *Runtime) RuntimeReady() (bool, error) {
 // NetworkReady checks if the runtime network is up and ready to
 // accept containers which require container network.
 func (r *Runtime) NetworkReady() (bool, error) {
+	if err := r.netPlugin.Status(); err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
 	return true, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/ocicni/ocicni.go b/pkg/ocicni/ocicni.go
index 3e6244a9..30efd9a4 100644
--- a/pkg/ocicni/ocicni.go
+++ b/pkg/ocicni/ocicni.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"os/exec"
 	"sort"
 	"sync"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/containernetworking/cni/libcni"
 	cnitypes "github.com/containernetworking/cni/pkg/types"
@@ -44,19 +43,10 @@ func InitCNI(pluginDir string, cniDirs ...string) (CNIPlugin, error) {
 	// check if a default network exists, otherwise dump the CNI search and return a noop plugin
 	_, err = getDefaultCNINetwork(plugin.pluginDir, plugin.cniDirs, plugin.vendorCNIDirPrefix)
 	if err != nil {
-		glog.Warningf("Error in finding usable CNI plugin - %v", err)
-		// create a noop plugin instead
-		return &cniNoOp{}, nil
+		glog.Warningf("Error in finding usable CNI plugin; waiting for CNI network configuration")
 	}
 
-	// sync network config from pluginDir periodically to detect network config updates
-	go func() {
-		t := time.NewTimer(10 * time.Second)
-		for {
-			plugin.syncNetworkConfig()
-			<-t.C
-		}
-	}()
+	plugin.syncNetworkConfig()
 	return plugin, nil
 }
 
@@ -268,5 +258,6 @@ func buildCNIRuntimeConf(podName string, podNs string, podInfraContainerID strin
 }
 
 func (plugin *cniNetworkPlugin) Status() error {
+	plugin.syncNetworkConfig()
 	return plugin.checkInitialized()
 }
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index 6e67e476..c25a35a9 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -454,16 +454,18 @@ func New(config *Config) (*Server, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	r, err := oci.New(config.Runtime, config.RuntimeHostPrivileged, config.Conmon, config.ConmonEnv, config.CgroupManager)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
 	sandboxes := make(map[string]*sandbox)
 	containers := oci.NewMemoryStore()
 	netPlugin, err := ocicni.InitCNI(config.NetworkDir, config.PluginDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+
+	r, err := oci.New(config.Runtime, config.RuntimeHostPrivileged, config.Conmon, config.ConmonEnv, config.CgroupManager, netPlugin)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	s := &Server{
 		runtime:   r,
 		store:     store,