diff --git a/cli/cmd/plugin/standalone-cluster/cluster/cluster.go b/cli/cmd/plugin/standalone-cluster/cluster/cluster.go
index c3c7cdfb53..d48eae9015 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/plugin/standalone-cluster/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/plugin/standalone-cluster/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -22,24 +22,13 @@ type KubernetesCluster struct {
 	Kubeconfig string
 }
 
-// CreateOpts contains data to be used when creating a new cluster.
-type CreateOpts struct {
-	// Name is the name for the new cluster.
-	Name string
-	// KubeconfigPath is the path to the kubeconfig to use.
-	KubeconfigPath string
-	// Config contains the full cluster creation details passed in from the user when calling
-	// create.
-	Config *config.LocalClusterConfig
-}
-
 // ClusterManager provides methods for creating and managing Kubernetes
 // clusters.
 //nolint:golint
 type ClusterManager interface {
 	// Create will create a new cluster or return an error indicating a problem
 	// during creation.
-	Create(opts *CreateOpts) (*KubernetesCluster, error)
+	Create(c *config.LocalClusterConfig) (*KubernetesCluster, error)
 	// Get retrieves cluster information or return an error indicating a problem.
 	Get(clusterName string) (*KubernetesCluster, error)
 	// List gets a list of all local clusters.
diff --git a/cli/cmd/plugin/standalone-cluster/cluster/kind.go b/cli/cmd/plugin/standalone-cluster/cluster/kind.go
index f6d4cf083d..28ad8ff225 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/plugin/standalone-cluster/cluster/kind.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/plugin/standalone-cluster/cluster/kind.go
@@ -37,25 +37,26 @@ type KindClusterManager struct {
 }
 
 // Create will create a new kind cluster or return an error.
-func (kcm KindClusterManager) Create(opts *CreateOpts) (*KubernetesCluster, error) {
+func (kcm KindClusterManager) Create(c *config.LocalClusterConfig) (*KubernetesCluster, error) {
 	kindProvider := kindCluster.NewProvider()
-	clusterConfig := kindCluster.CreateWithKubeconfigPath(opts.KubeconfigPath)
+	clusterConfig := kindCluster.CreateWithKubeconfigPath(c.KubeconfigPath)
+	nodeConfig := kindCluster.CreateWithNodeImage(c.NodeImage)
 
 	// TODO(stmcginnis): Determine what we need to do for kind configuration
 	parsedKindConfig := []byte(defaultKindConfig)
 	kindConfig := kindCluster.CreateWithRawConfig(parsedKindConfig)
-	err := kindProvider.Create(opts.Name, clusterConfig, kindConfig)
+	err := kindProvider.Create(c.ClusterName, clusterConfig, kindConfig, nodeConfig)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	kc := &KubernetesCluster{
-		Name:       opts.Name,
-		Kubeconfig: opts.KubeconfigPath,
+		Name:       c.ClusterName,
+		Kubeconfig: c.KubeconfigPath,
 	}
 
-	if strings.Contains(opts.Config.Cni, "antrea") {
-		nodes, _ := kindProvider.ListNodes(opts.Name)
+	if strings.Contains(c.Cni, "antrea") {
+		nodes, _ := kindProvider.ListNodes(c.ClusterName)
 		for _, n := range nodes {
 			if err := patchForAntrea(n.String()); err != nil { //nolint:staticcheck
 				// TODO(stmcginnis): We probably don't want to just error out
diff --git a/cli/cmd/plugin/standalone-cluster/config/config.go b/cli/cmd/plugin/standalone-cluster/config/config.go
index 50efa96093..c6b53c067c 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/plugin/standalone-cluster/config/config.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/plugin/standalone-cluster/config/config.go
@@ -51,6 +51,12 @@ type PortMap struct {
 type LocalClusterConfig struct {
 	// ClusterName is the name of the cluster.
 	ClusterName string `yaml:"ClusterName"`
+	// KubeconfigPath is the path to the kubeconfig to use.
+	KubeconfigPath string `yaml:"KubeconfigPath"`
+	// NodeImage is the host OS image to use for Kubernetes nodes.
+	// It is typically resolved, automatically, in the Taznu Kubernetes Release (TKR) BOM,
+	// but also can be overridden in configuration.
+	NodeImage string `yaml:"NodeImage"`
 	// Provider is the local infrastructure provider to use (e.g. kind).
 	Provider string `yaml:"Provider"`
 	// ProviderConfiguration offers optional provider-specific configuration.
diff --git a/cli/cmd/plugin/standalone-cluster/tanzu/tanzu.go b/cli/cmd/plugin/standalone-cluster/tanzu/tanzu.go
index 2f3f6cd8cc..8f82513f3f 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/plugin/standalone-cluster/tanzu/tanzu.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/plugin/standalone-cluster/tanzu/tanzu.go
@@ -153,6 +153,8 @@ func (t *TanzuLocal) Deploy(lcConfig *config.LocalClusterConfig) error {
 	// base image
 	log.Event("\\U+1F5BC", " Selected base image\n")
 	log.Style(outputIndent, logger.ColorLightGrey).Infof("%s\n", t.bom.GetTKRNodeImage())
+	lcConfig.NodeImage = t.bom.GetTKRNodeImage()
+
 	// core package repository
 	log.Event("\\U+1F4E6", "Selected core package repository\n")
 	log.Style(outputIndent, logger.ColorLightGrey).Infof("%s\n", t.bom.GetTKRCoreRepoBundlePath())
@@ -506,12 +508,8 @@ func runClusterCreate(lcConfig *config.LocalClusterConfig) (*cluster.KubernetesC
 	}
 	kcPath := filepath.Join(clusterDir, "kube.conf")
 	clusterManager := cluster.NewKindClusterManager()
-	clusterCreateOpts := cluster.CreateOpts{
-		Name:           lcConfig.ClusterName,
-		KubeconfigPath: kcPath,
-		Config:         lcConfig,
-	}
-	kc, err := clusterManager.Create(&clusterCreateOpts)
+	lcConfig.KubeconfigPath = kcPath
+	kc, err := clusterManager.Create(lcConfig)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}