diff --git a/pkg/agent/flannel/setup.go b/pkg/agent/flannel/setup.go
index a487bfe83b1a..e25b45f5e5f7 100644
--- a/pkg/agent/flannel/setup.go
+++ b/pkg/agent/flannel/setup.go
@@ -69,14 +69,21 @@ func Prepare(ctx context.Context, nodeConfig *config.Node) error {
 func Run(ctx context.Context, nodeConfig *config.Node) error {
 	logrus.Infof("Starting flannel with backend %s", nodeConfig.FlannelBackend)
 
-	if err := util.WaitForRBACReady(ctx, nodeConfig.AgentConfig.KubeConfigK3sController, util.DefaultAPIServerReadyTimeout, authorizationv1.ResourceAttributes{
-		Verb:     "list",
-		Resource: "nodes",
-	}, ""); err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "flannel failed to wait for RBAC")
+	kubeConfig := nodeConfig.AgentConfig.KubeConfigKubelet
+	resourceAttrs := authorizationv1.ResourceAttributes{Verb: "list", Resource: "nodes"}
+
+	// Compatibility code for AuthorizeNodeWithSelectors feature-gate.
+	// If the kubelet cannot list nodes, then wait for the k3s-controller RBAC to become ready, and use that kubeconfig instead.
+	if canListNodes, err := util.CheckRBAC(ctx, kubeConfig, resourceAttrs, ""); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to check if RBAC allows node list")
+	} else if !canListNodes {
+		kubeConfig = nodeConfig.AgentConfig.KubeConfigK3sController
+		if err := util.WaitForRBACReady(ctx, kubeConfig, util.DefaultAPIServerReadyTimeout, resourceAttrs, ""); err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "flannel failed to wait for RBAC")
+		}
 	}
 
-	coreClient, err := util.GetClientSet(nodeConfig.AgentConfig.KubeConfigK3sController)
+	coreClient, err := util.GetClientSet(kubeConfig)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -90,7 +97,7 @@ func Run(ctx context.Context, nodeConfig *config.Node) error {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to check netMode for flannel")
 	}
 	go func() {
-		err := flannel(ctx, nodeConfig.FlannelIface, nodeConfig.FlannelConfFile, nodeConfig.AgentConfig.KubeConfigK3sController, nodeConfig.FlannelIPv6Masq, netMode)
+		err := flannel(ctx, nodeConfig.FlannelIface, nodeConfig.FlannelConfFile, kubeConfig, nodeConfig.FlannelIPv6Masq, netMode)
 		if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
 			logrus.Errorf("flannel exited: %v", err)
 			os.Exit(1)
diff --git a/pkg/util/api.go b/pkg/util/api.go
index 4df9ad73a945..3590cdd98089 100644
--- a/pkg/util/api.go
+++ b/pkg/util/api.go
@@ -147,6 +147,34 @@ func WaitForRBACReady(ctx context.Context, kubeconfigPath string, timeout time.D
 	return nil
 }
 
+// CheckRBAC performs a single SelfSubjectAccessReview or SubjectAccessReview, returning a
+// boolean indicating whether or not the requested access would be allowed. This is basically
+// `kubectl auth can-i`.
+func CheckRBAC(ctx context.Context, kubeconfigPath string, ra authorizationv1.ResourceAttributes, user string, groups ...string) (bool, error) {
+	restConfig, err := GetRESTConfig(kubeconfigPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	authClient, err := authorizationv1client.NewForConfig(restConfig)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+
+	var reviewFunc genericAccessReviewRequest
+	if len(user) == 0 && len(groups) == 0 {
+		reviewFunc = selfSubjectAccessReview(authClient, ra)
+	} else {
+		reviewFunc = subjectAccessReview(authClient, ra, user, groups)
+	}
+
+	status, err := reviewFunc(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+
+	return status.Allowed, nil
+}
+
 // selfSubjectAccessReview returns a function that makes SelfSubjectAccessReview requests using the
 // provided client and attributes, returning a status or error.
 func selfSubjectAccessReview(authClient *authorizationv1client.AuthorizationV1Client, ra authorizationv1.ResourceAttributes) genericAccessReviewRequest {