diff --git a/test/kubernetes/test_range_config.proto b/test/kubernetes/test_range_config.proto
index 6d13c1eae9..6fd39dd1d8 100644
--- a/test/kubernetes/test_range_config.proto
+++ b/test/kubernetes/test_range_config.proto
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ message TestRangeSpec {
   // user configuration.
   NodePool tertiary = 8;
 
+  // The default nodepool, not used for benchmarking at all but may be
+  // needed to be custom configured for cluster-wide compatibility reasons.
+  NodePool default_nodepool = 10;
+
   // restore is an optional nodepool in the cluster, used as a restore target
   // for benchmarks involving pod snapshots.
   // If true, it will be configured in exactly the same way as the test_runtime
diff --git a/test/kubernetes/testcluster/objects.go b/test/kubernetes/testcluster/objects.go
index bef7569fda..19de4ffbbe 100644
--- a/test/kubernetes/testcluster/objects.go
+++ b/test/kubernetes/testcluster/objects.go
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ func (t RuntimeType) KataShimName() (string, error) {
 	case RuntimeTypeNestedKataQEMU:
 		return "kata-qemu", nil
 	case RuntimeTypeNestedKataCloudHypervisor:
-		return "kata-cloud-hypervisor", nil
+		return "kata-clh", nil
 	case RuntimeTypeNestedKataFirecracker:
 		return "kata-fc", nil
 	default:
diff --git a/test/kubernetes/testcluster/testcluster.go b/test/kubernetes/testcluster/testcluster.go
index a9baad122f..5806ecbe2c 100644
--- a/test/kubernetes/testcluster/testcluster.go
+++ b/test/kubernetes/testcluster/testcluster.go
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ type NodePoolType string
 
 // Nodepool names.
 const (
+	// DefaultNodepoolName is the value that marks the default nodepool, which must exist
+	// in the cluster to house system components.
+	DefaultNodepoolName NodePoolType = "default-nodepool"
+
 	// TestRuntimeNodepoolName is the value that marks a "test-runtime-nodepool", or a nodepool where
 	// w/ the runtime under test.
 	TestRuntimeNodepoolName NodePoolType = "test-runtime-nodepool"
@@ -293,6 +297,14 @@ func (t *TestCluster) OverrideTestNodepoolRuntime(testRuntime RuntimeType) {
 	t.testNodepoolRuntimeOverride = testRuntime
 }
 
+// Do executes a function with a Kubernetes client.
+func (t *TestCluster) Do(ctx context.Context, fn func(ctx context.Context, client kubernetes.Interface) error) error {
+	_, err := request(ctx, t.client, func(ctx context.Context, client kubernetes.Interface) (bool, error) {
+		return true, fn(ctx, client)
+	})
+	return err
+}
+
 // createNamespace creates a namespace.
 func (t *TestCluster) createNamespace(ctx context.Context, namespace *v13.Namespace) (*v13.Namespace, error) {
 	return request(ctx, t.client, func(ctx context.Context, client kubernetes.Interface) (*v13.Namespace, error) {