diff --git a/internal/pkg/skuba/deployments/ssh/kubernetes.go b/internal/pkg/skuba/deployments/ssh/kubernetes.go
index dd273fc2ed..362b1c11e1 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/skuba/deployments/ssh/kubernetes.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/skuba/deployments/ssh/kubernetes.go
@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@ const (
 func init() {
 	stateMap["kubernetes.bootstrap.upload-secrets"] = kubernetesUploadSecrets(KubernetesUploadSecretsContinueOnError)
 	stateMap["kubernetes.join.upload-secrets"] = kubernetesUploadSecrets(KubernetesUploadSecretsFailOnError)
-	stateMap["kubernetes.install-node-pattern"] = kubernetesInstallNodePattern
+	stateMap["kubernetes.install-fresh-pkgs"] = kubernetesFreshInstallAllPkgs
+	stateMap["kubernetes.upgrade-kubeadm-pkg"] = kubernetesUpgradeKubeadmPkg
+	stateMap["kubernetes.upgrade-other-kubernetes-pkgs"] = kubernetesUpgradeOtherPkgs
 	stateMap["kubernetes.restart-services"] = kubernetesRestartServices
 }
 
@@ -56,24 +58,89 @@ func kubernetesUploadSecrets(errorHandling KubernetesUploadSecretsErrorBehavior)
 	}
 }
 
-func kubernetesInstallNodePattern(t *Target, data interface{}) error {
+func kubernetesParseInterfaceVersions(data interface{}) (string, string, error) {
 	kubernetesBaseOSConfiguration, ok := data.(deployments.KubernetesBaseOSConfiguration)
 	if !ok {
-		return errors.New("couldn't access kubernetes base OS configuration")
+		return "", "", errors.New("couldn't access kubernetes base OS configuration")
 	}
 
 	v, err := version.ParseSemantic(kubernetesBaseOSConfiguration.CurrentVersion)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return "", "", err
 	}
 	currentVersion := kubernetes.MajorMinorVersion(v)
-	patternName := fmt.Sprintf("patterns-caasp-Node-%s", currentVersion)
+	updatedVersion := ""
 
 	if kubernetesBaseOSConfiguration.UpdatedVersion != "" {
-		updatedVersion := kubernetes.MajorMinorVersion(version.MustParseSemantic(kubernetesBaseOSConfiguration.UpdatedVersion))
-		patternName = fmt.Sprintf("patterns-caasp-Node-%s-%s", currentVersion, updatedVersion)
+		updatedVersion = kubernetes.MajorMinorVersion(version.MustParseSemantic(kubernetesBaseOSConfiguration.UpdatedVersion))
+	}
+	return currentVersion, updatedVersion, nil
+}
+
+func kubernetesFreshInstallAllPkgs(t *Target, data interface{}) error {
+	current, _, err := kubernetesParseInterfaceVersions(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
-	_, _, err = t.ssh("zypper", "--userdata", "skuba", "--non-interactive", "install", patternName)
+	var pkgs []string
+
+	pkgs = append(pkgs, fmt.Sprintf("+kubernetes-%s-kubeadm", current))
+	pkgs = append(pkgs, fmt.Sprintf("+kubernetes-%s-kubelet", current))
+	pkgs = append(pkgs, fmt.Sprintf("+kubernetes-%s-client", current))
+	_, _, err = t.zypperInstall(pkgs...)
+	return err
+}
+
+func kubernetesUpgradeKubeadmPkg(t *Target, data interface{}) error {
+	// zypper install -- -kubernetes-old-kubeadm +kubernetes-new-kubeadm
+	currentV, nextV, err := kubernetesParseInterfaceVersions(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if nextV == "" {
+		return errors.New("Incorrect upgrade version")
+	}
+
+	var pkgs []string
+
+	if currentV == "1.17" {
+		// on 1.17 we can't remove kubernetes-1.17-kubeadm, doesn't exist.
+		// removing kubeadm remove many things, but keeps kubelet alive, to
+		// be removed on the next step
+		pkgs = append(pkgs, "-patterns-caasp-Node-1.17", "-kubernetes-kubeadm", "-cri-o-kubeadm-criconfig")
+	} else {
+		pkgs = append(pkgs, fmt.Sprintf("-kubernetes-%s-kubeadm", currentV))
+	}
+
+	pkgs = append(pkgs, fmt.Sprintf("+kubernetes-%s-kubeadm", nextV))
+	_, _, err = t.zypperInstall(pkgs...)
+	return err
+}
+
+func kubernetesUpgradeOtherPkgs(t *Target, data interface{}) error {
+	// Installs the rest of the zypper kubernetes packages during the upgrade
+	// with zypper install -- -kubernetes-old-* +kubernetes-new-*
+	// We might need some fine grained installation instead
+	currentV, nextV, err := kubernetesParseInterfaceVersions(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if nextV == "" {
+		return errors.New("Incorrect upgrade version")
+	}
+
+	var pkgs []string
+
+	if currentV == "1.17" {
+		// on 1.17 we need to finalize the cleanup
+		pkgs = append(pkgs, "-kubernetes-kubelet -kubernetes-common -kubernetes-client")
+	} else {
+		pkgs = append(pkgs, fmt.Sprintf("-kubernetes-%s-*", currentV))
+	}
+
+	pkgs = append(pkgs, fmt.Sprintf("+kubernetes-%s-client", nextV))
+	pkgs = append(pkgs, fmt.Sprintf("+kubernetes-%s-kubelet", nextV))
+	_, _, err = t.zypperInstall(pkgs...)
 	return err
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/pkg/skuba/deployments/pattern.go b/internal/pkg/skuba/deployments/ssh/zypper.go
similarity index 56%
rename from internal/pkg/skuba/deployments/pattern.go
rename to internal/pkg/skuba/deployments/ssh/zypper.go
index 71acde288b..c867f224c2 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/skuba/deployments/pattern.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/skuba/deployments/ssh/zypper.go
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2019 SUSE LLC.
+ * Copyright (c) 2020 SUSE LLC.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -15,12 +15,13 @@
  *
  */
 
-package deployments
+package ssh
 
-func (t *Target) InstallNodePattern(kubernetesBaseOSConfiguration KubernetesBaseOSConfiguration) (bool, error) {
-	err := t.Apply(kubernetesBaseOSConfiguration, "kubernetes.install-node-pattern")
-	if err != nil {
-		return false, err
-	}
-	return true, nil
+func (t *Target) zypperInstall(packages ...string) (stdout string, stderr string, error error) {
+	// Runs a zypper install command wrapped with the right userdata and parameters
+	var cliArgs []string
+	cliArgs = append(cliArgs, "--userdata", "skuba")
+	cliArgs = append(cliArgs, "--non-interactive", "install", "--")
+	cliArgs = append(cliArgs, packages...)
+	return t.ssh("zypper", cliArgs...)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/skuba/actions/node/bootstrap/bootstrap.go b/pkg/skuba/actions/node/bootstrap/bootstrap.go
index e3ca927d28..93e3dd9608 100644
--- a/pkg/skuba/actions/node/bootstrap/bootstrap.go
+++ b/pkg/skuba/actions/node/bootstrap/bootstrap.go
@@ -91,9 +91,9 @@ func Bootstrap(bootstrapConfiguration deployments.BootstrapConfiguration, target
 func coreBootstrap(initConfiguration *kubeadmapi.InitConfiguration, bootstrapConfiguration deployments.BootstrapConfiguration, target *deployments.Target) error {
 	versionToDeploy := version.MustParseSemantic(initConfiguration.KubernetesVersion)
 
-	if _, err := target.InstallNodePattern(deployments.KubernetesBaseOSConfiguration{
+	if err := target.Apply(deployments.KubernetesBaseOSConfiguration{
 		CurrentVersion: versionToDeploy.String(),
-	}); err != nil {
+	}, "kubernetes.install-fresh-pkgs"); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/skuba/actions/node/join/join.go b/pkg/skuba/actions/node/join/join.go
index 26df654842..4e4c1602a5 100644
--- a/pkg/skuba/actions/node/join/join.go
+++ b/pkg/skuba/actions/node/join/join.go
@@ -52,10 +52,9 @@ func Join(client clientset.Interface, joinConfiguration deployments.JoinConfigur
 		return err
 	}
 
-	_, err = target.InstallNodePattern(deployments.KubernetesBaseOSConfiguration{
+	if err := target.Apply(deployments.KubernetesBaseOSConfiguration{
 		CurrentVersion: currentClusterVersion.String(),
-	})
-	if err != nil {
+	}, "kubernetes.install-fresh-pkgs"); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/skuba/actions/node/upgrade/apply.go b/pkg/skuba/actions/node/upgrade/apply.go
index bcdd822e34..51bd249338 100644
--- a/pkg/skuba/actions/node/upgrade/apply.go
+++ b/pkg/skuba/actions/node/upgrade/apply.go
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ func Apply(client clientset.Interface, target *deployments.Target) error {
 		err = target.Apply(deployments.KubernetesBaseOSConfiguration{
 			UpdatedVersion: nodeVersionInfoUpdate.Update.KubeletVersion.String(),
 			CurrentVersion: nodeVersionInfoUpdate.Current.KubeletVersion.String(),
-		}, "kubernetes.install-node-pattern")
+		}, "kubernetes.upgrade-kubadm-pkg")
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -164,8 +164,9 @@ func Apply(client clientset.Interface, target *deployments.Target) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	err = target.Apply(deployments.KubernetesBaseOSConfiguration{
-		CurrentVersion: nodeVersionInfoUpdate.Update.KubeletVersion.String(),
-	}, "kubernetes.install-node-pattern")
+		UpdatedVersion: nodeVersionInfoUpdate.Update.KubeletVersion.String(),
+		CurrentVersion: nodeVersionInfoUpdate.Current.KubeletVersion.String(),
+	}, "kubernetes.upgrade-other-kubernetes-pkgs")
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}