diff --git a/pkg/proxy/config/config.go b/pkg/proxy/config/config.go
index 1f24196e90c..ca213329354 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/config/config.go
@@ -260,12 +260,9 @@ func (c *ServiceConfig) handleDeleteService(obj interface{}) {
 // NodeHandler is an abstract interface of objects which receive
 // notifications about node object changes.
 type NodeHandler interface {
-	// OnNodeAdd is called whenever creation of new node object
-	// is observed.
-	OnNodeAdd(node *v1.Node)
-	// OnNodeUpdate is called whenever modification of an existing
-	// node object is observed.
-	OnNodeUpdate(oldNode, node *v1.Node)
+	// OnNodeChange is called whenever creation or modification
+	// of node object is observed.
+	OnNodeChange(node *v1.Node)
 	// OnNodeDelete is called whenever deletion of an existing node
 	// object is observed.
 	OnNodeDelete(node *v1.Node)
@@ -290,8 +287,8 @@ func NewNodeConfig(ctx context.Context, nodeInformer v1informers.NodeInformer, r
 
 	handlerRegistration, _ := nodeInformer.Informer().AddEventHandlerWithResyncPeriod(
 		cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
-			AddFunc:    result.handleAddNode,
-			UpdateFunc: result.handleUpdateNode,
+			AddFunc:    func(obj interface{}) { result.handleChangeNode(obj) },
+			UpdateFunc: func(_, newObj interface{}) { result.handleChangeNode(newObj) },
 			DeleteFunc: result.handleDeleteNode,
 		},
 		resyncPeriod,
@@ -321,32 +318,15 @@ func (c *NodeConfig) Run(stopCh <-chan struct{}) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (c *NodeConfig) handleAddNode(obj interface{}) {
+func (c *NodeConfig) handleChangeNode(obj interface{}) {
 	node, ok := obj.(*v1.Node)
 	if !ok {
 		utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("unexpected object type: %v", obj))
 		return
 	}
 	for i := range c.eventHandlers {
-		c.logger.V(4).Info("Calling handler.OnNodeAdd")
-		c.eventHandlers[i].OnNodeAdd(node)
-	}
-}
-
-func (c *NodeConfig) handleUpdateNode(oldObj, newObj interface{}) {
-	oldNode, ok := oldObj.(*v1.Node)
-	if !ok {
-		utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("unexpected object type: %v", oldObj))
-		return
-	}
-	node, ok := newObj.(*v1.Node)
-	if !ok {
-		utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("unexpected object type: %v", newObj))
-		return
-	}
-	for i := range c.eventHandlers {
-		c.logger.V(5).Info("Calling handler.OnNodeUpdate")
-		c.eventHandlers[i].OnNodeUpdate(oldNode, node)
+		c.logger.V(4).Info("Calling handler.OnNodeChange")
+		c.eventHandlers[i].OnNodeChange(node)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/config/config_test.go b/pkg/proxy/config/config_test.go
index 4ab3e4c93b7..e52b2c2773d 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/config/config_test.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/config/config_test.go
@@ -454,14 +454,7 @@ func NewNodeHandlerMock() *NodeHandlerMock {
 	return h
 }
 
-func (h *NodeHandlerMock) OnNodeAdd(node *v1.Node) {
-	h.lock.Lock()
-	defer h.lock.Unlock()
-	h.state[node.Name] = node
-	h.sendNodes()
-}
-
-func (h *NodeHandlerMock) OnNodeUpdate(oldNode, node *v1.Node) {
+func (h *NodeHandlerMock) OnNodeChange(node *v1.Node) {
 	h.lock.Lock()
 	defer h.lock.Unlock()
 	h.state[node.Name] = node
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/healthcheck/healthcheck_test.go b/pkg/proxy/healthcheck/healthcheck_test.go
index 5f39563e745..e5924296dcd 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/healthcheck/healthcheck_test.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/healthcheck/healthcheck_test.go
@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ func TestHealthzServer(t *testing.T) {
 	testProxyHealthUpdater(hs, hsTest, fakeClock, ptr.To(true), t)
 
 	// Should return 200 "OK" if we've synced a node, tainted in any other way
-	nodeManager.OnNodeUpdate(nil, makeNode(tweakTainted("other")))
+	nodeManager.OnNodeChange(makeNode(tweakTainted("other")))
 	expectedPayload = ProxyHealth{
 		CurrentTime:  fakeClock.Now(),
 		LastUpdated:  fakeClock.Now(),
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ func TestHealthzServer(t *testing.T) {
 	testHTTPHandler(hsTest, http.StatusOK, expectedPayload, t)
 
 	// Should return 503 "ServiceUnavailable" if we've synced a ToBeDeletedTaint node
-	nodeManager.OnNodeUpdate(nil, makeNode(tweakTainted(ToBeDeletedTaint)))
+	nodeManager.OnNodeChange(makeNode(tweakTainted(ToBeDeletedTaint)))
 	expectedPayload = ProxyHealth{
 		CurrentTime:  fakeClock.Now(),
 		LastUpdated:  fakeClock.Now(),
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ func TestHealthzServer(t *testing.T) {
 	testHTTPHandler(hsTest, http.StatusServiceUnavailable, expectedPayload, t)
 
 	// Should return 200 "OK" if we've synced a node, tainted in any other way
-	nodeManager.OnNodeUpdate(nil, makeNode(tweakTainted("other")))
+	nodeManager.OnNodeChange(makeNode(tweakTainted("other")))
 	expectedPayload = ProxyHealth{
 		CurrentTime:  fakeClock.Now(),
 		LastUpdated:  fakeClock.Now(),
@@ -537,7 +537,7 @@ func TestHealthzServer(t *testing.T) {
 	testHTTPHandler(hsTest, http.StatusOK, expectedPayload, t)
 
 	// Should return 503 "ServiceUnavailable" if we've synced a deleted node
-	nodeManager.OnNodeUpdate(nil, makeNode(tweakDeleted()))
+	nodeManager.OnNodeChange(makeNode(tweakDeleted()))
 	expectedPayload = ProxyHealth{
 		CurrentTime:  fakeClock.Now(),
 		LastUpdated:  fakeClock.Now(),
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ func TestLivezServer(t *testing.T) {
 	testProxyHealthUpdater(hs, hsTest, fakeClock, nil, t)
 
 	// Should return 200 "OK" irrespective of node syncs
-	nodeManager.OnNodeUpdate(nil, makeNode(tweakTainted("other")))
+	nodeManager.OnNodeChange(makeNode(tweakTainted("other")))
 	expectedPayload = ProxyHealth{
 		CurrentTime: fakeClock.Now(),
 		LastUpdated: fakeClock.Now(),
@@ -588,7 +588,7 @@ func TestLivezServer(t *testing.T) {
 	testHTTPHandler(hsTest, http.StatusOK, expectedPayload, t)
 
 	// Should return 200 "OK" irrespective of node syncs
-	nodeManager.OnNodeUpdate(nil, makeNode(tweakTainted(ToBeDeletedTaint)))
+	nodeManager.OnNodeChange(makeNode(tweakTainted(ToBeDeletedTaint)))
 	expectedPayload = ProxyHealth{
 		CurrentTime: fakeClock.Now(),
 		LastUpdated: fakeClock.Now(),
@@ -601,7 +601,7 @@ func TestLivezServer(t *testing.T) {
 	testHTTPHandler(hsTest, http.StatusOK, expectedPayload, t)
 
 	// Should return 200 "OK" irrespective of node syncs
-	nodeManager.OnNodeUpdate(nil, makeNode(tweakTainted("other")))
+	nodeManager.OnNodeChange(makeNode(tweakTainted("other")))
 	expectedPayload = ProxyHealth{
 		CurrentTime: fakeClock.Now(),
 		LastUpdated: fakeClock.Now(),
@@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ func TestLivezServer(t *testing.T) {
 	testHTTPHandler(hsTest, http.StatusOK, expectedPayload, t)
 
 	// Should return 200 "OK" irrespective of node syncs
-	nodeManager.OnNodeUpdate(nil, makeNode(tweakDeleted()))
+	nodeManager.OnNodeChange(makeNode(tweakDeleted()))
 	expectedPayload = ProxyHealth{
 		CurrentTime: fakeClock.Now(),
 		LastUpdated: fakeClock.Now(),
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/node.go b/pkg/proxy/node.go
index a3b54d9f4e2..3bd7a47f8b9 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/node.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/node.go
@@ -171,18 +171,8 @@ func (n *NodeManager) NodeInformer() v1informers.NodeInformer {
 	return n.nodeInformer
 }
 
-// OnNodeAdd is a handler for Node creates.
-func (n *NodeManager) OnNodeAdd(node *v1.Node) {
-	n.onNodeChange(node)
-}
-
-// OnNodeUpdate is a handler for Node updates.
-func (n *NodeManager) OnNodeUpdate(_, node *v1.Node) {
-	n.onNodeChange(node)
-}
-
-// onNodeChange functions helps to implement OnNodeAdd and OnNodeUpdate.
-func (n *NodeManager) onNodeChange(node *v1.Node) {
+// OnNodeChange is a handler for Node creation and update.
+func (n *NodeManager) OnNodeChange(node *v1.Node) {
 	// update the node object
 	n.mu.Lock()
 	n.node = node
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/node_test.go b/pkg/proxy/node_test.go
index 9d0120c8294..cbb2205d362 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/node_test.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/node_test.go
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ func TestNodeManagerOnNodeChange(t *testing.T) {
 			nodeManager, err := newNodeManager(ctx, client, 30*time.Second, testNodeName, tc.watchPodCIDRs, exitFunc, 10*time.Millisecond, time.Second, time.Second)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 
-			nodeManager.onNodeChange(makeNode(tweakNodeIPs(tc.updatedNodeIPs...), tweakPodCIDRs(tc.updatedPodCIDRs...)))
+			nodeManager.OnNodeChange(makeNode(tweakNodeIPs(tc.updatedNodeIPs...), tweakPodCIDRs(tc.updatedPodCIDRs...)))
 			require.Equal(t, tc.expectedExitCode, exitCode)
 		})
 	}
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ func TestNodeManagerNode(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.Equal(t, "1", nodeManager.Node().ResourceVersion)
 
-	nodeManager.OnNodeUpdate(nil, makeNode(tweakResourceVersion("2")))
+	nodeManager.OnNodeChange(makeNode(tweakResourceVersion("2")))
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.Equal(t, "2", nodeManager.Node().ResourceVersion)
 }