diff --git a/pkg/daemon/daemon.go b/pkg/daemon/daemon.go
index c9e3df51db..5109507700 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/daemon.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/daemon.go
@@ -129,6 +129,11 @@ type Daemon struct {
 	configDriftMonitor ConfigDriftMonitor
 }
 
+// CoreOSDaemon protects the methods that should only be called on CoreOS variants
+type CoreOSDaemon struct {
+	*Daemon
+}
+
 const (
 	// pathSystemd is the path systemd modifiable units, services, etc.. reside
 	pathSystemd = "/etc/systemd/system"
@@ -1146,7 +1151,7 @@ func (dn *Daemon) checkStateOnFirstRun() error {
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			if err := dn.updateOS(state.currentConfig, osImageContentDir); err != nil {
+			if err := updateOS(state.currentConfig, osImageContentDir); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 			if err := os.RemoveAll(osImageContentDir); err != nil {
@@ -1502,16 +1507,6 @@ func (dn *Daemon) validateOnDiskState(currentConfig *mcfgv1.MachineConfig) error
 	return validateOnDiskState(currentConfig, pathSystemd)
 }
 
-// compareOSImageURL checks whether the current and desired
-// URL are the same.  This used to do more, but now the
-// only special casing is to support an empty desired URL
-// as meaning "keep current OS" which we probably don't need
-// anymore either.
-func compareOSImageURL(current, desired string) bool {
-	// A desired "" is special cased
-	return desired == "" || current == desired
-}
-
 // checkOS determines whether the booted system matches the target
 // osImageURL and if not whether we need to take action.  This function
 // returns `true` if no action is required, which is the case if we're
@@ -1525,7 +1520,7 @@ func (dn *Daemon) checkOS(osImageURL string) bool {
 		return true
 	}
 
-	return compareOSImageURL(dn.bootedOSImageURL, osImageURL)
+	return dn.bootedOSImageURL == osImageURL
 }
 
 // Close closes all the connections the node agent has open for it's lifetime
diff --git a/pkg/daemon/daemon_test.go b/pkg/daemon/daemon_test.go
index 6b0b71b81e..6fa776570c 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/daemon_test.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/daemon_test.go
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import (
 
 	ign2types "github.com/coreos/ignition/config/v2_2/types"
 	ign3types "github.com/coreos/ignition/v2/config/v3_2/types"
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"github.com/vincent-petithory/dataurl"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
@@ -110,26 +109,6 @@ func TestValidateFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestCompareOSImageURL(t *testing.T) {
-	refA := "registry.example.com/foo/bar@sha256:0743a3cc3bcf3b4aabb814500c2739f84cb085ff4e7ec7996aef7977c4c19c7f"
-	refB := "registry.example.com/foo/baz@sha256:0743a3cc3bcf3b4aabb814500c2739f84cb085ff4e7ec7996aef7977c4c19c7f"
-	refC := "registry.example.com/foo/bar@sha256:2a76681fd15bfc06fa4aa0ff6913ba17527e075417fc92ea29f6bcc2afca24ff"
-	m := compareOSImageURL(refA, refA)
-	if !m {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected refA ident")
-	}
-	m = compareOSImageURL(refA, refB)
-	if m {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected refA != refB")
-	}
-	m = compareOSImageURL(refA, refC)
-	if m {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected refA != refC")
-	}
-	m = compareOSImageURL("", refA)
-	assert.False(t, m)
-}
-
 type fixture struct {
 	t *testing.T
 
diff --git a/pkg/daemon/update.go b/pkg/daemon/update.go
index 4799bd879c..18d614c693 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/update.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/update.go
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ func removePendingDeployment() error {
 	return runRpmOstree("cleanup", "-p")
 }
 
-func (dn *Daemon) applyOSChanges(mcDiff machineConfigDiff, oldConfig, newConfig *mcfgv1.MachineConfig) (retErr error) {
+func (dn *CoreOSDaemon) applyOSChanges(mcDiff machineConfigDiff, oldConfig, newConfig *mcfgv1.MachineConfig) (retErr error) {
 	// Extract image and add coreos-extensions repo if we have either OS update or package layering to perform
 
 	if dn.recorder != nil {
@@ -371,22 +371,22 @@ func (dn *Daemon) applyOSChanges(mcDiff machineConfigDiff, oldConfig, newConfig
 		// Delete extracted OS image once we are done.
 		defer os.RemoveAll(osImageContentDir)
 
-		if dn.os.IsCoreOSVariant() {
-			if err := addExtensionsRepo(osImageContentDir); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			defer os.Remove(extensionsRepo)
+		if err := addExtensionsRepo(osImageContentDir); err != nil {
+			return err
 		}
+		defer os.Remove(extensionsRepo)
 	}
 
 	// Update OS
-	if err := dn.updateOS(newConfig, osImageContentDir); err != nil {
-		nodeName := ""
-		if dn.node != nil {
-			nodeName = dn.node.Name
+	if mcDiff.osUpdate {
+		if err := updateOS(newConfig, osImageContentDir); err != nil {
+			nodeName := ""
+			if dn.node != nil {
+				nodeName = dn.node.Name
+			}
+			MCDPivotErr.WithLabelValues(nodeName, newConfig.Spec.OSImageURL, err.Error()).SetToCurrentTime()
+			return err
 		}
-		MCDPivotErr.WithLabelValues(nodeName, newConfig.Spec.OSImageURL, err.Error()).SetToCurrentTime()
-		return err
 	}
 
 	defer func() {
@@ -575,18 +575,23 @@ func (dn *Daemon) update(oldConfig, newConfig *mcfgv1.MachineConfig) (retErr err
 		}
 	}()
 
-	if err := dn.applyOSChanges(*diff, oldConfig, newConfig); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+	if dn.os.IsCoreOSVariant() {
+		coreOSDaemon := CoreOSDaemon{dn}
+		if err := coreOSDaemon.applyOSChanges(*diff, oldConfig, newConfig); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
-	defer func() {
-		if retErr != nil {
-			if err := dn.applyOSChanges(*diff, newConfig, oldConfig); err != nil {
-				retErr = errors.Wrapf(retErr, "error rolling back changes to OS %v", err)
-				return
+		defer func() {
+			if retErr != nil {
+				if err := coreOSDaemon.applyOSChanges(*diff, newConfig, oldConfig); err != nil {
+					retErr = errors.Wrapf(retErr, "error rolling back changes to OS %v", err)
+					return
+				}
 			}
-		}
-	}()
+		}()
+	} else {
+		glog.Info("updating the OS on non-CoreOS nodes is not supported")
+	}
 
 	// Ideally we would want to update kernelArguments only via MachineConfigs.
 	// We are keeping this to maintain compatibility and OKD requirement.
@@ -930,12 +935,7 @@ func generateKargs(oldConfig, newConfig *mcfgv1.MachineConfig) []string {
 }
 
 // updateKernelArguments adjusts the kernel args
-func (dn *Daemon) updateKernelArguments(oldConfig, newConfig *mcfgv1.MachineConfig) error {
-	if !dn.os.IsCoreOSVariant() {
-		glog.Info("updating kargs on non-CoreOS nodes is not supported")
-		return nil
-	}
-
+func (dn *CoreOSDaemon) updateKernelArguments(oldConfig, newConfig *mcfgv1.MachineConfig) error {
 	kargs := generateKargs(oldConfig, newConfig)
 	if len(kargs) == 0 {
 		return nil
@@ -1035,13 +1035,7 @@ func validateExtensions(exts []string) error {
 
 }
 
-func (dn *Daemon) applyExtensions(oldConfig, newConfig *mcfgv1.MachineConfig) error {
-	// Right now, we support extensions only on CoreOS nodes
-	if !dn.os.IsCoreOSVariant() {
-		glog.Info("applying extensions on non-CoreOS nodes is not supported")
-		return nil
-	}
-
+func (dn *CoreOSDaemon) applyExtensions(oldConfig, newConfig *mcfgv1.MachineConfig) error {
 	extensionsEmpty := len(oldConfig.Spec.Extensions) == 0 && len(newConfig.Spec.Extensions) == 0
 	if (extensionsEmpty) ||
 		(reflect.DeepEqual(oldConfig.Spec.Extensions, newConfig.Spec.Extensions) && oldConfig.Spec.OSImageURL == newConfig.Spec.OSImageURL) {
@@ -1060,7 +1054,7 @@ func (dn *Daemon) applyExtensions(oldConfig, newConfig *mcfgv1.MachineConfig) er
 
 // switchKernel updates kernel on host with the kernelType specified in MachineConfig.
 // Right now it supports default (traditional) and realtime kernel
-func (dn *Daemon) switchKernel(oldConfig, newConfig *mcfgv1.MachineConfig) error {
+func (dn *CoreOSDaemon) switchKernel(oldConfig, newConfig *mcfgv1.MachineConfig) error {
 	// We support Kernel update only on RHCOS nodes
 	if !dn.os.IsRHCOS() {
 		glog.Info("updating kernel on non-RHCOS nodes is not supported")
@@ -1804,17 +1798,8 @@ func (dn *Daemon) updateSSHKeys(newUsers []ign3types.PasswdUser) error {
 }
 
 // updateOS updates the system OS to the one specified in newConfig
-func (dn *Daemon) updateOS(config *mcfgv1.MachineConfig, osImageContentDir string) error {
-	if !dn.os.IsCoreOSVariant() {
-		glog.Info("Updating of non-CoreOS nodes are not supported")
-		return nil
-	}
-
+func updateOS(config *mcfgv1.MachineConfig, osImageContentDir string) error {
 	newURL := config.Spec.OSImageURL
-	if compareOSImageURL(dn.bootedOSImageURL, newURL) {
-		return nil
-	}
-
 	glog.Infof("Updating OS to %s", newURL)
 	client := NewNodeUpdaterClient()
 	if _, err := client.Rebase(newURL, osImageContentDir); err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/daemon/update_test.go b/pkg/daemon/update_test.go
index f38e2e30fc..773f8a25fb 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/update_test.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/update_test.go
@@ -91,10 +91,6 @@ func TestUpdateOS(t *testing.T) {
 	// expectedError is the error we will use when expecting an error to return
 	expectedError := fmt.Errorf("broken")
 
-	d := newMockDaemon()
-
-	// Set up machineconfigs to pass to updateOS.
-	mcfg := &mcfgv1.MachineConfig{}
 	// differentMcfg has a different OSImageURL so it will force Daemon.UpdateOS
 	// to trigger an update of the operatingsystem (as fronted by our testClient)
 	differentMcfg := &mcfgv1.MachineConfig{
@@ -103,12 +99,8 @@ func TestUpdateOS(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
-	// This should be a no-op
-	if err := d.updateOS(mcfg, ""); err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("Expected no error. Got %s.", err)
-	}
-	// Second call should return an error
-	if err := d.updateOS(differentMcfg, ""); err == expectedError {
+	// should return an error
+	if err := updateOS(differentMcfg, ""); err == expectedError {
 		t.Error("Expected an error. Got none.")
 	}
 }