diff --git a/manager/manager.go b/manager/manager.go
index 0aa1484da1..6090e41534 100644
--- a/manager/manager.go
+++ b/manager/manager.go
@@ -132,8 +132,15 @@ type Config struct {
 	// FIPS setting.
 	FIPS bool
 
-	// NetworkConfig stores network related config for the cluster
-	NetworkConfig *cnmallocator.NetworkConfig
+	// DefaultAddrPool specifies default subnet pool for global scope networks
+	DefaultAddrPool []string
+
+	// SubnetSize specifies the subnet size of the networks created from
+	// the default subnet pool
+	SubnetSize uint32
+
+	// VXLANUDPPort specifies the UDP port number for VXLAN traffic
+	VXLANUDPPort uint32
 }
 
 // Manager is the cluster manager for Swarm.
@@ -961,15 +968,13 @@ func (m *Manager) becomeLeader(ctx context.Context) {
 
 		// If defaultAddrPool is valid we update cluster object with new value
 		// If VXLANUDPPort is not 0 then we call update cluster object with new value
-		if m.config.NetworkConfig != nil {
-			if m.config.NetworkConfig.DefaultAddrPool != nil {
-				clusterObj.DefaultAddressPool = m.config.NetworkConfig.DefaultAddrPool
-				clusterObj.SubnetSize = m.config.NetworkConfig.SubnetSize
-			}
+		if m.config.DefaultAddrPool != nil {
+			clusterObj.DefaultAddressPool = m.config.DefaultAddrPool
+			clusterObj.SubnetSize = m.config.SubnetSize
+		}
 
-			if m.config.NetworkConfig.VXLANUDPPort != 0 {
-				clusterObj.VXLANUDPPort = m.config.NetworkConfig.VXLANUDPPort
-			}
+		if m.config.VXLANUDPPort != 0 {
+			clusterObj.VXLANUDPPort = m.config.VXLANUDPPort
 		}
 		err := store.CreateCluster(tx, clusterObj)
 
@@ -1021,27 +1026,29 @@ func (m *Manager) becomeLeader(ctx context.Context) {
 	// If DefaultAddrPool is null, Read from store and check if
 	// DefaultAddrPool info is stored in cluster object
 	// If VXLANUDPPort is 0, read it from the store - cluster object
-	if m.config.NetworkConfig == nil || m.config.NetworkConfig.DefaultAddrPool == nil || m.config.NetworkConfig.VXLANUDPPort == 0 {
+	if m.config.DefaultAddrPool == nil || m.config.VXLANUDPPort == 0 {
 		var cluster *api.Cluster
 		s.View(func(tx store.ReadTx) {
 			cluster = store.GetCluster(tx, clusterID)
 		})
 		if cluster.DefaultAddressPool != nil {
-			if m.config.NetworkConfig == nil {
-				m.config.NetworkConfig = &cnmallocator.NetworkConfig{}
-			}
-			m.config.NetworkConfig.DefaultAddrPool = append(m.config.NetworkConfig.DefaultAddrPool, cluster.DefaultAddressPool...)
-			m.config.NetworkConfig.SubnetSize = cluster.SubnetSize
+			m.config.DefaultAddrPool = append(m.config.DefaultAddrPool, cluster.DefaultAddressPool...)
+			m.config.SubnetSize = cluster.SubnetSize
 		}
 		if cluster.VXLANUDPPort != 0 {
-			if m.config.NetworkConfig == nil {
-				m.config.NetworkConfig = &cnmallocator.NetworkConfig{}
-			}
-			m.config.NetworkConfig.VXLANUDPPort = cluster.VXLANUDPPort
+			m.config.VXLANUDPPort = cluster.VXLANUDPPort
 		}
 	}
 
-	m.allocator, err = allocator.New(s, m.config.PluginGetter, m.config.NetworkConfig)
+	// Toss all this info into a netCfg, so that the allocator can do its
+	// thing.
+	netCfg := &cnmallocator.NetworkConfig{
+		DefaultAddrPool: m.config.DefaultAddrPool,
+		SubnetSize:      m.config.SubnetSize,
+		VXLANUDPPort:    m.config.VXLANUDPPort,
+	}
+
+	m.allocator, err = allocator.New(s, m.config.PluginGetter, netCfg)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.G(ctx).WithError(err).Error("failed to create allocator")
 		// TODO(stevvooe): It doesn't seem correct here to fail
diff --git a/node/node.go b/node/node.go
index ab5cc7b92d..b0c05d18c5 100644
--- a/node/node.go
+++ b/node/node.go
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/moby/swarmkit/v2/ioutils"
 	"github.com/moby/swarmkit/v2/log"
 	"github.com/moby/swarmkit/v2/manager"
-	"github.com/moby/swarmkit/v2/manager/allocator/cnmallocator"
 	"github.com/moby/swarmkit/v2/manager/encryption"
 	"github.com/moby/swarmkit/v2/remotes"
 	"github.com/moby/swarmkit/v2/xnet"
@@ -106,8 +105,19 @@ type Config struct {
 	// for connections to the remote API (including the raft service).
 	AdvertiseRemoteAPI string
 
-	// NetworkConfig stores network related config for the cluster
-	NetworkConfig *cnmallocator.NetworkConfig
+	// DefaultAddrPool specifies default subnet pool for global scope networks
+	// This duplicates information found in a type deeper in the stack
+	// (manager/allocation/cnmallocator.NetworkConfig) but is brought up to
+	// the top level in this config file to avoid creating a dependency from
+	// this node package to any deeper levels.
+	DefaultAddrPool []string
+
+	// SubnetSize specifies the subnet size of the networks created from
+	// the default subnet pool
+	SubnetSize uint32
+
+	// VXLANUDPPort specifies the UDP port number for VXLAN traffic
+	VXLANUDPPort uint32
 
 	// Executor specifies the executor to use for the agent.
 	Executor exec.Executor
@@ -1014,7 +1024,9 @@ func (n *Node) runManager(ctx context.Context, securityConfig *ca.SecurityConfig
 		PluginGetter:     n.config.PluginGetter,
 		RootCAPaths:      rootPaths,
 		FIPS:             n.config.FIPS,
-		NetworkConfig:    n.config.NetworkConfig,
+		DefaultAddrPool:  n.config.DefaultAddrPool,
+		SubnetSize:       n.config.SubnetSize,
+		VXLANUDPPort:     n.config.VXLANUDPPort,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err