diff --git a/python/ray/autoscaler/aws/node_provider.py b/python/ray/autoscaler/aws/node_provider.py
index 6b30870bf..44dbc21c8 100644
--- a/python/ray/autoscaler/aws/node_provider.py
+++ b/python/ray/autoscaler/aws/node_provider.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import botocore
 from botocore.config import Config
 
 from ray.autoscaler.node_provider import NodeProvider
+from ray.autoscaler.aws.config import bootstrap_aws
 from ray.autoscaler.tags import TAG_RAY_CLUSTER_NAME, TAG_RAY_NODE_NAME, \
     TAG_RAY_LAUNCH_CONFIG, TAG_RAY_NODE_TYPE, TAG_RAY_INSTANCE_TYPE
 from ray.ray_constants import BOTO_MAX_RETRIES, BOTO_CREATE_MAX_RETRIES
@@ -399,3 +400,7 @@ class AWSNodeProvider(NodeProvider):
     def cleanup(self):
         self.tag_cache_update_event.set()
         self.tag_cache_kill_event.set()
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def bootstrap_config(cluster_config):
+        return bootstrap_aws(cluster_config)
diff --git a/python/ray/autoscaler/azure/node_provider.py b/python/ray/autoscaler/azure/node_provider.py
index 62b09393f..69c197e61 100644
--- a/python/ray/autoscaler/azure/node_provider.py
+++ b/python/ray/autoscaler/azure/node_provider.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from azure.mgmt.resource.resources.models import DeploymentMode
 from knack.util import CLIError
 
 from ray.autoscaler.node_provider import NodeProvider
+from ray.autoscaler.azure.config import bootstrap_azure
 from ray.autoscaler.tags import TAG_RAY_CLUSTER_NAME, TAG_RAY_NODE_NAME
 
 VM_NAME_MAX_LEN = 64
@@ -291,3 +292,7 @@ class AzureNodeProvider(NodeProvider):
         if node_id in self.cached_nodes:
             return self.cached_nodes[node_id]
         return self._get_node(node_id=node_id)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def bootstrap_config(cluster_config):
+        return bootstrap_azure(cluster_config)
diff --git a/python/ray/autoscaler/commands.py b/python/ray/autoscaler/commands.py
index 1840dcdc6..157fc82c1 100644
--- a/python/ray/autoscaler/commands.py
+++ b/python/ray/autoscaler/commands.py
@@ -117,8 +117,8 @@ def _bootstrap_config(config, no_config_cache=False):
         raise NotImplementedError("Unsupported provider {}".format(
             config["provider"]))
 
-    bootstrap_config, _ = importer()
-    resolved_config = bootstrap_config(config)
+    provider_cls = importer(config["provider"])
+    resolved_config = provider_cls.bootstrap_config(config)
     if not no_config_cache:
         with open(cache_key, "w") as f:
             f.write(json.dumps(resolved_config))
diff --git a/python/ray/autoscaler/gcp/node_provider.py b/python/ray/autoscaler/gcp/node_provider.py
index 58f8fff38..cbc4aecca 100644
--- a/python/ray/autoscaler/gcp/node_provider.py
+++ b/python/ray/autoscaler/gcp/node_provider.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import time
 import logging
 
 from ray.autoscaler.node_provider import NodeProvider
+from ray.autoscaler.gcp.config import bootstrap_gcp
 from ray.autoscaler.tags import TAG_RAY_CLUSTER_NAME, TAG_RAY_NODE_NAME
 from ray.autoscaler.gcp.config import MAX_POLLS, POLL_INTERVAL, \
         construct_clients_from_provider_config
@@ -238,3 +239,7 @@ class GCPNodeProvider(NodeProvider):
             return self.cached_nodes[node_id]
 
         return self._get_node(node_id)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def bootstrap_config(cluster_config):
+        return bootstrap_gcp(cluster_config)
diff --git a/python/ray/autoscaler/kubernetes/node_provider.py b/python/ray/autoscaler/kubernetes/node_provider.py
index 88c3a6d83..2c4a4e40f 100644
--- a/python/ray/autoscaler/kubernetes/node_provider.py
+++ b/python/ray/autoscaler/kubernetes/node_provider.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import logging
 
 from ray.autoscaler.kubernetes import core_api, log_prefix
 from ray.autoscaler.node_provider import NodeProvider
+from ray.autoscaler.kubernetes.config import bootstrap_kubernetes
 from ray.autoscaler.tags import TAG_RAY_CLUSTER_NAME
 from ray.autoscaler.updater import KubernetesCommandRunner
 
@@ -97,3 +98,7 @@ class KubernetesNodeProvider(NodeProvider):
                            docker_config=None):
         return KubernetesCommandRunner(log_prefix, self.namespace, node_id,
                                        auth_config, process_runner)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def bootstrap_config(cluster_config):
+        return bootstrap_kubernetes(cluster_config)
diff --git a/python/ray/autoscaler/local/node_provider.py b/python/ray/autoscaler/local/node_provider.py
index b9961f9f7..12414b43b 100644
--- a/python/ray/autoscaler/local/node_provider.py
+++ b/python/ray/autoscaler/local/node_provider.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import socket
 import logging
 
 from ray.autoscaler.node_provider import NodeProvider
+from ray.autoscaler.local.config import bootstrap_local
 from ray.autoscaler.tags import TAG_RAY_NODE_TYPE, NODE_TYPE_WORKER, \
     NODE_TYPE_HEAD
 
@@ -147,3 +148,7 @@ class LocalNodeProvider(NodeProvider):
         info = workers[node_id]
         info["state"] = "terminated"
         self.state.put(node_id, info)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def bootstrap_config(cluster_config):
+        return bootstrap_local(cluster_config)
diff --git a/python/ray/autoscaler/node_provider.py b/python/ray/autoscaler/node_provider.py
index 56344b402..7698a0bd4 100644
--- a/python/ray/autoscaler/node_provider.py
+++ b/python/ray/autoscaler/node_provider.py
@@ -8,34 +8,29 @@ from ray.autoscaler.command_runner import SSHCommandRunner, DockerCommandRunner
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-def import_aws():
-    from ray.autoscaler.aws.config import bootstrap_aws
+def import_aws(provider_config):
     from ray.autoscaler.aws.node_provider import AWSNodeProvider
-    return bootstrap_aws, AWSNodeProvider
+    return AWSNodeProvider
 
 
-def import_gcp():
-    from ray.autoscaler.gcp.config import bootstrap_gcp
+def import_gcp(provider_config):
     from ray.autoscaler.gcp.node_provider import GCPNodeProvider
-    return bootstrap_gcp, GCPNodeProvider
+    return GCPNodeProvider
 
 
-def import_azure():
-    from ray.autoscaler.azure.config import bootstrap_azure
+def import_azure(provider_config):
     from ray.autoscaler.azure.node_provider import AzureNodeProvider
-    return bootstrap_azure, AzureNodeProvider
+    return AzureNodeProvider
 
 
-def import_local():
-    from ray.autoscaler.local.config import bootstrap_local
+def import_local(provider_config):
     from ray.autoscaler.local.node_provider import LocalNodeProvider
-    return bootstrap_local, LocalNodeProvider
+    return LocalNodeProvider
 
 
-def import_kubernetes():
-    from ray.autoscaler.kubernetes.config import bootstrap_kubernetes
+def import_kubernetes(provider_config):
     from ray.autoscaler.kubernetes.node_provider import KubernetesNodeProvider
-    return bootstrap_kubernetes, KubernetesNodeProvider
+    return KubernetesNodeProvider
 
 
 def load_local_example_config():
@@ -66,13 +61,9 @@ def load_azure_example_config():
         os.path.dirname(ray_azure.__file__), "example-full.yaml")
 
 
-def import_external():
-    """Mock a normal provider importer."""
-
-    def return_it_back(config):
-        return config
-
-    return return_it_back, None
+def import_external(provider_config):
+    provider_cls = load_class(path=provider_config["module"])
+    return provider_cls
 
 
 NODE_PROVIDERS = {
@@ -112,16 +103,11 @@ def load_class(path):
 
 
 def get_node_provider(provider_config, cluster_name):
-    if provider_config["type"] == "external":
-        provider_cls = load_class(path=provider_config["module"])
-        return provider_cls(provider_config, cluster_name)
-
     importer = NODE_PROVIDERS.get(provider_config["type"])
-
     if importer is None:
         raise NotImplementedError("Unsupported node provider: {}".format(
             provider_config["type"]))
-    _, provider_cls = importer()
+    provider_cls = importer(provider_config)
     return provider_cls(provider_config, cluster_name)
 
 
@@ -227,6 +213,11 @@ class NodeProvider:
         demand scheduler."""
         return None
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def bootstrap_config(cluster_config):
+        """Bootstraps the cluster config by adding env defaults if needed."""
+        return cluster_config
+
     def get_command_runner(self,
                            log_prefix,
                            node_id,
diff --git a/python/ray/tests/test_autoscaler.py b/python/ray/tests/test_autoscaler.py
index 504985cb8..0d8882f8f 100644
--- a/python/ray/tests/test_autoscaler.py
+++ b/python/ray/tests/test_autoscaler.py
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ class LoadMetricsTest(unittest.TestCase):
 class AutoscalingTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         NODE_PROVIDERS["mock"] = \
-            lambda: (None, self.create_provider)
+            lambda config: self.create_provider
         self.provider = None
         self.tmpdir = tempfile.mkdtemp()