diff --git a/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/examples/cluster-autoscaler-deployment.yaml b/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/examples/cluster-autoscaler-deployment.yaml
index 94d066690fc3..3b0254097720 100644
--- a/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/examples/cluster-autoscaler-deployment.yaml
+++ b/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/examples/cluster-autoscaler-deployment.yaml
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ spec:
                 secretKeyRef:
                   name: bootstrap-token-cluster-autoscaler-packet
                   key: token-secret
-            - name: PACKET_AUTH_TOKEN
+            - name: METAL_AUTH_TOKEN
               valueFrom:
                 secretKeyRef:
                   name: cluster-autoscaler-packet
diff --git a/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/packet_cloud_provider.go b/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/packet_cloud_provider.go
index bafa2fc65744..402713f545a0 100644
--- a/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/packet_cloud_provider.go
+++ b/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/packet_cloud_provider.go
@@ -42,7 +42,10 @@ const (
 	// master/controller node.
 	DefaultControllerNodeLabelKey = "node-role.kubernetes.io/master"
 	// ControllerNodeIdentifierEnv is the string for the environment variable.
-	ControllerNodeIdentifierEnv = "PACKET_CONTROLLER_NODE_IDENTIFIER_LABEL"
+	// Deprecated: This env var is deprecated in the favour packet's acquisition to equinix.
+	// Please use 'ControllerNodeIdentifierMetalEnv'
+	ControllerNodeIdentifierEnv      = "PACKET_CONTROLLER_NODE_IDENTIFIER_LABEL"
+	ControllerNodeIdentifierMetalEnv = "METAL_CONTROLLER_NODE_IDENTIFIER_LABEL"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -106,10 +109,15 @@ func (pcp *equinixMetalCloudProvider) AddNodeGroup(group equinixMetalNodeGroup)
 //
 // Since only a single node group is currently supported, the first node group is always returned.
 func (pcp *equinixMetalCloudProvider) NodeGroupForNode(node *apiv1.Node) (cloudprovider.NodeGroup, error) {
-	controllerNodeLabel := os.Getenv(ControllerNodeIdentifierEnv)
-	if controllerNodeLabel == "" {
-		klog.V(3).Infof("env %s not set, using default: %s", ControllerNodeIdentifierEnv, DefaultControllerNodeLabelKey)
-		controllerNodeLabel = DefaultControllerNodeLabelKey
+	controllerNodeLabel := DefaultControllerNodeLabelKey
+	value, present := os.LookupEnv(ControllerNodeIdentifierMetalEnv)
+	if present {
+		controllerNodeLabel = value
+	} else {
+		controllerNodeLabel = os.Getenv(ControllerNodeIdentifierEnv)
+		if controllerNodeLabel == "" {
+			klog.V(3).Infof("env %s not set, using default: %s", ControllerNodeIdentifierEnv, DefaultControllerNodeLabelKey)
+		}
 	}
 
 	if _, found := node.ObjectMeta.Labels[controllerNodeLabel]; found {
diff --git a/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/packet_manager_rest.go b/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/packet_manager_rest.go
index c18674852ca0..e0860232639f 100644
--- a/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/packet_manager_rest.go
+++ b/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/packet_manager_rest.go
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ const (
 	userAgent                    = "kubernetes/cluster-autoscaler/" + version.ClusterAutoscalerVersion
 	expectedAPIContentTypePrefix = "application/json"
 	prefix                       = "equinixmetal://"
+	metalAuthTokenEnv            = "METAL_AUTH_TOKEN"
 )
 
 type instanceType struct {
@@ -298,9 +299,15 @@ func createEquinixMetalManagerRest(configReader io.Reader, discoverOpts cloudpro
 		klog.Fatalf("No \"default\" or [Global] nodepool definition was found")
 	}
 
-	metalAuthToken := os.Getenv("PACKET_AUTH_TOKEN")
-	if len(metalAuthToken) == 0 {
-		klog.Fatalf("PACKET_AUTH_TOKEN is required and missing")
+	var metalAuthToken string
+	value, present := os.LookupEnv(metalAuthTokenEnv)
+	if present {
+		metalAuthToken = value
+	} else {
+		metalAuthToken = os.Getenv("PACKET_AUTH_TOKEN")
+		if len(metalAuthToken) == 0 {
+			klog.Fatalf("%s or PACKET_AUTH_TOKEN is required and missing", metalAuthTokenEnv)
+		}
 	}
 
 	manager.authToken = metalAuthToken
diff --git a/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/packet_manager_rest_test.go b/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/packet_manager_rest_test.go
index fe47c22792fe..4518a6dddd6c 100644
--- a/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/packet_manager_rest_test.go
+++ b/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/packet_manager_rest_test.go
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func TestListMetalDevices(t *testing.T) {
 	var m *equinixMetalManagerRest
 	server := NewHttpServerMock(MockFieldContentType, MockFieldResponse)
 	defer server.Close()
-	if len(os.Getenv("PACKET_AUTH_TOKEN")) > 0 {
+	if len(os.Getenv("PACKET_AUTH_TOKEN")) > 0 || len(os.Getenv(metalAuthTokenEnv)) > 0 {
 		// If auth token set in env, hit the actual Packet API
 		m = newTestPacketManagerRest(t, "https://api.equinix.com/metal/v1/")
 	} else {
diff --git a/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/packet_node_group_test.go b/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/packet_node_group_test.go
index 50c5f5041277..c4e7812752a9 100644
--- a/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/packet_node_group_test.go
+++ b/cluster-autoscaler/cloudprovider/packet/packet_node_group_test.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func TestIncreaseDecreaseSize(t *testing.T) {
 	server := NewHttpServerMock(MockFieldContentType, MockFieldResponse)
 	defer server.Close()
 	assert.Equal(t, true, true)
-	if len(os.Getenv("PACKET_AUTH_TOKEN")) > 0 {
+	if len(os.Getenv("PACKET_AUTH_TOKEN")) > 0 || len(os.Getenv(metalAuthTokenEnv)) > 0 {
 		// If auth token set in env, hit the actual Packet API
 		m = newTestPacketManagerRest(t, "https://api.equinix.com")
 	} else {
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ func TestIncreaseDecreaseSize(t *testing.T) {
 	err = ngPool3.IncreaseSize(1)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
-	if len(os.Getenv("PACKET_AUTH_TOKEN")) > 0 {
+	if len(os.Getenv("PACKET_AUTH_TOKEN")) > 0 || len(os.Getenv(metalAuthTokenEnv)) > 0 {
 		// If testing with actual API give it some time until the nodes bootstrap
 		time.Sleep(420 * time.Second)
 	}
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ func TestIncreaseDecreaseSize(t *testing.T) {
 	err = ngPool2.IncreaseSize(1)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
-	if len(os.Getenv("PACKET_AUTH_TOKEN")) > 0 {
+	if len(os.Getenv("PACKET_AUTH_TOKEN")) > 0 || len(os.Getenv(metalAuthTokenEnv)) > 0 {
 		// If testing with actual API give it some time until the nodes bootstrap
 		time.Sleep(420 * time.Second)
 	}
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ func TestIncreaseDecreaseSize(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// Wait a few seconds if talking to the actual Packet API
-	if len(os.Getenv("PACKET_AUTH_TOKEN")) > 0 {
+	if len(os.Getenv("PACKET_AUTH_TOKEN")) > 0 || len(os.Getenv(metalAuthTokenEnv)) > 0 {
 		time.Sleep(10 * time.Second)
 	}