diff --git a/agent/host_agent_test.go b/agent/host_agent_test.go
index c834df040..e9e2894f1 100644
--- a/agent/host_agent_test.go
+++ b/agent/host_agent_test.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
+	restclient "k8s.io/client-go/rest"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2/klogr"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/util/conditions"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/util/patch"
@@ -861,4 +862,80 @@ users:
 			Expect(err.Error()).Should(ContainSubstring("kubeconfig generation failed: hostname is not valid"))
 		})
 	})
+	Context("When the certRotation func is called", func() {
+		var (
+			kubeConfig *os.File
+			err        error
+		)
+		BeforeEach(func() {
+			kubeConfig, err = ioutil.TempFile("", "bootstrap-kubeconfig")
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			bootstrapKubeConfig = kubeConfig.Name()
+		})
+		AfterEach(func() {
+			Expect(os.Remove(bootstrapKubeConfig)).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
+		})
+		It("should return if certificate data is not valid", func() {
+			testKubeconfigInvalid := []byte(`
+apiVersion: v1
+clusters:
+- cluster:
+    certificate-authority-data: ZHVtbXkgY2VydGlmaWNhdGU=
+    server: https://cluster-a.com
+  name: default-cluster
+contexts:
+- context:
+    cluster: default-cluster
+    namespace: default
+    user: default-auth
+  name: default-context
+current-context: default-context
+kind: Config
+preferences: {}
+users:
+- name: default-auth
+  user:
+    client-certificate-data: aW5WYWxpZERhdGE=
+    client-key-data: aW5WYWxpZERhdGE=
+`)
+			_, err = kubeConfig.Write(testKubeconfigInvalid)
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			var config *restclient.Config
+			config, err = registration.LoadRESTClientConfig(bootstrapKubeConfig)
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			err = certRotation(klogr.New(), "test-host", config)
+			Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
+		})
+		It("should return if certificate needs rotation", func() {
+			testKubeconfig := []byte(`
+apiVersion: v1
+clusters:
+- cluster:
+    certificate-authority-data: LS0tLS1CRUdJTiBDRVJUSUZJQ0FURS0tLS0tCk1JSUMvakNDQWVhZ0F3SUJBZ0lCQURBTkJna3Foa2lHOXcwQkFRc0ZBREFWTVJNd0VRWURWUVFERXdwcmRXSmwKY201bGRHVnpNQjRYRFRJeU1UQXpNVEF5TkRjd05Gb1hEVE15TVRBeU9EQXlORGN3TkZvd0ZURVRNQkVHQTFVRQpBeE1LYTNWaVpYSnVaWFJsY3pDQ0FTSXdEUVlKS29aSWh2Y05BUUVCQlFBRGdnRVBBRENDQVFvQ2dnRUJBSjZvCnpZSnhVUnhnK2VHMkM4TzJOQXZ2OU9KZXIzL0lZTVBqcXh3cTNKMHZEbm02L3lHK0RQNzFxNWo5MzdlWmdMSncKZkI1YVJMMzFjdUw3N2RFUjZXc3UwVGRCRGN3MGJ6TWFEQ1lRT016TGdESnlrYmhlUmNtRkNDb1Z1MHVqaXlSbApyL3U2YllEZVcveWxmeTgxS1RJaWRJU0U1RUhoYjBlYWZyT0htbTY1aEVYSU5CbkF0WmJiUjZXaVk0NGt5SG1KCnh4bXBORGdHRHh4cVJQZ2ZCbDhrS2NkSDYvZSt1b3dPVlJtalY3a3ZsNzdtUi9uOEEvTUM5Ujc3enh0TmVCcXcKYzlmK3hmODRrMXlVT0xSZHM4M1JrNUFHZjB3Q2VjSmxMUmwwakNyNkJvSStZRm8xUWtMSzluQVJKZGtFS0xvbApaVFNkbHRodnBWd0MvTHdHeklzQ0F3RUFBYU5aTUZjd0RnWURWUjBQQVFIL0JBUURBZ0trTUE4R0ExVWRFd0VCCi93UUZNQU1CQWY4d0hRWURWUjBPQkJZRUZDUmh3bm1rcW9ncUZwS09ObmNUaFgvV2VvQTlNQlVHQTFVZEVRUU8KTUF5Q0NtdDFZbVZ5Ym1WMFpYTXdEUVlKS29aSWh2Y05BUUVMQlFBRGdnRUJBSnFWOHYxdC9kR0NrV0tXRzhxKwpWUTdqTHNZWkc5dUwyN2x6MVovYXFidUcxMURoemZCUHBxVDVSMHNkNXYwVFJUQ1lpK1JTVCs2UnB6Kzd1bytZCndWWUpBREwrcEE0UExTTGRGb1RUcHBFL1ZXcE5rbE0rZnhKa1U5cU5YUkRpN28xTzR4YWJOQUxRZWRwb3RWaVUKSFAxV3IxT3VNbDI0SW5vNkJYWU5CQ0JjT21mOWV3ZjV4Z2R5T2Z5eEh6WXI0dWJUb1dqT0hlaE1xUnQ1SUVqdApJRGQ2R0V0cG43VWVwdnFZNE50aU91UzFReUZodW13UGc2VmhtTjZZMFRrcjJrY2RYU3RtWVBxYzNGcU12RkRYClhDOTMzMkZrTjNxRWlNUFJvbUw0cDQvbHN2aUpLY0VpUG5iTTBCZzRWV1R0bjFqNWtwTVFNbC9TMU8rRkR6U20KWVlVPQotLS0tLUVORCBDRVJUSUZJQ0FURS0tLS0tCg==
+    server: https://cluster-a.com
+  name: default-cluster
+contexts:
+- context:
+    cluster: default-cluster
+    namespace: default
+    user: default-auth
+  name: default-context
+current-context: default-context
+kind: Config
+preferences: {}
+users:
+- name: default-auth
+  user:
+    client-certificate-data: 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
+    client-key-data: aW5WYWxpZERhdGE=
+`)
+			_, err = kubeConfig.Write(testKubeconfig)
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			var config *restclient.Config
+			config, err = registration.LoadRESTClientConfig(bootstrapKubeConfig)
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			err = certRotation(klogr.New(), "test-host", config)
+			Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
+		})
+	})
 })
diff --git a/agent/main.go b/agent/main.go
index bc1fb6b7f..af72cc848 100644
--- a/agent/main.go
+++ b/agent/main.go
@@ -246,34 +246,40 @@ func handleBootstrapFlow(logger logr.Logger, hostName string) error {
 func certificateRotation(logger logr.Logger, hostName string, config *rest.Config) error {
 	var pollDuration = 5 * time.Second
 	for {
-		block, _ := pem.Decode(config.CertData)
-		if block == nil || block.Type != "CERTIFICATE" {
-			logger.Info("failed to decode PEM block containing certificate")
-			return nil
-		}
-
-		cert, err := x509.ParseCertificate(block.Bytes)
-		if err != nil {
-			logger.Error(err, "Certifcate parse failed")
+		if err := certRotation(logger, hostName, config); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		// Poll after every few seconds
+		time.Sleep(pollDuration)
+	}
+}
 
-		totalTimeCert := cert.NotAfter.Sub(cert.NotBefore)
+func certRotation(logger logr.Logger, hostName string, config *rest.Config) error {
+	block, _ := pem.Decode(config.CertData)
+	if block == nil || block.Type != "CERTIFICATE" {
+		logger.Info("failed to decode PEM block containing certificate")
+		return nil
+	}
 
-		// if less than 20% time left, renew the certs.
-		// https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/cluster-api/blob/main/docs/proposals/20210222-kubelet-authentication.md#kubelet-authenticator-flow
-		if time.Now().After(cert.NotAfter.Add(totalTimeCert / -5)) {
-			logger.Info("certificate expiration time left is less than 20%, renewing")
-			if err = handleBootstrapFlow(logger, hostName); err != nil {
-				logger.Error(err, "bootstrap flow failed")
-			}
-		} else {
-			logger.Info("certificate are valid", "will be renewed after", cert.NotAfter.Add(totalTimeCert/-5))
-		}
+	cert, err := x509.ParseCertificate(block.Bytes)
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Error(err, "Certificate parse failed")
+		return err
+	}
 
-		// Poll after every few seconds
-		time.Sleep(pollDuration)
+	totalTimeCert := cert.NotAfter.Sub(cert.NotBefore)
+
+	// if less than 20% time left, renew the certs.
+	// https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/cluster-api/blob/main/docs/proposals/20210222-kubelet-authentication.md#kubelet-authenticator-flow
+	if time.Now().After(cert.NotAfter.Add(totalTimeCert / -5)) {
+		logger.Info("certificate expiration time left is less than 20%, renewing")
+		if err = handleBootstrapFlow(logger, hostName); err != nil {
+			logger.Error(err, "bootstrap flow failed")
+		}
+	} else {
+		logger.Info("certificate are valid", "will be renewed after", cert.NotAfter.Add(totalTimeCert/-5))
 	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 func getConfig(logger logr.Logger) *rest.Config {