diff --git a/config/clusterctl-templates/cluster-template-calico-lab.yaml b/config/clusterctl-templates/cluster-template-calico-lab.yaml
index 1e07261..4d8487e 100644
--- a/config/clusterctl-templates/cluster-template-calico-lab.yaml
+++ b/config/clusterctl-templates/cluster-template-calico-lab.yaml
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ data:
                 - name: METAL_DEFAULT_EXTERNAL_NETWORK_ID
                   value: internet
                 - name: METAL_ADDITIONAL_NETWORKS
-                  value: internet,${METAL_NODE_NETWORK_ID}
+                  value: internet,${METAL_NODE_NETWORK_ID:=null}
                 - name: METAL_SSH_PUBLICKEY
                   value: ""
               image: ghcr.io/metal-stack/metal-ccm:v0.9.7
diff --git a/config/clusterctl-templates/cluster-template-calico.yaml b/config/clusterctl-templates/cluster-template-calico.yaml
index 9ed3ea4..dad2287 100644
--- a/config/clusterctl-templates/cluster-template-calico.yaml
+++ b/config/clusterctl-templates/cluster-template-calico.yaml
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ data:
                 - name: METAL_DEFAULT_EXTERNAL_NETWORK_ID
                   value: internet
                 - name: METAL_ADDITIONAL_NETWORKS
-                  value: internet,${METAL_NODE_NETWORK_ID}
+                  value: internet,${METAL_NODE_NETWORK_ID:=null}
                 - name: METAL_SSH_PUBLICKEY
                   value: ""
               image: ghcr.io/metal-stack/metal-ccm:v0.9.7
diff --git a/config/samples/metal-ccm/crs.yaml b/config/samples/metal-ccm/crs.yaml
index 51f3417..8cdf5fe 100644
--- a/config/samples/metal-ccm/crs.yaml
+++ b/config/samples/metal-ccm/crs.yaml
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ data:
                 - name: METAL_DEFAULT_EXTERNAL_NETWORK_ID
                   value: internet
                 - name: METAL_ADDITIONAL_NETWORKS
-                  value: internet,${METAL_NODE_NETWORK_ID}
+                  value: internet,${METAL_NODE_NETWORK_ID:=null}
                 - name: METAL_SSH_PUBLICKEY
                   value: ""
               image: ghcr.io/metal-stack/metal-ccm:v0.9.8
diff --git a/config/target-cluster/metal-ccm.yaml b/config/target-cluster/metal-ccm.yaml
index 8d5dd85..5377c6e 100644
--- a/config/target-cluster/metal-ccm.yaml
+++ b/config/target-cluster/metal-ccm.yaml
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ spec:
             - name: METAL_DEFAULT_EXTERNAL_NETWORK_ID
               value: internet
             - name: METAL_ADDITIONAL_NETWORKS
-              value: internet,${METAL_NODE_NETWORK_ID}
+              value: internet,${METAL_NODE_NETWORK_ID:=null}
             - name: METAL_SSH_PUBLICKEY
               value: ""
           image: ghcr.io/metal-stack/metal-ccm:v0.9.7
diff --git a/test/e2e/frmwrk/cluster_upgrade_kubernetes_test.go b/test/e2e/frmwrk/cluster_upgrade_kubernetes_test.go
index e3c9767..325b6ff 100644
--- a/test/e2e/frmwrk/cluster_upgrade_kubernetes_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/frmwrk/cluster_upgrade_kubernetes_test.go
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ var _ = Describe("Upgrade Kubernetes Cluster Version", Ordered, Label("upgrade")
 		capi_e2e_ClusterUpgradeConformanceSpec(ctx, func() capi_e2e.ClusterUpgradeConformanceSpecInput {
 			Expect(cfg.Variables).NotTo(BeNil(), "E2E config variables map must be initialized")
 			Expect(cfg.Variables).To(HaveKey("CONTROL_PLANE_IP"))
-			Expect(cfg.Variables).To(HaveKey("METAL_NODE_NETWORK_ID"))
 			return capi_e2e.ClusterUpgradeConformanceSpecInput{
 				E2EConfig:                cfg,
 				ClusterctlConfigPath:     e2eCtx.Environment.ClusterctlConfigPath,
diff --git a/test/e2e/frmwrk/shared_cluster.go b/test/e2e/frmwrk/shared_cluster.go
index bdc208d..617c041 100644
--- a/test/e2e/frmwrk/shared_cluster.go
+++ b/test/e2e/frmwrk/shared_cluster.go
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ type E2ECluster struct {
 
 type E2EClusterRefs struct {
 	Namespace      *corev1.Namespace
-	NodeNetwork    *metalmodels.V1NetworkResponse
 	ControlPlaneIP *metalmodels.V1IPResponse
 
 	Workload framework.ClusterProxy
@@ -89,10 +88,6 @@ func (e2e *E2ECluster) Variables() map[string]string {
 	vars["WORKER_MACHINE_SIZE"] = e2e.WorkerMachineSize
 	vars["WORKER_MACHINE_IMAGE"] = e2e.WorkerMachineImage
 
-	if e2e.Refs.NodeNetwork != nil {
-		vars["METAL_NODE_NETWORK_ID"] = *e2e.Refs.NodeNetwork.ID
-	}
-
 	return vars
 }
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/frmwrk/shared_context.go b/test/e2e/frmwrk/shared_context.go
index 4cd6354..c587fa5 100644
--- a/test/e2e/frmwrk/shared_context.go
+++ b/test/e2e/frmwrk/shared_context.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/metal-stack/metal-go/api/client/machine"
 	"github.com/metal-stack/metal-go/api/client/network"
 	"github.com/metal-stack/metal-go/api/models"
+	"github.com/metal-stack/metal-lib/pkg/tag"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
@@ -383,9 +384,16 @@ func (ee *E2EContext) TeardownMetalStackProject(ctx context.Context) {
 	Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred(), "failed to list metal networks for project")
 
 	for _, net := range nets.Payload {
-		if label, ok := net.Labels[capmsv1alpha1.TagInfraClusterResource]; !ok || !strings.HasPrefix(label, ee.projectNamespacePrefix()) {
+		label, ok := net.Labels[capmsv1alpha1.TagInfraClusterResource]
+		isTestGenerated := !ok || !strings.HasPrefix(label, ee.projectNamespacePrefix())
+
+		label, ok = net.Labels[tag.ClusterID]
+		isCAPMSManaged := ok && strings.HasPrefix(label, ee.projectNamespacePrefix())
+
+		if !isTestGenerated && !isCAPMSManaged {
 			continue
 		}
+
 		_, err := ee.Environment.Metal.Network().FreeNetwork(network.NewFreeNetworkParamsWithContext(ctx).WithID(*net.ID), nil)
 		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred(), fmt.Sprintf("failed to free metal network %s", *net.ID))
 	}