diff --git a/cns/restserver/api.go b/cns/restserver/api.go
index b44c98e36b..ddb042dd13 100644
--- a/cns/restserver/api.go
+++ b/cns/restserver/api.go
@@ -746,7 +746,7 @@ func (service *HTTPRestService) setOrchestratorType(w http.ResponseWriter, r *ht
 	service.dncPartitionKey = req.DncPartitionKey
 	nodeID = service.state.NodeID
 
-	if nodeID == "" || nodeID == req.NodeID {
+	if nodeID == "" || nodeID == req.NodeID || !service.areNCsPresent() {
 		switch req.OrchestratorType {
 		case cns.ServiceFabric:
 			fallthrough
diff --git a/cns/restserver/api_test.go b/cns/restserver/api_test.go
index 844cd0d115..749b0b9e73 100644
--- a/cns/restserver/api_test.go
+++ b/cns/restserver/api_test.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	acncommon "github.com/Azure/azure-container-networking/common"
 	"github.com/Azure/azure-container-networking/processlock"
 	"github.com/Azure/azure-container-networking/store"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -195,6 +196,102 @@ func TestSetOrchestratorType(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func FirstByte(b []byte, err error) []byte {
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	return b
+}
+
+func FirstRequest(req *http.Request, err error) *http.Request {
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	return req
+}
+
+func TestSetOrchestratorType_NCsPresent(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name          string
+		service       *HTTPRestService
+		writer        *httptest.ResponseRecorder
+		request       *http.Request
+		response      cns.Response
+		wanthttperror bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "Node already set, and has NCs, so registration should fail",
+			service: &HTTPRestService{
+				state: &httpRestServiceState{
+					NodeID: "node1",
+					ContainerStatus: map[string]containerstatus{
+						"nc1": {},
+					},
+					ContainerIDByOrchestratorContext: map[string]string{
+						"nc1": "present",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			writer: httptest.NewRecorder(),
+			request: FirstRequest(http.NewRequestWithContext(
+				context.TODO(), http.MethodPost, cns.SetOrchestratorType, bytes.NewReader(
+					FirstByte(json.Marshal( //nolint:errchkjson //inline map, only using returned bytes
+						cns.SetOrchestratorTypeRequest{
+							OrchestratorType: "Kubernetes",
+							DncPartitionKey:  "partition1",
+							NodeID:           "node2",
+						}))))),
+			response: cns.Response{
+				ReturnCode: types.InvalidRequest,
+				Message:    "Invalid request since this node has already been registered as node1",
+			},
+			wanthttperror: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Node already set, with no NCs, so registration should succeed",
+			service: &HTTPRestService{
+				state: &httpRestServiceState{
+					NodeID: "node1",
+				},
+			},
+			writer: httptest.NewRecorder(),
+			request: FirstRequest(http.NewRequestWithContext(
+				context.TODO(), http.MethodPost, cns.SetOrchestratorType, bytes.NewReader(
+					FirstByte(json.Marshal( //nolint:errchkjson //inline map, only using returned bytes
+						cns.SetOrchestratorTypeRequest{
+							OrchestratorType: "Kubernetes",
+							DncPartitionKey:  "partition1",
+							NodeID:           "node2",
+						}))))),
+			response: cns.Response{
+				ReturnCode: types.Success,
+				Message:    "",
+			},
+			wanthttperror: false,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		tt := tt
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			var resp cns.Response
+			// Since this is global, we have to replace the state
+			oldstate := svc.state
+			svc.state = tt.service.state
+			mux.ServeHTTP(tt.writer, tt.request)
+			// Replace back old state
+			svc.state = oldstate
+
+			err := decodeResponse(tt.writer, &resp)
+			if tt.wanthttperror {
+				assert.NotNil(t, err)
+			} else {
+				assert.NoError(t, err)
+			}
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.response, resp)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestCreateNetworkContainer(t *testing.T) {
 	// requires more than 30 seconds to run
 	fmt.Println("Test: TestCreateNetworkContainer")
diff --git a/cns/restserver/util.go b/cns/restserver/util.go
index f64999fcfe..7711272f3b 100644
--- a/cns/restserver/util.go
+++ b/cns/restserver/util.go
@@ -600,6 +600,14 @@ func (service *HTTPRestService) getNetworkContainerDetails(networkContainerID st
 	return containerDetails, containerExists
 }
 
+// areNCsPresent returns true if NCs are present in CNS, false if no NCs are present
+func (service *HTTPRestService) areNCsPresent() bool {
+	if len(service.state.ContainerStatus) == 0 && len(service.state.ContainerIDByOrchestratorContext) == 0 {
+		return false
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
 // Check if the network is joined
 func (service *HTTPRestService) isNetworkJoined(networkID string) bool {
 	namedLock.LockAcquire(stateJoinedNetworks)
diff --git a/cns/restserver/util_test.go b/cns/restserver/util_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9415fe2c57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cns/restserver/util_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+package restserver
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestAreNCsPresent(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		service HTTPRestService
+		want    bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "container status present",
+			service: HTTPRestService{
+				state: &httpRestServiceState{
+					ContainerStatus: map[string]containerstatus{
+						"nc1": {},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			want: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "containerIDByOrchestorContext present",
+			service: HTTPRestService{
+				state: &httpRestServiceState{
+					ContainerIDByOrchestratorContext: map[string]string{
+						"nc1": "present",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			want: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "neither containerStatus nor containerIDByOrchestratorContext present",
+			service: HTTPRestService{
+				state: &httpRestServiceState{},
+			},
+			want: false,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests { //nolint:govet // this mutex copy is to keep a local reference to this variable in the test func closure, and is ok
+		tt := tt //nolint:govet // this mutex copy is to keep a local reference to this variable in the test func closure, and is ok
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := tt.service.areNCsPresent()
+			assert.Equal(t, got, tt.want)
+		})
+	}
+}