diff --git a/src/k8s/pkg/k8sd/app/app.go b/src/k8s/pkg/k8sd/app/app.go
index df373c376..99b61722d 100644
--- a/src/k8s/pkg/k8sd/app/app.go
+++ b/src/k8s/pkg/k8sd/app/app.go
@@ -3,12 +3,17 @@ package app
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/canonical/k8s/pkg/k8sd/api"
+	"github.com/canonical/k8s/pkg/k8sd/controllers"
 	"github.com/canonical/k8s/pkg/k8sd/database"
 	"github.com/canonical/k8s/pkg/snap"
+	"github.com/canonical/k8s/pkg/utils/k8s"
 	"github.com/canonical/microcluster/config"
 	"github.com/canonical/microcluster/microcluster"
+	"github.com/canonical/microcluster/state"
 )
 
 // Config defines configuration for the k8sd app.
@@ -27,6 +32,11 @@ type Config struct {
 type App struct {
 	microCluster *microcluster.MicroCluster
 	snap         snap.Snap
+
+	// readyWg is used to denote that the microcluster node is now running
+	readyWg sync.WaitGroup
+
+	nodeConfigController *controllers.NodeConfigurationController
 }
 
 // New initializes a new microcluster instance from configuration.
@@ -44,10 +54,21 @@ func New(ctx context.Context, cfg Config) (*App, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create microcluster app: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	return &App{
+	app := &App{
 		microCluster: cluster,
 		snap:         cfg.Snap,
-	}, nil
+	}
+	app.readyWg.Add(1)
+
+	app.nodeConfigController = controllers.NewNodeConfigurationController(
+		cfg.Snap,
+		app.readyWg.Wait,
+		func() (*k8s.Client, error) {
+			return k8s.NewClient(cfg.Snap.KubernetesNodeRESTClientGetter("kube-system"))
+		},
+	)
+
+	return app, nil
 }
 
 // Run starts the microcluster node and waits until it terminates.
@@ -80,3 +101,18 @@ func (a *App) Run(customHooks *config.Hooks) error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (a *App) markNodeReady(ctx context.Context, s *state.State) {
+	for {
+		if s.Database.IsOpen() {
+			a.readyWg.Done()
+			return
+		}
+
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return
+		case <-time.After(3 * time.Second):
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/k8s/pkg/k8sd/app/hooks_start.go b/src/k8s/pkg/k8sd/app/hooks_start.go
index a5729e21b..23c418ce0 100644
--- a/src/k8s/pkg/k8sd/app/hooks_start.go
+++ b/src/k8s/pkg/k8sd/app/hooks_start.go
@@ -1,33 +1,17 @@
 package app
 
 import (
-	"context"
-	"time"
-
-	"github.com/canonical/k8s/pkg/k8sd/controllers"
-	"github.com/canonical/k8s/pkg/utils/k8s"
 	"github.com/canonical/microcluster/state"
 )
 
 func (a *App) onStart(s *state.State) error {
-	snap := a.Snap()
-
-	configController := controllers.NewNodeConfigurationController(snap, func(ctx context.Context) *k8s.Client {
-		for {
-			select {
-			case <-ctx.Done():
-				return nil
-			case <-time.After(3 * time.Second):
-			}
+	// start a goroutine to mark the node as running
+	go a.markNodeReady(s.Context, s)
 
-			client, err := k8s.NewClient(snap.KubernetesNodeRESTClientGetter("kube-system"))
-			if err != nil {
-				continue
-			}
-			return client
-		}
-	})
-	go configController.Run(s.Context)
+	// start node config controller
+	if a.nodeConfigController != nil {
+		go a.nodeConfigController.Run(s.Context)
+	}
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/src/k8s/pkg/k8sd/controllers/node_configuration.go b/src/k8s/pkg/k8sd/controllers/node_configuration.go
index 50e70b8a8..bf2d718f1 100644
--- a/src/k8s/pkg/k8sd/controllers/node_configuration.go
+++ b/src/k8s/pkg/k8sd/controllers/node_configuration.go
@@ -14,24 +14,48 @@ import (
 )
 
 type NodeConfigurationController struct {
-	snap            snap.Snap
-	createK8sClient func(ctx context.Context) *k8s.Client
+	snap         snap.Snap
+	waitReady    func()
+	newK8sClient func() (*k8s.Client, error)
 }
 
-func NewNodeConfigurationController(snap snap.Snap, createK8sClient func(ctx context.Context) *k8s.Client) *NodeConfigurationController {
+func NewNodeConfigurationController(snap snap.Snap, waitReady func(), newK8sClient func() (*k8s.Client, error)) *NodeConfigurationController {
 	return &NodeConfigurationController{
-		snap:            snap,
-		createK8sClient: createK8sClient,
+		snap:         snap,
+		waitReady:    waitReady,
+		newK8sClient: newK8sClient,
+	}
+}
+
+func (c *NodeConfigurationController) retryNewK8sClient(ctx context.Context) (*k8s.Client, error) {
+	for {
+		client, err := c.newK8sClient()
+		if err == nil {
+			return client, nil
+		}
+
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return nil, ctx.Err()
+		case <-time.After(3 * time.Second):
+		}
 	}
 }
 
 func (c *NodeConfigurationController) Run(ctx context.Context) {
-	client := c.createK8sClient(ctx)
+	// wait for microcluster node to be ready
+	c.waitReady()
+
+	client, err := c.retryNewK8sClient(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Println(fmt.Errorf("failed to create a Kubernetes client: %w", err))
+	}
+
 	for {
 		if err := client.WatchConfigMap(ctx, "kube-system", "k8sd-config", func(configMap *v1.ConfigMap) error { return c.reconcile(ctx, configMap) }); err != nil {
 			// This also can fail during bootstrapping/start up when api-server is not ready
 			// So the watch requests get connection refused replies
-			log.Println(fmt.Errorf("error while watching configmap: %w", err))
+			log.Println(fmt.Errorf("failed to watch configmap: %w", err))
 		}
 
 		select {
diff --git a/src/k8s/pkg/k8sd/controllers/node_configuration_test.go b/src/k8s/pkg/k8sd/controllers/node_configuration_test.go
index 7bccda8e5..e99806690 100644
--- a/src/k8s/pkg/k8sd/controllers/node_configuration_test.go
+++ b/src/k8s/pkg/k8sd/controllers/node_configuration_test.go
@@ -125,8 +125,8 @@ func TestConfigPropagation(t *testing.T) {
 	watcher := watch.NewFake()
 	clientset.PrependWatchReactor("configmaps", k8stesting.DefaultWatchReactor(watcher, nil))
 
-	configController := NewNodeConfigurationController(s, func(ctx context.Context) *k8s.Client {
-		return &k8s.Client{Interface: clientset}
+	configController := NewNodeConfigurationController(s, func() {}, func() (*k8s.Client, error) {
+		return &k8s.Client{Interface: clientset}, nil
 	})
 
 	go configController.Run(ctx)