diff --git a/cli/cmd/cluster-apply.go b/cli/cmd/cluster-apply.go
index 26239420d..c34849082 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/cluster-apply.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/cluster-apply.go
@@ -23,9 +23,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	verbose         bool
-	skipComponents  bool
-	upgradeKubelets bool
+	verbose                  bool
+	skipComponents           bool
+	skipPreUpdateHealthCheck bool
+	upgradeKubelets          bool
 )
 
 var clusterApplyCmd = &cobra.Command{
@@ -43,6 +44,10 @@ func init() {
 	pf.BoolVarP(&confirm, "confirm", "", false, "Upgrade cluster without asking for confirmation")
 	pf.BoolVarP(&verbose, "verbose", "v", false, "Show output from Terraform")
 	pf.BoolVarP(&skipComponents, "skip-components", "", false, "Skip applying component configuration")
+
+	pf.BoolVarP(&skipPreUpdateHealthCheck, "skip-pre-update-health-check", "", false,
+		"Skip ensuring that cluster is healthy before updating (not recommended)")
+
 	pf.BoolVarP(&upgradeKubelets, "upgrade-kubelets", "", false, "Experimentally upgrade self-hosted kubelets")
 }
 
@@ -53,12 +58,13 @@ func runClusterApply(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 	})
 
 	options := cluster.ApplyOptions{
-		Confirm:         confirm,
-		UpgradeKubelets: upgradeKubelets,
-		SkipComponents:  skipComponents,
-		Verbose:         verbose,
-		ConfigPath:      viper.GetString("lokocfg"),
-		ValuesPath:      viper.GetString("lokocfg-vars"),
+		Confirm:                  confirm,
+		UpgradeKubelets:          upgradeKubelets,
+		SkipComponents:           skipComponents,
+		SkipPreUpdateHealthCheck: skipPreUpdateHealthCheck,
+		Verbose:                  verbose,
+		ConfigPath:               viper.GetString("lokocfg"),
+		ValuesPath:               viper.GetString("lokocfg-vars"),
 	}
 
 	if err := cluster.Apply(contextLogger, options); err != nil {
diff --git a/cli/cmd/cluster/apply.go b/cli/cmd/cluster/apply.go
index a5cc5ffe3..7ed8f6110 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/cluster/apply.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/cluster/apply.go
@@ -27,12 +27,13 @@ import (
 
 // ApplyOptions defines how cluster apply operation will behave.
 type ApplyOptions struct {
-	Confirm         bool
-	UpgradeKubelets bool
-	SkipComponents  bool
-	Verbose         bool
-	ConfigPath      string
-	ValuesPath      string
+	Confirm                  bool
+	UpgradeKubelets          bool
+	SkipComponents           bool
+	SkipPreUpdateHealthCheck bool
+	Verbose                  bool
+	ConfigPath               string
+	ValuesPath               string
 }
 
 // Apply applies cluster configuration together with components.
@@ -55,9 +56,27 @@ func Apply(contextLogger *log.Entry, options ApplyOptions) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("checking if cluster exists: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	// Unpack controlplane charts before we return potential errors to the user early.
-	if err := c.unpackControlplaneCharts(); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("unpacking controlplane assets: %w", err)
+	// Prepare for getting kubeconfig.
+	kg := kubeconfigGetter{
+		platformRequired: true,
+	}
+
+	var kubeconfig []byte
+
+	// Prepare controlplane updater.
+	cu := controlplaneUpdater{
+		kubeconfig:    kubeconfig,
+		assetDir:      c.assetDir,
+		contextLogger: *contextLogger,
+		ex:            c.terraformExecutor,
+	}
+
+	charts := platform.CommonControlPlaneCharts(options.UpgradeKubelets)
+
+	if !exists {
+		if err := c.unpackControlplaneCharts(); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unpacking controlplane assets: %w", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	if exists && !options.Confirm {
@@ -73,17 +92,28 @@ func Apply(contextLogger *log.Entry, options ApplyOptions) error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if exists && !options.SkipPreUpdateHealthCheck {
+		var err error
+
+		cu.kubeconfig, err = kg.getKubeconfig(contextLogger, c.lokomotiveConfig)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("getting kubeconfig: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		for _, c := range charts {
+			if err := cu.ensureComponent(c.Name, c.Namespace); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("ensuring controlplane component %q: %w", c.Name, err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	if err := c.platform.Apply(&c.terraformExecutor); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("applying platform: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	fmt.Printf("\nYour configurations are stored in %s\n", c.assetDir)
 
-	kg := kubeconfigGetter{
-		platformRequired: true,
-	}
-
-	kubeconfig, err := kg.getKubeconfig(contextLogger, c.lokomotiveConfig)
+	kubeconfig, err = kg.getKubeconfig(contextLogger, c.lokomotiveConfig)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("getting kubeconfig: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -109,7 +139,9 @@ func Apply(contextLogger *log.Entry, options ApplyOptions) error {
 			ex:            c.terraformExecutor,
 		}
 
-		charts := platform.CommonControlPlaneCharts(options.UpgradeKubelets)
+		if err := c.unpackControlplaneCharts(); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unpacking controlplane assets: %w", err)
+		}
 
 		for _, c := range charts {
 			if err := cu.upgradeComponent(c.Name, c.Namespace); err != nil {
diff --git a/docs/cli/lokoctl_cluster_apply.md b/docs/cli/lokoctl_cluster_apply.md
index 8d0917511..19bce7ebe 100644
--- a/docs/cli/lokoctl_cluster_apply.md
+++ b/docs/cli/lokoctl_cluster_apply.md
@@ -18,11 +18,12 @@ lokoctl cluster apply [flags]
 ### Options
 
 ```
-      --confirm            Upgrade cluster without asking for confirmation
-  -h, --help               help for apply
-      --skip-components    Skip applying component configuration
-      --upgrade-kubelets   Experimentally upgrade self-hosted kubelets
-  -v, --verbose            Show output from Terraform
+      --confirm                        Upgrade cluster without asking for confirmation
+  -h, --help                           help for apply
+      --skip-components                Skip applying component configuration
+      --skip-pre-update-health-check   Skip ensuring that cluster is healthy before updating (not recommended)
+      --upgrade-kubelets               Experimentally upgrade self-hosted kubelets
+  -v, --verbose                        Show output from Terraform
 ```
 
 ### Options inherited from parent commands