diff --git a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
index 4436e78c..f32d8bd1 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -22,8 +22,10 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
 package cluster
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	k3drt "github.com/rancher/k3d/pkg/runtimes"
 	k3d "github.com/rancher/k3d/pkg/types"
@@ -125,8 +127,32 @@ func CreateCluster(cluster *k3d.Cluster, runtime k3drt.Runtime) error {
 			return err
 		}
 		masterCount++
+
+		// wait for the initnode to come up before doing anything else
+		for {
+			log.Debugln("Waiting for initializing master node...")
+			logreader, err := runtime.GetNodeLogs(cluster.InitNode)
+			defer logreader.Close()
+			if err != nil {
+				logreader.Close()
+				log.Errorln(err)
+				log.Errorln("Failed to get logs from the initializig master node.. waiting for 3 seconds instead")
+				time.Sleep(3 * time.Second)
+				goto initNodeFinished
+			}
+			buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
+			nRead, _ := buf.ReadFrom(logreader)
+			logreader.Close()
+			if nRead > 0 && strings.Contains(buf.String(), "Running kubelet") {
+				log.Debugln("Initializing master node is up... continuing")
+				break
+			}
+			time.Sleep(time.Second) // TODO: timeout
+		}
+
 	}
 
+initNodeFinished:
 	// create all other nodes, but skip the init node
 	for _, node := range cluster.Nodes {
 		if node.Role == k3d.MasterRole {
diff --git a/pkg/runtimes/containerd/node.go b/pkg/runtimes/containerd/node.go
index 8a886448..c3b3e552 100644
--- a/pkg/runtimes/containerd/node.go
+++ b/pkg/runtimes/containerd/node.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ package containerd
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"io"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/containers"
@@ -119,3 +120,8 @@ func (d Containerd) GetNodesByLabel(labels map[string]string) ([]*k3d.Node, erro
 func (d Containerd) GetNode(node *k3d.Node) (*k3d.Node, error) {
 	return nil, nil
 }
+
+// GetNodeLogs returns the logs from a given node
+func (d Containerd) GetNodeLogs(node *k3d.Node) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
+	return nil, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/runtimes/docker/node.go b/pkg/runtimes/docker/node.go
index 3db3eb47..01e4e3fe 100644
--- a/pkg/runtimes/docker/node.go
+++ b/pkg/runtimes/docker/node.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ package docker
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/filters"
@@ -185,3 +186,28 @@ func (d Docker) GetNode(node *k3d.Node) (*k3d.Node, error) {
 	return node, nil
 
 }
+
+// GetNodeLogs returns the logs from a given node
+func (d Docker) GetNodeLogs(node *k3d.Node) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
+	// get the container for the given node
+	container, err := getNodeContainer(node)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// create docker client
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	docker, err := client.NewClientWithOpts(client.FromEnv, client.WithAPIVersionNegotiation())
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Errorln("Failed to create docker client")
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	logreader, err := docker.ContainerLogs(ctx, container.ID, types.ContainerLogsOptions{ShowStdout: true, ShowStderr: true})
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Errorf("Failed to get logs from node '%s' (container '%s')", node.Name, container.ID)
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return logreader, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/runtimes/runtime.go b/pkg/runtimes/runtime.go
index 6ccdf488..05fabe7f 100644
--- a/pkg/runtimes/runtime.go
+++ b/pkg/runtimes/runtime.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ type Runtime interface {
 	StopNode(*k3d.Node) error
 	// ExecContainer() error
 	// DeleteContainer() error
-	// GetContainerLogs() error
+	GetNodeLogs(*k3d.Node) (io.ReadCloser, error)
 }
 
 // GetRuntime checks, if a given name is represented by an implemented k3d runtime and returns it