diff --git a/internal/bg/prepare_cluster.go b/internal/bg/prepare_cluster.go
index 08cc815..dea1175 100644
--- a/internal/bg/prepare_cluster.go
+++ b/internal/bg/prepare_cluster.go
@@ -45,11 +45,12 @@ type ClusterPrepareResult struct {
 
 // Alias the status constants from models to avoid string drift.
 const (
-	clusterStatusPrePending   = models.ClusterStatusPrePending
-	clusterStatusPending      = models.ClusterStatusPending
-	clusterStatusProvisioning = models.ClusterStatusProvisioning
-	clusterStatusReady        = models.ClusterStatusReady
-	clusterStatusFailed       = models.ClusterStatusFailed
+	clusterStatusPrePending    = models.ClusterStatusPrePending
+	clusterStatusPending       = models.ClusterStatusPending
+	clusterStatusProvisioning  = models.ClusterStatusProvisioning
+	clusterStatusReady         = models.ClusterStatusReady
+	clusterStatusFailed        = models.ClusterStatusFailed
+	clusterStatusBootstrapping = models.ClusterStatusBootstrapping
 )
 
 func ClusterPrepareWorker(db *gorm.DB, jobs *Jobs) archer.WorkerFn {
@@ -97,6 +98,13 @@ func ClusterPrepareWorker(db *gorm.DB, jobs *Jobs) archer.WorkerFn {
 				continue
 			}
 
+			if err := setClusterStatus(db, c.ID, clusterStatusBootstrapping, ""); err != nil {
+				log.Error().Err(err).Msg("[cluster_prepare] failed to mark cluster bootstrapping")
+				continue
+			}
+
+			c.Status = clusterStatusBootstrapping
+
 			clusterLog := log.With().
 				Str("job", jobID).
 				Str("cluster_id", c.ID.String()).
diff --git a/internal/models/cluster.go b/internal/models/cluster.go
index db9f1a3..81fd2f4 100644
--- a/internal/models/cluster.go
+++ b/internal/models/cluster.go
@@ -7,12 +7,13 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	ClusterStatusPrePending   = "pre_pending" // needs validation
-	ClusterStatusIncomplete   = "incomplete"  // invalid/missing shape
-	ClusterStatusPending      = "pending"     // valid shape, waiting for provisioning
-	ClusterStatusProvisioning = "provisioning"
-	ClusterStatusReady        = "ready"
-	ClusterStatusFailed       = "failed" // provisioning/runtime failure
+	ClusterStatusPrePending    = "pre_pending" // needs validation
+	ClusterStatusIncomplete    = "incomplete"  // invalid/missing shape
+	ClusterStatusPending       = "pending"     // valid shape, waiting for provisioning
+	ClusterStatusProvisioning  = "provisioning"
+	ClusterStatusReady         = "ready"
+	ClusterStatusFailed        = "failed" // provisioning/runtime failure
+	ClusterStatusBootstrapping = "bootstrapping"
 )
 
 type Cluster struct {