diff --git a/pkg/combustion/kubernetes.go b/pkg/combustion/kubernetes.go
index d9c7cfc1..45cd3eaa 100644
--- a/pkg/combustion/kubernetes.go
+++ b/pkg/combustion/kubernetes.go
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ var (
 	//go:embed templates/15-rke2-multi-node-installer.sh.tpl
 	rke2MultiNodeInstaller string
 
-	//go:embed templates/rke2-ha-api.yaml.tpl
-	rke2HAAPIManifest string
+	//go:embed templates/rke2-vip.yaml.tpl
+	rke2VIPManifest string
 )
 
 func configureKubernetes(ctx *image.Context) ([]string, error) {
@@ -127,14 +127,28 @@ func configureSingleNodeRKE2(ctx *image.Context) (string, error) {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("downloading RKE2 artefacts: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	var vipManifest string
+
+	if ctx.ImageDefinition.Kubernetes.Network.APIVIP != "" {
+		vipManifest, err = storeRKE2VIPManifest(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("storing RKE2 VIP manifest: %w", err)
+		}
+
+	}
+
 	rke2 := struct {
+		image.Kubernetes
 		ConfigFile  string
 		InstallPath string
 		ImagesPath  string
+		VIPManifest string
 	}{
+		Kubernetes:  ctx.ImageDefinition.Kubernetes,
 		ConfigFile:  k8sServerConfigFile,
 		InstallPath: installPath,
 		ImagesPath:  imagesPath,
+		VIPManifest: vipManifest,
 	}
 
 	return storeRKE2Installer(ctx, "single-node-rke2", rke2SingleNodeInstaller, &rke2)
@@ -193,29 +207,25 @@ func configureMultiNodeRKE2(ctx *image.Context) (string, error) {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("downloading RKE2 artefacts: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	haManifest, err := storeHighAvailabilityRKE2Manifest(ctx)
+	vipManifest, err := storeRKE2VIPManifest(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("storing RKE2 HA API manifest: %w", err)
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("storing RKE2 VIP manifest: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	rke2 := struct {
 		image.Kubernetes
 		Initialiser           string
 		InitialiserConfigFile string
-		HAManifest            string
+		VIPManifest           string
 		InstallPath           string
 		ImagesPath            string
-		APIVIP                string
-		APIHost               string
 	}{
 		Kubernetes:            ctx.ImageDefinition.Kubernetes,
 		Initialiser:           initialiser,
 		InitialiserConfigFile: initialiserConfigFile,
-		HAManifest:            haManifest,
+		VIPManifest:           vipManifest,
 		InstallPath:           installPath,
 		ImagesPath:            imagesPath,
-		APIVIP:                ctx.ImageDefinition.Kubernetes.Network.APIVIP,
-		APIHost:               ctx.ImageDefinition.Kubernetes.Network.APIHost,
 	}
 
 	return storeRKE2Installer(ctx, "multi-node-rke2", rke2MultiNodeInstaller, &rke2)
@@ -268,8 +278,8 @@ func findKubernetesInitialiserNode(kubernetes *image.Kubernetes) string {
 	return ""
 }
 
-func storeHighAvailabilityRKE2Manifest(ctx *image.Context) (string, error) {
-	const haManifest = "rke2-ha-api.yaml"
+func storeRKE2VIPManifest(ctx *image.Context) (string, error) {
+	const vipManifest = "rke2-vip.yaml"
 
 	manifest := struct {
 		APIAddress string
@@ -277,17 +287,17 @@ func storeHighAvailabilityRKE2Manifest(ctx *image.Context) (string, error) {
 		APIAddress: ctx.ImageDefinition.Kubernetes.Network.APIVIP,
 	}
 
-	data, err := template.Parse("rke2-ha-api", rke2HAAPIManifest, &manifest)
+	data, err := template.Parse("rke2-vip", rke2VIPManifest, &manifest)
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("parsing RKE2 HA API template: %w", err)
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("parsing RKE2 VIP template: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	installScript := filepath.Join(ctx.CombustionDir, haManifest)
+	installScript := filepath.Join(ctx.CombustionDir, vipManifest)
 	if err = os.WriteFile(installScript, []byte(data), fileio.NonExecutablePerms); err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("writing RKE2 HA API manifest: %w", err)
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("writing RKE2 VIP manifest: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	return haManifest, nil
+	return vipManifest, nil
 }
 
 func parseKubernetesConfig(ctx *image.Context, configFile string) (map[string]any, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/combustion/kubernetes_test.go b/pkg/combustion/kubernetes_test.go
index f12ac934..5b9a47bd 100644
--- a/pkg/combustion/kubernetes_test.go
+++ b/pkg/combustion/kubernetes_test.go
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ func TestConfigureKubernetes_SuccessfulSingleNodeRKE2Cluster(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx.ImageDefinition.Kubernetes = image.Kubernetes{
 		Version: "v1.29.0+rke2r1",
 		Network: image.Network{
+			APIVIP:  "192.168.122.100",
 			APIHost: "api.cluster01.hosted.on.edge.suse.com",
 		},
 	}
@@ -166,6 +167,8 @@ func TestConfigureKubernetes_SuccessfulSingleNodeRKE2Cluster(t *testing.T) {
 	contents := string(b)
 	assert.Contains(t, contents, "cp server-images/* /var/lib/rancher/rke2/agent/images/")
 	assert.Contains(t, contents, "cp server.yaml /etc/rancher/rke2/config.yaml")
+	assert.Contains(t, contents, "cp rke2-vip.yaml /var/lib/rancher/rke2/server/manifests/rke2-vip.yaml")
+	assert.Contains(t, contents, "echo \"192.168.122.100 api.cluster01.hosted.on.edge.suse.com\" >> /etc/hosts")
 	assert.Contains(t, contents, "export INSTALL_RKE2_ARTIFACT_PATH=server-installer")
 	assert.Contains(t, contents, "systemctl enable rke2-server.service")
 
@@ -257,7 +260,7 @@ func TestConfigureKubernetes_SuccessfulMultiNodeRKE2Cluster(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Contains(t, contents, "cp server-images/* /var/lib/rancher/rke2/agent/images/")
 	assert.Contains(t, contents, "cp $CONFIGFILE /etc/rancher/rke2/config.yaml")
 	assert.Contains(t, contents, "if [ \"$HOSTNAME\" = node1.suse.com ]; then")
-	assert.Contains(t, contents, "cp rke2-ha-api.yaml /var/lib/rancher/rke2/server/manifests/rke2-ha-api.yaml")
+	assert.Contains(t, contents, "cp rke2-vip.yaml /var/lib/rancher/rke2/server/manifests/rke2-vip.yaml")
 	assert.Contains(t, contents, "echo \"192.168.122.100 api.cluster01.hosted.on.edge.suse.com\" >> /etc/hosts")
 	assert.Contains(t, contents, "export INSTALL_RKE2_ARTIFACT_PATH=server-installer")
 	assert.Contains(t, contents, "systemctl enable rke2-$NODETYPE.service")
diff --git a/pkg/combustion/templates/15-rke2-multi-node-installer.sh.tpl b/pkg/combustion/templates/15-rke2-multi-node-installer.sh.tpl
index 562830b9..7fb51366 100644
--- a/pkg/combustion/templates/15-rke2-multi-node-installer.sh.tpl
+++ b/pkg/combustion/templates/15-rke2-multi-node-installer.sh.tpl
@@ -29,13 +29,13 @@ if [ "$HOSTNAME" = {{ .Initialiser }} ]; then
     CONFIGFILE={{ .InitialiserConfigFile }}
 
     mkdir -p /var/lib/rancher/rke2/server/manifests/
-    cp {{ .HAManifest }} /var/lib/rancher/rke2/server/manifests/{{ .HAManifest }}
+    cp {{ .VIPManifest }} /var/lib/rancher/rke2/server/manifests/{{ .VIPManifest }}
 fi
 
 umount /var
 
-{{ if .APIHost -}}
-echo "{{ .APIVIP }} {{ .APIHost }}" >> /etc/hosts
+{{- if .Network.APIHost }}
+echo "{{ .Network.APIVIP }} {{ .Network.APIHost }}" >> /etc/hosts
 {{- end }}
 
 mkdir -p /etc/rancher/rke2/
diff --git a/pkg/combustion/templates/15-rke2-single-node-installer.sh.tpl b/pkg/combustion/templates/15-rke2-single-node-installer.sh.tpl
index d9c69a7e..6d81314b 100644
--- a/pkg/combustion/templates/15-rke2-single-node-installer.sh.tpl
+++ b/pkg/combustion/templates/15-rke2-single-node-installer.sh.tpl
@@ -4,8 +4,17 @@ set -euo pipefail
 mount /var
 mkdir -p /var/lib/rancher/rke2/agent/images/
 cp {{ .ImagesPath }}/* /var/lib/rancher/rke2/agent/images/
+
+{{- if .VIPManifest }}
+mkdir -p /var/lib/rancher/rke2/server/manifests/
+cp {{ .VIPManifest }} /var/lib/rancher/rke2/server/manifests/{{ .VIPManifest }}
+{{- end }}
 umount /var
 
+{{- if and .Network.APIVIP .Network.APIHost }}
+echo "{{ .Network.APIVIP }} {{ .Network.APIHost }}" >> /etc/hosts
+{{- end }}
+
 mkdir -p /etc/rancher/rke2/
 cp {{ .ConfigFile }} /etc/rancher/rke2/config.yaml
 
diff --git a/pkg/combustion/templates/rke2-ha-api.yaml.tpl b/pkg/combustion/templates/rke2-vip.yaml.tpl
similarity index 100%
rename from pkg/combustion/templates/rke2-ha-api.yaml.tpl
rename to pkg/combustion/templates/rke2-vip.yaml.tpl