diff --git a/cmd/node/nodeCreate.go b/cmd/node/nodeCreate.go
index 43bca69a..e9be6d7c 100644
--- a/cmd/node/nodeCreate.go
+++ b/cmd/node/nodeCreate.go
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ import (
 	l "github.com/k3d-io/k3d/v5/pkg/logger"
 	"github.com/k3d-io/k3d/v5/pkg/runtimes"
 	k3d "github.com/k3d-io/k3d/v5/pkg/types"
-	"github.com/k3d-io/k3d/v5/version"
 )
 
 // NewCmdNodeCreate returns a new cobra command
@@ -77,7 +76,7 @@ func NewCmdNodeCreate() *cobra.Command {
 		l.Log().Fatalln("Failed to register flag completion for '--cluster'", err)
 	}
 
-	cmd.Flags().StringP("image", "i", fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", k3d.DefaultK3sImageRepo, version.K3sVersion), "Specify k3s image used for the node(s)")
+	cmd.Flags().StringP("image", "i", "", "Specify k3s image used for the node(s) (default: copied from existing node)")
 	cmd.Flags().String("memory", "", "Memory limit imposed on the node [From docker]")
 
 	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&createNodeOpts.Wait, "wait", true, "Wait for the node(s) to be ready before returning.")
diff --git a/pkg/client/node.go b/pkg/client/node.go
index be17e089..4fb91077 100644
--- a/pkg/client/node.go
+++ b/pkg/client/node.go
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/k3d-io/k3d/v5/pkg/runtimes"
 	"github.com/k3d-io/k3d/v5/pkg/runtimes/docker"
 	runtimeTypes "github.com/k3d-io/k3d/v5/pkg/runtimes/types"
+	"github.com/k3d-io/k3d/v5/version"
 
 	runtimeErrors "github.com/k3d-io/k3d/v5/pkg/runtimes/errors"
 	k3d "github.com/k3d-io/k3d/v5/pkg/types"
@@ -283,6 +284,10 @@ func NodeAddToClusterRemote(ctx context.Context, runtime runtimes.Runtime, node
 	node.RuntimeLabels[k3d.LabelClusterExternal] = "true"
 	node.RuntimeLabels[k3d.LabelClusterToken] = createNodeOpts.ClusterToken
 
+	if node.Image == "" { // we don't set a default, because on local clusters the value is copied from existing nodes
+		node.Image = fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", k3d.DefaultK3sImageRepo, version.K3sVersion)
+	}
+
 	if node.Env == nil {
 		node.Env = []string{}
 	}