diff --git a/pkg/client/loadbalancer.go b/pkg/client/loadbalancer.go
index dc37d5a6..fe1989b4 100644
--- a/pkg/client/loadbalancer.go
+++ b/pkg/client/loadbalancer.go
@@ -112,7 +112,8 @@ func GetLoadbalancerConfig(ctx context.Context, runtime runtimes.Runtime, cluste
 
 	var cfg k3d.LoadbalancerConfig
 
-	if cluster.ServerLoadBalancer == nil {
+	if cluster.ServerLoadBalancer == nil || cluster.ServerLoadBalancer.Node == nil {
+		cluster.ServerLoadBalancer = &k3d.Loadbalancer{}
 		for _, node := range cluster.Nodes {
 			if node.Role == types.LoadBalancerRole {
 				var err error
@@ -185,6 +186,12 @@ func LoadbalancerPrepare(ctx context.Context, runtime runtimes.Runtime, cluster
 	}
 	cluster.ServerLoadBalancer.Node.Ports[k3d.DefaultAPIPort] = []nat.PortBinding{cluster.KubeAPI.Binding}
 
+	if cluster.ServerLoadBalancer.Config == nil {
+		cluster.ServerLoadBalancer.Config = &k3d.LoadbalancerConfig{
+			Ports: map[string][]string{},
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Create LB as a modified node with loadbalancerRole
 	lbNode := &k3d.Node{
 		Name:          fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s-serverlb", k3d.DefaultObjectNamePrefix, cluster.Name),
diff --git a/pkg/config/transform.go b/pkg/config/transform.go
index 0d35677b..417869c8 100644
--- a/pkg/config/transform.go
+++ b/pkg/config/transform.go
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ func TransformSimpleToClusterConfig(ctx context.Context, runtime runtimes.Runtim
 	if simpleConfig.Network != "" {
 		clusterNetwork.Name = simpleConfig.Network
 		clusterNetwork.External = true
+	} else {
+		clusterNetwork.Name = fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", k3d.DefaultObjectNamePrefix, simpleConfig.Name)
+		clusterNetwork.External = false
 	}
 
 	if simpleConfig.Subnet != "" {
@@ -109,6 +112,7 @@ func TransformSimpleToClusterConfig(ctx context.Context, runtime runtimes.Runtim
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("error preparing the loadbalancer: %w", err)
 		}
+		newCluster.Nodes = append(newCluster.Nodes, newCluster.ServerLoadBalancer.Node)
 	} else {
 		log.Debugln("Disabling the load balancer")
 	}
@@ -133,6 +137,8 @@ func TransformSimpleToClusterConfig(ctx context.Context, runtime runtimes.Runtim
 		}
 
 		newCluster.Nodes = append(newCluster.Nodes, &serverNode)
+
+		newCluster.ServerLoadBalancer.Config.Ports[fmt.Sprintf("%s.tcp", k3d.DefaultAPIPort)] = append(newCluster.ServerLoadBalancer.Config.Ports[fmt.Sprintf("%s.tcp", k3d.DefaultAPIPort)], serverNode.Name)
 	}
 
 	for i := 0; i < simpleConfig.Agents; i++ {
@@ -150,12 +156,8 @@ func TransformSimpleToClusterConfig(ctx context.Context, runtime runtimes.Runtim
 	 ****************************/
 
 	// -> VOLUMES
-	nodeCount := simpleConfig.Servers + simpleConfig.Agents
+	nodeCount := len(newCluster.Nodes)
 	nodeList := newCluster.Nodes
-	if !simpleConfig.Options.K3dOptions.DisableLoadbalancer {
-		nodeCount++
-		nodeList = append(nodeList, newCluster.ServerLoadBalancer.Node)
-	}
 	for _, volumeWithNodeFilters := range simpleConfig.Volumes {
 		nodes, err := util.FilterNodes(nodeList, volumeWithNodeFilters.NodeFilters)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -191,7 +193,9 @@ func TransformSimpleToClusterConfig(ctx context.Context, runtime runtimes.Runtim
 					return nil, err
 				}
 				for _, pm := range portmappings {
-					loadbalancerAddPortConfigs(newCluster.ServerLoadBalancer, pm, nodes)
+					if err := loadbalancerAddPortConfigs(newCluster.ServerLoadBalancer, pm, nodes); err != nil {
+						return nil, err
+					}
 				}
 			} else if suffix == "direct" {
 				for _, node := range nodes {
diff --git a/pkg/runtimes/docker/translate.go b/pkg/runtimes/docker/translate.go
index 564b0f6f..672061bf 100644
--- a/pkg/runtimes/docker/translate.go
+++ b/pkg/runtimes/docker/translate.go
@@ -145,8 +145,7 @@ func TranslateNodeToContainer(node *k3d.Node) (*NodeInDocker, error) {
 	if len(node.Networks) > 0 {
 		netInfo, err := GetNetwork(context.Background(), node.Networks[0]) // FIXME: only considering first network here, as that's the one k3d creates for a cluster
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Warnln("Failed to get network information")
-			log.Warnln(err)
+			log.Warnf("Failed to get network information: %v", err)
 		} else if netInfo.Driver == "host" {
 			hostConfig.NetworkMode = "host"
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/types/loadbalancer.go b/pkg/types/loadbalancer.go
index 158fe61b..caaba800 100644
--- a/pkg/types/loadbalancer.go
+++ b/pkg/types/loadbalancer.go
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ package types
  */
 
 type Loadbalancer struct {
-	Node   *Node              `mapstructure:",squash" yaml:",inline"` // the underlying node
-	Config LoadbalancerConfig `mapstructure:"config" yaml:"config"`   // its configuration
+	Node   *Node               `mapstructure:",squash" yaml:",inline"` // the underlying node
+	Config *LoadbalancerConfig `mapstructure:"config" yaml:"config"`   // its configuration
 }
 
 func NewLoadbalancer() *Loadbalancer {
@@ -44,7 +44,12 @@ func NewLoadbalancer() *Loadbalancer {
 			Role:  LoadBalancerRole,
 			Image: GetLoadbalancerImage(),
 		},
-		Config: LoadbalancerConfig{Ports: map[string][]string{}},
+		Config: &LoadbalancerConfig{
+			Ports: map[string][]string{},
+			Settings: LoadBalancerSettings{
+				WorkerProcesses: DefaultLoadbalancerWorkerProcesses,
+			},
+		},
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/util/filter.go b/pkg/util/filter.go
index 3ab76ea8..7df75314 100644
--- a/pkg/util/filter.go
+++ b/pkg/util/filter.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ const (
 )
 
 // Regexp pattern to match node filters
-var NodeFilterRegexp = regexp.MustCompile(`^(?P<group>server|servers|agent|agents|loadbalancer|all)(?P<subsetSpec>:(?P<subset>(?P<subsetList>(\d+,?)+)|(?P<subsetRange>\d*-\d*)|(?P<subsetWildcard>\*)))?(?P<suffix>:[[:alpha:]]+)?$`)
+var NodeFilterRegexp = regexp.MustCompile(`^(?P<group>server|servers|agent|agents|loadbalancer|all)(?P<subsetSpec>:(?P<subset>(?P<subsetList>(\d+,?)+)|(?P<subsetRange>\d*-\d*)|(?P<subsetWildcard>\*)))?(?P<suffixSpec>:(?P<suffix>[[:alpha:]]+))?$`)
 
 // FilterNodesBySuffix properly interprets NodeFilters with suffix
 func FilterNodesWithSuffix(nodes []*k3d.Node, nodefilters []string) (map[string][]*k3d.Node, error) {