diff --git a/pkg/client/cluster.go b/pkg/client/cluster.go
index 4f2a9ad2..6047070b 100644
--- a/pkg/client/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/client/cluster.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import (
 	runtimeErr "github.com/rancher/k3d/v4/pkg/runtimes/errors"
 	"github.com/rancher/k3d/v4/pkg/types"
 	k3d "github.com/rancher/k3d/v4/pkg/types"
+	"github.com/rancher/k3d/v4/pkg/types/k3s"
 	"github.com/rancher/k3d/v4/pkg/util"
 	"github.com/rancher/k3d/v4/version"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -97,8 +98,10 @@ func ClusterRun(ctx context.Context, runtime k3drt.Runtime, clusterConfig *confi
 	}
 
 	// create the registry hosting configmap
-	if err := prepCreateLocalRegistryHostingConfigMap(ctx, runtime, &clusterConfig.Cluster); err != nil {
-		log.Warnf("Failed to create LocalRegistryHosting ConfigMap: %+v", err)
+	if len(clusterConfig.ClusterCreateOpts.Registries.Use) > 0 {
+		if err := prepCreateLocalRegistryHostingConfigMap(ctx, runtime, &clusterConfig.Cluster); err != nil {
+			log.Warnf("Failed to create LocalRegistryHosting ConfigMap: %+v", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -171,6 +174,8 @@ func ClusterPrep(ctx context.Context, runtime k3drt.Runtime, clusterConfig *conf
 	// Use existing registries (including the new one, if created)
 	log.Tracef("Using Registries: %+v", clusterConfig.ClusterCreateOpts.Registries.Use)
 
+	var registryConfig *k3s.Registry
+
 	if len(clusterConfig.ClusterCreateOpts.Registries.Use) > 0 {
 		// ensure that all selected registries exist and connect them to the cluster network
 		for _, externalReg := range clusterConfig.ClusterCreateOpts.Registries.Use {
@@ -189,41 +194,48 @@ func ClusterPrep(ctx context.Context, runtime k3drt.Runtime, clusterConfig *conf
 			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to generate registry config file for k3s: %+v", err)
 		}
 
-		// merge with pre-existing, referenced registries.yaml
-		if clusterConfig.ClusterCreateOpts.Registries.Config != nil {
-			if err := RegistryMergeConfig(ctx, regConf, clusterConfig.ClusterCreateOpts.Registries.Config); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			log.Tracef("Merged registry config: %+v", regConf)
-		}
-		regConfBytes, err := yaml.Marshal(&regConf)
+		// generate the LocalRegistryHosting configmap
+		regCm, err := RegistryGenerateLocalRegistryHostingConfigMapYAML(ctx, clusterConfig.ClusterCreateOpts.Registries.Use)
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to marshal registry configuration: %+v", err)
+			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to generate LocalRegistryHosting configmap: %+v", err)
 		}
+		log.Tracef("Writing LocalRegistryHosting YAML:\n%s", string(regCm))
 		clusterConfig.ClusterCreateOpts.NodeHooks = append(clusterConfig.ClusterCreateOpts.NodeHooks, k3d.NodeHook{
 			Stage: k3d.LifecycleStagePreStart,
 			Action: actions.WriteFileAction{
 				Runtime: runtime,
-				Content: regConfBytes,
-				Dest:    k3d.DefaultRegistriesFilePath,
+				Content: regCm,
+				Dest:    "/tmp/reg.yaml",
 			},
 		})
 
-		// generate the LocalRegistryHosting configmap
-		regCm, err := RegistryGenerateLocalRegistryHostingConfigMapYAML(ctx, clusterConfig.ClusterCreateOpts.Registries.Use)
+		registryConfig = regConf
+
+	}
+	// merge with pre-existing, referenced registries.yaml
+	if clusterConfig.ClusterCreateOpts.Registries.Config != nil {
+		if registryConfig != nil {
+			if err := RegistryMergeConfig(ctx, registryConfig, clusterConfig.ClusterCreateOpts.Registries.Config); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			log.Tracef("Merged registry config: %+v", registryConfig)
+		} else {
+			registryConfig = clusterConfig.ClusterCreateOpts.Registries.Config
+		}
+	}
+	if registryConfig != nil {
+		regConfBytes, err := yaml.Marshal(&registryConfig)
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to generate LocalRegistryHosting configmap: %+v", err)
+			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to marshal registry configuration: %+v", err)
 		}
-		log.Tracef("Writing LocalRegistryHosting YAML:\n%s", string(regCm))
 		clusterConfig.ClusterCreateOpts.NodeHooks = append(clusterConfig.ClusterCreateOpts.NodeHooks, k3d.NodeHook{
 			Stage: k3d.LifecycleStagePreStart,
 			Action: actions.WriteFileAction{
 				Runtime: runtime,
-				Content: regCm,
-				Dest:    "/tmp/reg.yaml",
+				Content: regConfBytes,
+				Dest:    k3d.DefaultRegistriesFilePath,
 			},
 		})
-
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/tests/common.sh b/tests/common.sh
index ae06586b..fe5227c9 100755
--- a/tests/common.sh
+++ b/tests/common.sh
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ check_clusters() {
 
 check_cluster_count() {
   expectedClusterCount=$1
-  actualClusterCount=$($EXE cluster list --no-headers | wc -l)
+  actualClusterCount=$(LOG_LEVEL=warn $EXE cluster list --no-headers | wc -l) # this must always have a loglevel of <= warn or it will fail
   if [[ $actualClusterCount != $expectedClusterCount ]]; then
     failed "incorrect number of clusters available: $actualClusterCount != $expectedClusterCount"
     return 1
diff --git a/tests/test_full_lifecycle.sh b/tests/test_full_lifecycle.sh
index f64bcf2d..d4fd8db6 100755
--- a/tests/test_full_lifecycle.sh
+++ b/tests/test_full_lifecycle.sh
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ info "Creating cluster $clustername..."
 $EXE cluster create "$clustername" --agents 1 --api-port 6443 --wait --timeout 360s $EXTRA_FLAG || failed "could not create cluster $clustername $EXTRA_TITLE"
 
 info "Sleeping for 5 seconds to give the cluster enough time to get ready..."
-sleep 5
+sleep 10
 
 # 1. check initial access to the cluster
 info "Checking that we have access to the cluster..."