diff --git a/roles/rke2/tasks/main.yml b/roles/rke2/tasks/main.yml
index 30cf9c4f25998a9f974827119eeab16c2203c8b4..ea9d2985cc2cf26f1f9326e931c774ca5c773e01 100644
--- a/roles/rke2/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/rke2/tasks/main.yml
@@ -29,14 +29,14 @@
 - name: Flush handlers
   meta: flush_handlers
 
-- name: wait for k8s to come up till 401 unauthorized
+- name: wait for k8s to come up till 403 forbidden
   delegate_to: localhost
   uri:
     url: "https://{{ LB_IP_MGMT }}:6443"
-    status_code: [401]
+    status_code: [403]
     validate_certs: no
   register: result
-  until: result.status == 401
+  until: result.status == 403
   retries: 10 # retry X times
   delay: 10 # pause for X sec b/w each call
   when: state != 'absent' and 'master' in group_names