diff --git a/.github/actions/k3d/action.yaml b/.github/actions/k3d/action.yaml
index b5496adc..1eecd988 100644
--- a/.github/actions/k3d/action.yaml
+++ b/.github/actions/k3d/action.yaml
@@ -1,11 +1,18 @@
 name: setup-k3d
 description: "Install k3d and create a cluster"
 
+inputs:
+  create-clutser:
+    description: "Boolean specifying if k3d should create a cluster after installation"
+    required: true
+    default: true
+
 runs:
   using: composite
   steps:
     - run: "curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/k3d-io/k3d/main/install.sh | bash"
       shell: bash
 
-    - run: k3d cluster delete && k3d cluster create
-      shell: bash
+    - if: ${{ inputs.create-cluster }}
+      run: k3d cluster delete && k3d cluster create
+      shell: bash
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nightly-uds-core.yaml b/.github/workflows/nightly-uds-core.yaml
index a3071918..4d83ec73 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nightly-uds-core.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nightly-uds-core.yaml
@@ -16,6 +16,12 @@ concurrency:
 jobs:
   uds-core-test:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        existing-cluster: [with-cluster, without-cluster]
+        include:
+          - existing-cluster: without-cluster
+            create-cluster: false
     permissions:
       contents: read
     steps:
@@ -36,10 +42,12 @@ jobs:
       - name: Make UDS-CLI executable
         run: |
           chmod +x build/uds
-
-      - name: Install-k3d
-        run: "curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/k3d-io/k3d/main/install.sh | bash"
-        shell: bash
+      
+      - name: Setup K3d
+        uses: ./.github/actions/k3d
+        with:
+          create-cluster: ${{ matrix.create-cluster }}
+  
 
       - name: Run UDS Core smoke test
         run: build/uds run test:ci-uds-core-smoke-test
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-tests.yaml b/.github/workflows/release-tests.yaml
index b12eb5cd..078df66f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-tests.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-tests.yaml
@@ -47,6 +47,12 @@ jobs:
   smoke-test:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: test
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        existing-cluster: [with-cluster, without-cluster]
+        include:
+          - existing-cluster: without-cluster
+            create-cluster: false
     steps:
       # Checkout the repo and setup the tooling for this job
       - name: Checkout
@@ -69,6 +75,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Setup K3d
         uses: ./.github/actions/k3d
+        with:
+          create-cluster: ${{ matrix.create-cluster }}
 
       - name: Login to GHCR
         uses: docker/login-action@9780b0c442fbb1117ed29e0efdff1e18412f7567 # v3.3.0