diff --git a/core/src/plugin/handlers/Provider/getEnvironmentStatus.ts b/core/src/plugin/handlers/Provider/getEnvironmentStatus.ts
index 44adae03c62..ee907b9f596 100644
--- a/core/src/plugin/handlers/Provider/getEnvironmentStatus.ts
+++ b/core/src/plugin/handlers/Provider/getEnvironmentStatus.ts
@@ -31,10 +31,11 @@ export interface EnvironmentStatusMap {
   [providerName: string]: EnvironmentStatus
 }
 
+// TODO @eysi: Update text
 export const getEnvironmentStatus = () => ({
   description: dedent`
-    Check if the current environment is ready for use by this plugin. Use this action in combination
-    with \`prepareEnvironment\`.
+    Helper handler to check if the current environment is ready for use by this plugin. Only called
+    with commands that set \`statusOnly: true\`.
 
     Called before \`prepareEnvironment\`. If this returns \`ready: true\`, the
     \`prepareEnvironment\` action is not called.
diff --git a/core/src/plugin/handlers/Provider/prepareEnvironment.ts b/core/src/plugin/handlers/Provider/prepareEnvironment.ts
index 2b851a6ff53..1495632ea73 100644
--- a/core/src/plugin/handlers/Provider/prepareEnvironment.ts
+++ b/core/src/plugin/handlers/Provider/prepareEnvironment.ts
@@ -14,11 +14,7 @@ import { joi } from "../../../config/common.js"
 import { environmentStatusSchema } from "../../../config/status.js"
 import type { GenericProviderConfig } from "../../../config/provider.js"
 
-export interface PrepareEnvironmentParams<
-  C extends GenericProviderConfig = any,
-  T extends EnvironmentStatus = EnvironmentStatus,
-> extends PluginActionParamsBase<C> {
-  status: T
+export interface PrepareEnvironmentParams<C extends GenericProviderConfig = any> extends PluginActionParamsBase<C> {
   force: boolean
 }
 
@@ -27,6 +23,7 @@ export interface PrepareEnvironmentResult<O extends {} = any, D extends {} = any
 }
 
 export const prepareEnvironment = () => ({
+  // TODO @eysi: Update text
   description: dedent`
     Make sure the environment is set up for this plugin. Use this action to do any bootstrapping required
     before deploying services.
diff --git a/core/src/plugins/exec/exec.ts b/core/src/plugins/exec/exec.ts
index 4cd4aa72402..ea1acc4a9c5 100644
--- a/core/src/plugins/exec/exec.ts
+++ b/core/src/plugins/exec/exec.ts
@@ -80,11 +80,6 @@ export const execProvider = execPlugin.createProvider({
   }),
 })
 
-execProvider.addHandler("getEnvironmentStatus", async ({ ctx }) => {
-  // Return ready if there is no initScript to run
-  return { ready: !ctx.provider.config.initScript, outputs: {} }
-})
-
 execProvider.addHandler("prepareEnvironment", async ({ ctx, log }) => {
   const execLog = log.createLog({ name: "exec" })
   if (ctx.provider.config.initScript) {
diff --git a/core/src/plugins/kubernetes/commands/cluster-init.ts b/core/src/plugins/kubernetes/commands/cluster-init.ts
index 47c50e34cee..11c3459dff7 100644
--- a/core/src/plugins/kubernetes/commands/cluster-init.ts
+++ b/core/src/plugins/kubernetes/commands/cluster-init.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ export const clusterInit: PluginCommand = {
         ctx,
         log,
         force: true,
-        status,
       })
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/plugins/kubernetes/init.ts b/core/src/plugins/kubernetes/init.ts
index 6314fbc6e46..f957d64e355 100644
--- a/core/src/plugins/kubernetes/init.ts
+++ b/core/src/plugins/kubernetes/init.ts
@@ -145,16 +145,19 @@ export async function getIngressMisconfigurationWarnings(
 
 /**
  * Deploys system services (if any) and creates the default app namespace.
+ * TODO @eysi: Ensure secrets here
  */
 export async function prepareEnvironment(
-  params: PrepareEnvironmentParams<KubernetesConfig, KubernetesEnvironmentStatus>
+  params: PrepareEnvironmentParams<KubernetesConfig>
 ): Promise<PrepareEnvironmentResult> {
-  const { ctx, log, status } = params
+  const { ctx, log } = params
   const k8sCtx = <KubernetesPluginContext>ctx
   const provider = k8sCtx.provider
   const config = provider.config
+  const api = await KubeApi.factory(log, ctx, provider)
+
   // create default app namespace if it doesn't exist
-  await prepareNamespaces({ ctx, log })
+  const nsStatuses = await prepareNamespaces({ ctx, log })
   // make sure that the system namespace exists
   await getSystemNamespace(ctx, ctx.provider, log)
 
@@ -162,11 +165,30 @@ export async function prepareEnvironment(
   if (config.setupIngressController === "nginx") {
     // Install nginx ingress controller
     await ingressControllerInstall(k8sCtx, log)
+  } else {
+    // We only need to warn about missing ingress classes if we're not using garden installed nginx
+    const ingressApiVersion = await getIngressApiVersion(log, api, supportedIngressApiVersions)
+    const ingressWarnings = await getIngressMisconfigurationWarnings(
+      provider.config.ingressClass,
+      ingressApiVersion,
+      log,
+      api
+    )
+    ingressWarnings.forEach((w) => log.warn(w))
   }
 
-  const nsStatus = await getNamespaceStatus({ ctx: k8sCtx, log, provider })
-  ctx.events.emit("namespaceStatus", nsStatus)
-  return { status: { ready: true, outputs: status.outputs } }
+  // prepareNamespaces already does this
+  // const nsStatus = await getNamespaceStatus({ ctx: k8sCtx, log, provider })
+  // ctx.events.emit("namespaceStatus", nsStatus)
+  return {
+    status: {
+      ready: true,
+      outputs: {
+        "app-namespace": nsStatuses["app-namespace"].namespaceName,
+        "default-hostname": provider.config.defaultHostname || null,
+      },
+    },
+  }
 }
 
 export async function cleanupEnvironment({
diff --git a/core/src/plugins/kubernetes/local/local.ts b/core/src/plugins/kubernetes/local/local.ts
index cfeb656c07e..70c09933200 100644
--- a/core/src/plugins/kubernetes/local/local.ts
+++ b/core/src/plugins/kubernetes/local/local.ts
@@ -67,7 +67,13 @@ async function prepareEnvironment(
   const { ctx, log } = params
   const provider = ctx.provider
 
-  const result = await _prepareEnvironmentBase(params)
+  // This should be set in the configureProvider handler but we need the
+  // plugin context to get the cluster type
+  if (!provider.config.clusterType) {
+    provider.config.clusterType = await getClusterType(ctx, log)
+  }
+
+  const prepareEnvResult = await _prepareEnvironmentBase(params)
 
   if (provider.config.clusterType === "minikube") {
     await setMinikubeDockerEnv()
@@ -76,7 +82,7 @@ async function prepareEnvironment(
     await configureMicrok8sAddons(log, microk8sAddons)
   }
 
-  return result
+  return prepareEnvResult
 }
 
 async function getClusterType(ctx: KubernetesPluginContext, log: Log): Promise<LocalKubernetesClusterType> {
diff --git a/core/src/plugins/otel-collector/otel-collector.ts b/core/src/plugins/otel-collector/otel-collector.ts
index 65c03648797..94c99989915 100644
--- a/core/src/plugins/otel-collector/otel-collector.ts
+++ b/core/src/plugins/otel-collector/otel-collector.ts
@@ -120,10 +120,6 @@ const providerConfigSchema = s.object({
 
 export const provider = gardenPlugin.createProvider({ configSchema: providerConfigSchema, outputsSchema: s.object({}) })
 
-provider.addHandler("getEnvironmentStatus", async () => {
-  return { ready: false, outputs: {} }
-})
-
 provider.addHandler("prepareEnvironment", async ({ ctx, log }) => {
   const scopedLog = log.createLog({ name: "otel-collector" })
   scopedLog.debug("Preparing the environment for the otel-collector")
diff --git a/core/src/tasks/resolve-provider.ts b/core/src/tasks/resolve-provider.ts
index 11b5412f936..817df9657fa 100644
--- a/core/src/tasks/resolve-provider.ts
+++ b/core/src/tasks/resolve-provider.ts
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ import { stableStringify } from "../util/string.js"
 import { OtelTraced } from "../util/open-telemetry/decorators.js"
 import { LogLevel } from "../logger/logger.js"
 import type { Log } from "../logger/log-entry.js"
-import { styles } from "../logger/styles.js"
 import type { ObjectPath } from "../config/base.js"
 import fsExtra from "fs-extra"
 import { RemoteSourceConfigContext } from "../config/template-contexts/project.js"
@@ -412,43 +411,43 @@ export class ResolveProviderTask extends BaseTask<Provider> {
       return cachedStatus
     }
 
-    // TODO: avoid calling the handler manually (currently doing it to override the plugin context)
-    const handler = await actions.provider["getPluginHandler"]({
-      handlerType: "getEnvironmentStatus",
-      pluginName,
-      defaultHandler: async () => defaultEnvironmentStatus,
-    })
-
-    let status = await handler!({ ctx, log: providerLog })
-
-    if (!statusOnly && (this.forceInit || !status.ready)) {
-      const statusMsg = status.ready
-        ? `${styles.highlight("Ready")}, will ${styles.highlight("force re-initialize")}`
-        : `${styles.highlight("Not ready")}, will initialize`
-      providerLog.info(statusMsg)
-      // TODO: avoid calling the handler manually
-      const prepareHandler = await actions.provider["getPluginHandler"]({
-        handlerType: "prepareEnvironment",
+    if (statusOnly) {
+      // TODO: avoid calling the handler manually (currently doing it to override the plugin context)
+      const getStatusHandler = await actions.provider["getPluginHandler"]({
+        handlerType: "getEnvironmentStatus",
         pluginName,
-        defaultHandler: async () => ({ status }),
+        defaultHandler: async () => defaultEnvironmentStatus,
       })
 
-      const result = await prepareHandler!({ ctx, log: providerLog, force: this.forceInit, status })
+      const envStatus = await getStatusHandler!({ ctx, log: providerLog })
+      if (envStatus.ready) {
+        providerLog.success(`Provider is ready`)
+      } else {
+        providerLog.warn(`Provider is not ready`)
+      }
 
-      status = result.status
+      return envStatus
     }
 
-    if (!status.ready && !statusOnly) {
+    providerLog.info(`Preparing provider environment`)
+    // TODO: avoid calling the handler manually
+    const prepareHandler = await actions.provider["getPluginHandler"]({
+      handlerType: "prepareEnvironment",
+      pluginName,
+      defaultHandler: async () => ({ status: { ready: true, outputs: {} } }),
+    })
+
+    const result = await prepareHandler!({ ctx, log: providerLog, force: this.forceInit })
+
+    const status = result.status
+
+    if (!status.ready) {
       providerLog.error("Failed initializing provider")
       throw new PluginError({
         message: `Provider ${pluginName} reports status as not ready and could not prepare the configured environment.`,
       })
     }
 
-    if (!status.ready && statusOnly) {
-      providerLog.success("Provider not ready. Current command only checks status, not preparing environment")
-      return status
-    }
     providerLog.success("Provider ready")
 
     if (!status.disableCache) {
diff --git a/core/test/integ/src/plugins/kubernetes/ingress-controller.ts b/core/test/integ/src/plugins/kubernetes/ingress-controller.ts
index 6b7c5191dc5..fef3914da3f 100644
--- a/core/test/integ/src/plugins/kubernetes/ingress-controller.ts
+++ b/core/test/integ/src/plugins/kubernetes/ingress-controller.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import { ingressControllerReady } from "../../../../../src/plugins/kubernetes/ng
 import { uninstallGardenServices } from "../../../../../src/plugins/kubernetes/commands/uninstall-garden-services.js"
 import { prepareEnvironment } from "../../../../../src/plugins/kubernetes/init.js"
 import type { PrepareEnvironmentParams } from "../../../../../src/plugin/handlers/Provider/prepareEnvironment.js"
-import { defaultEnvironmentStatus } from "../../../../../src/plugin/handlers/Provider/getEnvironmentStatus.js"
 import { getContainerTestGarden } from "./container/container.js"
 import type { Garden } from "../../../../../src/garden.js"
 
@@ -59,7 +58,6 @@ describe("It should manage ingress controller for respective cluster type", () =
     const params: PrepareEnvironmentParams = {
       ctx,
       log: garden.log,
-      status: defaultEnvironmentStatus,
       force: false,
     }
     ctx.provider.config.setupIngressController = "nginx"
@@ -72,7 +70,6 @@ describe("It should manage ingress controller for respective cluster type", () =
     const params: PrepareEnvironmentParams = {
       ctx,
       log: garden.log,
-      status: defaultEnvironmentStatus,
       force: false,
     }
     ctx.provider.config.setupIngressController = "null"
@@ -86,7 +83,6 @@ describe("It should manage ingress controller for respective cluster type", () =
     const params: PrepareEnvironmentParams = {
       ctx,
       log: garden.log,
-      status: defaultEnvironmentStatus,
       force: false,
     }
     ctx.provider.config.setupIngressController = "nginx"
diff --git a/core/test/integ/src/plugins/kubernetes/provider.ts b/core/test/integ/src/plugins/kubernetes/provider.ts
index ba1de62d985..63cb7c4965e 100644
--- a/core/test/integ/src/plugins/kubernetes/provider.ts
+++ b/core/test/integ/src/plugins/kubernetes/provider.ts
@@ -69,11 +69,9 @@ describe("kubernetes provider handlers", () => {
     })
 
     it("should prepare the environment with the prepareEnvironment handler", async () => {
-      const status = await getEnvironmentStatus({ ctx, log })
       const params: PrepareEnvironmentParams = {
         ctx,
         log: garden.log,
-        status,
         force: false,
       }
       const envStatus = await prepareEnvironment(params)
diff --git a/core/test/unit/src/commands/get/get-outputs.ts b/core/test/unit/src/commands/get/get-outputs.ts
index e5bde8a6ec3..0c230da91ca 100644
--- a/core/test/unit/src/commands/get/get-outputs.ts
+++ b/core/test/unit/src/commands/get/get-outputs.ts
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ describe("GetOutputsCommand", () => {
     const plugin = createGardenPlugin({
       name: "test",
       handlers: {
-        async getEnvironmentStatus() {
-          return { ready: true, outputs: { test: "test-value" } }
+        async prepareEnvironment() {
+          return { status: { ready: true, outputs: { test: "test-value" } } }
         },
       },
     })
diff --git a/core/test/unit/src/garden.ts b/core/test/unit/src/garden.ts
index 0a0241729dc..740ac9fe480 100644
--- a/core/test/unit/src/garden.ts
+++ b/core/test/unit/src/garden.ts
@@ -2497,10 +2497,12 @@ describe("Garden", () => {
       const testA = createGardenPlugin({
         name: "test-a",
         handlers: {
-          getEnvironmentStatus: async () => {
+          prepareEnvironment: async () => {
             return {
-              ready: true,
-              outputs: { foo: "bar" },
+              status: {
+                ready: true,
+                outputs: { foo: "bar" },
+              },
             }
           },
         },
diff --git a/core/test/unit/src/outputs.ts b/core/test/unit/src/outputs.ts
index 2378b50bcd0..363da9c58f5 100644
--- a/core/test/unit/src/outputs.ts
+++ b/core/test/unit/src/outputs.ts
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ describe("resolveProjectOutputs", () => {
     const plugin = createGardenPlugin({
       name: "test",
       handlers: {
-        async getEnvironmentStatus() {
-          return { ready: true, outputs: { test: "test-value" } }
+        async prepareEnvironment() {
+          return { status: { ready: true, outputs: { test: "test-value" } } }
         },
       },
     })
diff --git a/core/test/unit/src/router/provider.ts b/core/test/unit/src/router/provider.ts
index d49de52f031..ecc2612ce81 100644
--- a/core/test/unit/src/router/provider.ts
+++ b/core/test/unit/src/router/provider.ts
@@ -138,7 +138,6 @@ describe("provider actions", async () => {
         log,
         pluginName: "test-plugin-a",
         force: false,
-        status: { ready: true, outputs: {} },
         events: undefined,
       })
       expect(result).to.eql({
diff --git a/plugins/terraform/src/init.ts b/plugins/terraform/src/init.ts
index 3ae27b215e0..c015d794d8a 100644
--- a/plugins/terraform/src/init.ts
+++ b/plugins/terraform/src/init.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,16 @@ export const prepareEnvironment: ProviderHandlers["prepareEnvironment"] = async
     return { status: { ready: true, outputs: {} } }
   }
 
+  const envStatus = await getEnvironmentStatus({ ctx, log })
+  if (envStatus.ready) {
+    return {
+      status: {
+        ready: true,
+        outputs: envStatus.outputs,
+      },
+    }
+  }
+
   const root = getRoot(ctx, provider)
   const workspace = provider.config.workspace || null