diff --git a/src/crc-cli.ts b/src/crc-cli.ts
index c1f6baa..e0560db 100644
--- a/src/crc-cli.ts
+++ b/src/crc-cli.ts
@@ -168,12 +168,3 @@ export function daemonStop() {
     daemonProcess.kill();
   }
 }
-
-export async function needSetup(): Promise<boolean> {
-  try {
-    await execPromise(getCrcCli(), ['setup', '--check-only']);
-    return false;
-  } catch (e) {
-    return true;
-  }
-}
diff --git a/src/crc-setup.ts b/src/crc-setup.ts
index 7937929..cb5534b 100644
--- a/src/crc-setup.ts
+++ b/src/crc-setup.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,19 @@ interface PresetQuickPickItem extends extensionApi.QuickPickItem {
   data: Preset;
 }
 
+export let isNeedSetup = false;
+
+export async function needSetup(): Promise<boolean> {
+  try {
+    await execPromise(getCrcCli(), ['setup', '--check-only']);
+    isNeedSetup = false;
+    return false;
+  } catch (e) {
+    isNeedSetup = true;
+    return true;
+  }
+}
+
 // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars
 export async function setUpCrc(logger: extensionApi.Logger, askForPreset = false): Promise<boolean> {
   if (askForPreset) {
diff --git a/src/crc-start.ts b/src/crc-start.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c35178a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/crc-start.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+/**********************************************************************
+ * Copyright (C) 2023 Red Hat, Inc.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ ***********************************************************************/
+
+import * as extensionApi from '@podman-desktop/api';
+import { isNeedSetup, needSetup, setUpCrc } from './crc-setup';
+import { crcStatus } from './crc-status';
+import { commander } from './daemon-commander';
+import { crcLogProvider } from './log-provider';
+
+interface ImagePullSecret {
+  auths: { auth: string; credsStore: string }[];
+}
+
+const missingPullSecret = 'Failed to ask for pull secret';
+
+export async function startCrc(logger: extensionApi.Logger): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    // call crc setup to prepare bundle, before start
+    if (isNeedSetup) {
+      try {
+        crcStatus.setSetupRunning(true);
+        await setUpCrc(logger);
+        await needSetup();
+      } catch (error) {
+        logger.error(error);
+        return;
+      } finally {
+        crcStatus.setSetupRunning(false);
+      }
+    }
+    crcLogProvider.startSendingLogs(logger);
+    const result = await commander.start();
+    console.error('StartResult:' + JSON.stringify(result));
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (typeof err.message === 'string') {
+      // check that crc missing pull secret
+      if (err.message.startsWith(missingPullSecret)) {
+        // ask user to provide pull secret
+        if (await askAndStorePullSecret(logger)) {
+          // if pull secret provided try to start again
+          return startCrc(logger);
+        }
+        return;
+      } else if (err.name === 'RequestError' && err.code === 'ECONNRESET') {
+        // look like crc start normally, but we receive empty response from socket, so 'got' generate an error
+        return;
+      }
+    }
+
+    console.error(err);
+  }
+}
+
+async function askAndStorePullSecret(logger: extensionApi.Logger): Promise<boolean> {
+  const pullSecret = await extensionApi.window.showInputBox({
+    prompt: 'Provide a pull secret',
+    // prompt: 'To pull container images from the registry, a pull secret is necessary.',
+    ignoreFocusOut: true,
+  });
+
+  if (!pullSecret) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  try {
+    const s: ImagePullSecret = JSON.parse(pullSecret);
+    if (s.auths && s.auths.length > 0) {
+      for (const a of s.auths) {
+        if (!a.auth && !a.credsStore) {
+          throw `${JSON.stringify(s)} JSON-object requires either 'auth' or 'credsStore' field`;
+        }
+      }
+    } else {
+      throw 'missing "auths" JSON-object field';
+    }
+  } catch (err) {
+    // not valid json
+    extensionApi.window.showErrorMessage(`Pull secret is not valid:\n '${err}',\n please try again`);
+    return false;
+  }
+  try {
+    await commander.pullSecretStore(pullSecret);
+    return true;
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error(error);
+    logger.error(error);
+  }
+  return false;
+}
diff --git a/src/crc-status.ts b/src/crc-status.ts
index dd3ea39..40e69d0 100644
--- a/src/crc-status.ts
+++ b/src/crc-status.ts
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ export class CrcStatus {
   }
 
   get status(): Status {
-    return this.status;
+    return this._status;
   }
 
   setErrorStatus(): void {
diff --git a/src/daemon-commander.ts b/src/daemon-commander.ts
index 9c18c18..781863d 100644
--- a/src/daemon-commander.ts
+++ b/src/daemon-commander.ts
@@ -139,14 +139,15 @@ export class DaemonCommander {
   async pullSecretStore(value: unknown): Promise<string> {
     const url = this.apiPath + '/pull-secret';
 
-    await got.post(url, {
-      json: value,
+    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+    const response = await (got as any).post(url, {
+      body: value,
       throwHttpErrors: false,
       retry: {
         limit: 0,
       },
     });
-    return 'OK';
+    return response.body;
   }
 
   async pullSecretAvailable() {
diff --git a/src/extension.ts b/src/extension.ts
index 467a60d..937e325 100644
--- a/src/extension.ts
+++ b/src/extension.ts
@@ -22,17 +22,15 @@ import * as os from 'node:os';
 import * as fs from 'node:fs';
 import type { Status } from './daemon-commander';
 import { commander } from './daemon-commander';
-import { LogProvider } from './log-provider';
+import { crcLogProvider } from './log-provider';
 import { isWindows, productName } from './util';
-import { daemonStart, daemonStop, getCrcVersion, needSetup } from './crc-cli';
+import { daemonStart, daemonStop, getCrcVersion } from './crc-cli';
 import { getCrcDetectionChecks } from './detection-checks';
 import { CrcInstall } from './install/crc-install';
-import { setUpCrc } from './crc-setup';
-import { crcStatus } from './crc-status';
-
-const crcLogProvider = new LogProvider(commander);
 
-let isNeedSetup = false;
+import { crcStatus } from './crc-status';
+import { startCrc } from './crc-start';
+import { isNeedSetup, needSetup } from './crc-setup';
 
 export async function activate(extensionContext: extensionApi.ExtensionContext): Promise<void> {
   const crcInstaller = new CrcInstall();
@@ -44,13 +42,11 @@ export async function activate(extensionContext: extensionApi.ExtensionContext):
 
   if (crcVersion) {
     status = 'installed';
-  }
-
-  isNeedSetup = await needSetup();
-  if (crcVersion) {
     connectToCrc();
   }
 
+  await needSetup();
+
   detectionChecks.push(...getCrcDetectionChecks(crcVersion));
 
   // create CRC provider
@@ -202,28 +198,6 @@ function presetChanged(provider: extensionApi.Provider, extensionContext: extens
   }
 }
 
-async function startCrc(logger: extensionApi.Logger): Promise<void> {
-  try {
-    // call crc setup to prepare bundle, before start
-    if (isNeedSetup) {
-      try {
-        crcStatus.setSetupRunning(true);
-        await setUpCrc(logger);
-        isNeedSetup = false;
-      } catch (error) {
-        logger.error(error);
-        return;
-      } finally {
-        crcStatus.setSetupRunning(false);
-      }
-    }
-    crcLogProvider.startSendingLogs(logger);
-    await commander.start();
-  } catch (err) {
-    console.error(err);
-  }
-}
-
 async function stopCrc(): Promise<void> {
   console.log('extension:crc: receive the call stop');
   try {
diff --git a/src/install/crc-install.ts b/src/install/crc-install.ts
index a8b275b..bff9e7d 100644
--- a/src/install/crc-install.ts
+++ b/src/install/crc-install.ts
@@ -23,10 +23,10 @@ import * as os from 'node:os';
 import type { CrcReleaseInfo, Installer } from './base-install';
 import { WinInstall } from './win-install';
 
-import { getCrcVersion, needSetup } from '../crc-cli';
+import { getCrcVersion } from '../crc-cli';
 import { getCrcDetectionChecks } from '../detection-checks';
 import { MacOsInstall } from './mac-install';
-import { setUpCrc } from '../crc-setup';
+import { needSetup, setUpCrc } from '../crc-setup';
 
 const crcLatestReleaseUrl =
   'https://developers.redhat.com/content-gateway/rest/mirror/pub/openshift-v4/clients/crc/latest/release-info.json';
diff --git a/src/log-provider.ts b/src/log-provider.ts
index d7d17e9..cccb72d 100644
--- a/src/log-provider.ts
+++ b/src/log-provider.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 import type { Logger } from '@podman-desktop/api';
 import type { DaemonCommander } from './daemon-commander';
+import { commander } from './daemon-commander';
 
 export class LogProvider {
   private timeout: NodeJS.Timeout;
@@ -41,3 +42,5 @@ export class LogProvider {
     clearInterval(this.timeout);
   }
 }
+
+export const crcLogProvider = new LogProvider(commander);