diff --git a/stack_orchestrator/constants.py b/stack_orchestrator/constants.py
index 54cfe355..596b0c1b 100644
--- a/stack_orchestrator/constants.py
+++ b/stack_orchestrator/constants.py
@@ -13,12 +13,16 @@
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
 # along with this program.  If not, see <http:#www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
+cluster_name_prefix = "laconic-"
 stack_file_name = "stack.yml"
 spec_file_name = "spec.yml"
 config_file_name = "config.env"
+deployment_file_name = "deployment.yml"
+compose_dir_name = "compose"
 compose_deploy_type = "compose"
 k8s_kind_deploy_type = "k8s-kind"
 k8s_deploy_type = "k8s"
+cluster_id_key = "cluster-id"
 kube_config_key = "kube-config"
 deploy_to_key = "deploy-to"
 network_key = "network"
diff --git a/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deploy.py b/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deploy.py
index 424d112f..d1b64743 100644
--- a/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deploy.py
+++ b/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deploy.py
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ from importlib import resources
 import subprocess
 import click
 from pathlib import Path
+from stack_orchestrator import constants
+from stack_orchestrator.opts import opts
 from stack_orchestrator.util import include_exclude_check, get_parsed_stack_config, global_options2, get_dev_root_path
 from stack_orchestrator.deploy.deployer import Deployer, DeployerException
 from stack_orchestrator.deploy.deployer_factory import getDeployer
@@ -70,6 +72,9 @@ def create_deploy_context(
         cluster,
         env_file,
         deploy_to) -> DeployCommandContext:
+    # Extract the cluster name from the deployment, if we have one
+    if deployment_context and cluster is None:
+        cluster = deployment_context.get_cluster_id()
     cluster_context = _make_cluster_context(global_context, stack, include, exclude, cluster, env_file)
     deployer = getDeployer(deploy_to, deployment_context, compose_files=cluster_context.compose_files,
                            compose_project_name=cluster_context.cluster,
@@ -253,6 +258,22 @@ def _make_runtime_env(ctx):
     return container_exec_env
 
 
+def _make_default_cluster_name(deployment, compose_dir, stack, include, exclude):
+    # Create default unique, stable cluster name from confile file path and stack name if provided
+    if deployment:
+        path = os.path.realpath(os.path.abspath(compose_dir))
+    else:
+        path = "internal"
+    unique_cluster_descriptor = f"{path},{stack},{include},{exclude}"
+    if opts.o.debug:
+        print(f"pre-hash descriptor: {unique_cluster_descriptor}")
+    hash = hashlib.md5(unique_cluster_descriptor.encode()).hexdigest()[:16]
+    cluster = f"{constants.cluster_name_prefix}{hash}"
+    if opts.o.debug:
+        print(f"Using cluster name: {cluster}")
+    return cluster
+
+
 # stack has to be either PathLike pointing to a stack yml file, or a string with the name of a known stack
 def _make_cluster_context(ctx, stack, include, exclude, cluster, env_file):
 
@@ -270,18 +291,9 @@ def _make_cluster_context(ctx, stack, include, exclude, cluster, env_file):
         compose_dir = Path(__file__).absolute().parent.parent.joinpath("data", "compose")
 
     if cluster is None:
-        # Create default unique, stable cluster name from confile file path and stack name if provided
-        if deployment:
-            path = os.path.realpath(os.path.abspath(compose_dir))
-        else:
-            path = "internal"
-        unique_cluster_descriptor = f"{path},{stack},{include},{exclude}"
-        if ctx.debug:
-            print(f"pre-hash descriptor: {unique_cluster_descriptor}")
-        hash = hashlib.md5(unique_cluster_descriptor.encode()).hexdigest()[:16]
-        cluster = f"laconic-{hash}"
-        if ctx.verbose:
-            print(f"Using cluster name: {cluster}")
+        cluster = _make_default_cluster_name(deployment, compose_dir, stack, include, exclude)
+    else:
+        _make_default_cluster_name(deployment, compose_dir, stack, include, exclude)
 
     # See: https://stackoverflow.com/a/20885799/1701505
     from stack_orchestrator import data
diff --git a/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment.py b/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment.py
index 8d74a62d..cc70519e 100644
--- a/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment.py
+++ b/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ def make_deploy_context(ctx) -> DeployCommandContext:
     context: DeploymentContext = ctx.obj
     stack_file_path = context.get_stack_file()
     env_file = context.get_env_file()
-    cluster_name = context.get_cluster_name()
+    cluster_name = context.get_cluster_id()
     if constants.deploy_to_key in context.spec.obj:
         deployment_type = context.spec.obj[constants.deploy_to_key]
     else:
diff --git a/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment_context.py b/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment_context.py
index cbee4151..27e32812 100644
--- a/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment_context.py
+++ b/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment_context.py
@@ -14,15 +14,19 @@
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
 # along with this program.  If not, see <http:#www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
+import hashlib
+import os
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from stack_orchestrator import constants
+from stack_orchestrator.util import get_yaml
 from stack_orchestrator.deploy.stack import Stack
 from stack_orchestrator.deploy.spec import Spec
 
 
 class DeploymentContext:
     deployment_dir: Path
+    id: str
     spec: Spec
     stack: Stack
 
@@ -35,9 +39,14 @@ class DeploymentContext:
     def get_env_file(self):
         return self.deployment_dir.joinpath(constants.config_file_name)
 
-    # TODO: implement me
-    def get_cluster_name(self):
-        return None
+    def get_deployment_file(self):
+        return self.deployment_dir.joinpath(constants.deployment_file_name)
+
+    def get_compose_dir(self):
+        return self.deployment_dir.joinpath(constants.compose_dir_name)
+
+    def get_cluster_id(self):
+        return self.id
 
     def init(self, dir):
         self.deployment_dir = dir
@@ -45,3 +54,16 @@ class DeploymentContext:
         self.spec.init_from_file(self.get_spec_file())
         self.stack = Stack(self.spec.obj["stack"])
         self.stack.init_from_file(self.get_stack_file())
+        deployment_file_path = self.get_deployment_file()
+        if deployment_file_path.exists():
+            with deployment_file_path:
+                obj = get_yaml().load(open(deployment_file_path, "r"))
+                self.id = obj[constants.cluster_id_key]
+        # Handle the case of a legacy deployment with no file
+        # Code below is intended to match the output from _make_default_cluster_name()
+        # TODO: remove when we no longer need to support legacy deployments
+        else:
+            path = os.path.realpath(os.path.abspath(self.get_compose_dir()))
+            unique_cluster_descriptor = f"{path},{self.get_stack_file()},None,None"
+            hash = hashlib.md5(unique_cluster_descriptor.encode()).hexdigest()[:16]
+            self.id = f"{constants.cluster_name_prefix}{hash}"
diff --git a/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment_create.py b/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment_create.py
index 88ce0b2a..9eaea30c 100644
--- a/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment_create.py
+++ b/stack_orchestrator/deploy/deployment_create.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ from pathlib import Path
 from typing import List
 import random
 from shutil import copy, copyfile, copytree
+from secrets import token_hex
 import sys
 from stack_orchestrator import constants
 from stack_orchestrator.opts import opts
@@ -276,7 +277,7 @@ def init(ctx, config, config_file, kube_config, image_registry, output, map_port
 # call it from other commands, bypassing the click decoration stuff
 def init_operation(deploy_command_context, stack, deployer_type, config,
                    config_file, kube_config, image_registry, output, map_ports_to_host):
-    yaml = get_yaml()
+
     default_spec_file_content = call_stack_deploy_init(deploy_command_context)
     spec_file_content = {"stack": stack, constants.deploy_to_key: deployer_type}
     if deployer_type == "k8s":
@@ -311,8 +312,6 @@ def init_operation(deploy_command_context, stack, deployer_type, config,
             new_config = config_file_variables
             merged_config = {**new_config, **orig_config}
             spec_file_content.update({"config": merged_config})
-    if opts.o.debug:
-        print(f"Creating spec file for stack: {stack} with content: {spec_file_content}")
 
     ports = _get_mapped_ports(stack, map_ports_to_host)
     spec_file_content.update({"network": {"ports": ports}})
@@ -324,8 +323,11 @@ def init_operation(deploy_command_context, stack, deployer_type, config,
             volume_descriptors[named_volume] = f"./data/{named_volume}"
         spec_file_content["volumes"] = volume_descriptors
 
+    if opts.o.debug:
+        print(f"Creating spec file for stack: {stack} with content: {spec_file_content}")
+
     with open(output, "w") as output_file:
-        yaml.dump(spec_file_content, output_file)
+        get_yaml().dump(spec_file_content, output_file)
 
 
 def _write_config_file(spec_file: Path, config_env_file: Path):
@@ -351,6 +353,13 @@ def _copy_files_to_directory(file_paths: List[Path], directory: Path):
         copy(path, os.path.join(directory, os.path.basename(path)))
 
 
+def _create_deployment_file(deployment_dir: Path):
+    deployment_file_path = deployment_dir.joinpath(constants.deployment_file_name)
+    cluster = f"{constants.cluster_name_prefix}{token_hex(8)}"
+    with open(deployment_file_path, "w") as output_file:
+        output_file.write(f"{constants.cluster_id_key}: {cluster}\n")
+
+
 @click.command()
 @click.option("--spec-file", required=True, help="Spec file to use to create this deployment")
 @click.option("--deployment-dir", help="Create deployment files in this directory")
@@ -383,6 +392,7 @@ def create_operation(deployment_command_context, spec_file, deployment_dir, netw
     # Copy spec file and the stack file into the deployment dir
     copyfile(spec_file, deployment_dir_path.joinpath(constants.spec_file_name))
     copyfile(stack_file, deployment_dir_path.joinpath(os.path.basename(stack_file)))
+    _create_deployment_file(deployment_dir_path)
     # Copy any config varibles from the spec file into an env file suitable for compose
     _write_config_file(spec_file, deployment_dir_path.joinpath(constants.config_file_name))
     # Copy any k8s config file into the deployment dir