diff --git a/stack_orchestrator/deploy/k8s/deploy_k8s.py b/stack_orchestrator/deploy/k8s/deploy_k8s.py
index 7b88dd14..3f073407 100644
--- a/stack_orchestrator/deploy/k8s/deploy_k8s.py
+++ b/stack_orchestrator/deploy/k8s/deploy_k8s.py
@@ -289,11 +289,14 @@ class K8sDeployer(Deployer):
         self.skip_cluster_management = skip_cluster_management
         if not opts.o.dry_run:
             if self.is_kind() and not self.skip_cluster_management:
-                # Create the kind cluster
-                create_cluster(
-                    self.kind_cluster_name,
-                    str(self.deployment_dir.joinpath(constants.kind_config_filename)),
+                # Create the kind cluster (or reuse existing one)
+                kind_config = str(
+                    self.deployment_dir.joinpath(constants.kind_config_filename)
                 )
+                actual_cluster = create_cluster(self.kind_cluster_name, kind_config)
+                if actual_cluster != self.kind_cluster_name:
+                    # An existing cluster was found, use it instead
+                    self.kind_cluster_name = actual_cluster
                 # Ensure the referenced containers are copied into kind
                 load_images_into_kind(
                     self.kind_cluster_name, self.cluster_info.image_set
diff --git a/stack_orchestrator/deploy/k8s/helpers.py b/stack_orchestrator/deploy/k8s/helpers.py
index 613c870a..5fc90832 100644
--- a/stack_orchestrator/deploy/k8s/helpers.py
+++ b/stack_orchestrator/deploy/k8s/helpers.py
@@ -262,14 +262,34 @@ def _clean_etcd_keeping_certs(etcd_path: str) -> bool:
 
 
 def create_cluster(name: str, config_file: str):
+    """Create a kind cluster, or reuse an existing one.
+
+    Checks if any kind cluster already exists. If so, uses that cluster
+    instead of creating a new one. This allows multiple deployments to
+    share the same kind cluster.
+
+    Args:
+        name: The desired cluster name (used only if creating new)
+        config_file: Path to kind config file (used only if creating new)
+
+    Returns:
+        The name of the cluster being used (either existing or newly created)
+    """
+    existing = get_kind_cluster()
+    if existing:
+        print(f"Using existing cluster: {existing}")
+        return existing
+
     # Clean persisted etcd, keeping only TLS certificates
     etcd_path = _get_etcd_host_path_from_kind_config(config_file)
     if etcd_path:
         _clean_etcd_keeping_certs(etcd_path)
 
+    print(f"Creating new cluster: {name}")
     result = _run_command(f"kind create cluster --name {name} --config {config_file}")
     if result.returncode != 0:
         raise DeployerException(f"kind create cluster failed: {result}")
+    return name
 
 
 def destroy_cluster(name: str):