diff --git a/cmd/containerboot/settings.go b/cmd/containerboot/settings.go
index d72aefbdf..fab4bd2fd 100644
--- a/cmd/containerboot/settings.go
+++ b/cmd/containerboot/settings.go
@@ -130,44 +130,51 @@ func (cfg *settings) setupKube(ctx context.Context) error {
 	}
 	canPatch, canCreate, err := kc.CheckSecretPermissions(ctx, cfg.KubeSecret)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Some Kubernetes permissions are missing, please check your RBAC configuration: %v", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("some Kubernetes permissions are missing, please check your RBAC configuration: %v", err)
 	}
 	cfg.KubernetesCanPatch = canPatch
 
 	s, err := kc.GetSecret(ctx, cfg.KubeSecret)
-	if err != nil && kubeclient.IsNotFoundErr(err) && !canCreate {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Tailscale state Secret %s does not exist and we don't have permissions to create it. "+
-			"If you intend to store tailscale state elsewhere than a Kubernetes Secret, "+
-			"you can explicitly set TS_KUBE_SECRET env var to an empty string. "+
-			"Else ensure that RBAC is set up that allows the service account associated with this installation to create Secrets.", cfg.KubeSecret)
-	} else if err != nil && !kubeclient.IsNotFoundErr(err) {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Getting Tailscale state Secret %s: %v", cfg.KubeSecret, err)
-	}
+	if err != nil {
+		if !kubeclient.IsNotFoundErr(err) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("getting Tailscale state Secret %s: %v", cfg.KubeSecret, err)
+		}
 
-	if cfg.AuthKey == "" && !isOneStepConfig(cfg) {
-		if s == nil {
-			log.Print("TS_AUTHKEY not provided and kube secret does not exist, login will be interactive if needed.")
-			return nil
+		if !canCreate {
+			return fmt.Errorf("tailscale state Secret %s does not exist and we don't have permissions to create it. "+
+				"If you intend to store tailscale state elsewhere than a Kubernetes Secret, "+
+				"you can explicitly set TS_KUBE_SECRET env var to an empty string. "+
+				"Else ensure that RBAC is set up that allows the service account associated with this installation to create Secrets.", cfg.KubeSecret)
 		}
-		keyBytes, _ := s.Data["authkey"]
-		key := string(keyBytes)
+	}
+
+	// Return early if we already have an auth key.
+	if cfg.AuthKey != "" || isOneStepConfig(cfg) {
+		return nil
+	}
 
-		if key != "" {
-			// This behavior of pulling authkeys from kube secrets was added
-			// at the same time as the patch permission, so we can enforce
-			// that we must be able to patch out the authkey after
-			// authenticating if you want to use this feature. This avoids
-			// us having to deal with the case where we might leave behind
-			// an unnecessary reusable authkey in a secret, like a rake in
-			// the grass.
-			if !cfg.KubernetesCanPatch {
-				return errors.New("authkey found in TS_KUBE_SECRET, but the pod doesn't have patch permissions on the secret to manage the authkey.")
-			}
-			cfg.AuthKey = key
-		} else {
-			log.Print("No authkey found in kube secret and TS_AUTHKEY not provided, login will be interactive if needed.")
+	if s == nil {
+		log.Print("TS_AUTHKEY not provided and state Secret does not exist, login will be interactive if needed.")
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	keyBytes, _ := s.Data["authkey"]
+	key := string(keyBytes)
+
+	if key != "" {
+		// Enforce that we must be able to patch out the authkey after
+		// authenticating if you want to use this feature. This avoids
+		// us having to deal with the case where we might leave behind
+		// an unnecessary reusable authkey in a secret, like a rake in
+		// the grass.
+		if !cfg.KubernetesCanPatch {
+			return errors.New("authkey found in TS_KUBE_SECRET, but the pod doesn't have patch permissions on the Secret to manage the authkey.")
 		}
+		cfg.AuthKey = key
 	}
+
+	log.Print("No authkey found in state Secret and TS_AUTHKEY not provided, login will be interactive if needed.")
+
 	return nil
 }