Kubernetes stuck on "Starting: waiting for node to be ready" after upgrading to Docker Desktop 4.47.0

[nagarameshreddy]

Description

After upgrading Docker Desktop to version 4.47.0, Kubernetes does not start properly. It remains stuck in the "Starting: waiting for node to be ready" state indefinitely. Resetting Kubernetes or restarting or Uninstall and Reinstalling Docker Desktop does not resolve the issue.

OS: Apple M3 Pro-Sequoia 15.7

Reproduce

Install/Upgrade Docker Desktop to version 4.47.0.

Enable Kubernetes in settings (if not already enabled).

Wait for Kubernetes to start.

Observe status: "Starting: waiting for node to be ready" (never completes).

Expected behavior

Kubernetes should start successfully and show status as "Running", with the node ready and workloads schedulable.

docker version

Client:
 Version:           28.4.0
 API version:       1.51
 Go version:        go1.24.7
 Git commit:        d8eb465
 Built:             Wed Sep  3 20:56:26 2025
 OS/Arch:           darwin/arm64
 Context:           desktop-linux

Server: Docker Desktop 4.47.0 (206054)
 Engine:
  Version:          28.4.0
  API version:      1.51 (minimum version 1.24)
  Go version:       go1.24.7
  Git commit:       249d679
  Built:            Wed Sep  3 20:58:53 2025
  OS/Arch:          linux/arm64
  Experimental:     false
 containerd:
  Version:          1.7.27
  GitCommit:        05044ec0a9a75232cad458027ca83437aae3f4da
 runc:
  Version:          1.2.5
  GitCommit:        v1.2.5-0-g59923ef
 docker-init:
  Version:          0.19.0
  GitCommit:        de40ad0

docker info

Client:
 Version:    28.4.0
 Context:    desktop-linux
 Debug Mode: false
 Plugins:
  ai: Docker AI Agent - Ask Gordon (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.9.11
    Path:     /Users/rameshreddy/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-ai
  buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.28.0-desktop.1
    Path:     /Users/rameshreddy/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx
  cloud: Docker Cloud (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.4.29
    Path:     /Users/rameshreddy/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-cloud
  compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v2.39.4-desktop.1
    Path:     /Users/rameshreddy/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
  debug: Get a shell into any image or container (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  0.0.42
    Path:     /Users/rameshreddy/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-debug
  desktop: Docker Desktop commands (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.0
    Path:     /Users/rameshreddy/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-desktop
  extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.31
    Path:     /Users/rameshreddy/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-extension
  init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.4.0
    Path:     /Users/rameshreddy/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-init
  mcp: Docker MCP Plugin (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.20.0
    Path:     /Users/rameshreddy/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-mcp
  model: Docker Model Runner (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.41
    Path:     /Users/rameshreddy/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-model
  sbom: View the packaged-based Software Bill Of Materials (SBOM) for an image (Anchore Inc.)
    Version:  0.6.0
    Path:     /Users/rameshreddy/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-sbom
  scout: Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.18.3
    Path:     /Users/rameshreddy/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-scout

Server:
 Containers: 18
  Running: 18
  Paused: 0
  Stopped: 0
 Images: 11
 Server Version: 28.4.0
 Storage Driver: overlayfs
  driver-type: io.containerd.snapshotter.v1
 Logging Driver: json-file
 Cgroup Driver: cgroupfs
 Cgroup Version: 2
 Plugins:
  Volume: local
  Network: bridge host ipvlan macvlan null overlay
  Log: awslogs fluentd gcplogs gelf journald json-file local splunk syslog
 CDI spec directories:
  /etc/cdi
  /var/run/cdi
 Discovered Devices:
  cdi: docker.com/gpu=webgpu
 Swarm: inactive
 Runtimes: io.containerd.runc.v2 runc
 Default Runtime: runc
 Init Binary: docker-init
 containerd version: 05044ec0a9a75232cad458027ca83437aae3f4da
 runc version: v1.2.5-0-g59923ef
 init version: de40ad0
 Security Options:
  seccomp
   Profile: builtin
  cgroupns
 Kernel Version: 6.10.14-linuxkit
 Operating System: Docker Desktop
 OSType: linux
 Architecture: aarch64
 CPUs: 12
 Total Memory: 7.653GiB
 Name: docker-desktop
 ID: ececf23d-5e8c-44da-bf3f-e3fedc227d77
 Docker Root Dir: /var/lib/docker
 Debug Mode: false
 HTTP Proxy: http.docker.internal:3128
 HTTPS Proxy: http.docker.internal:3128
 No Proxy: hubproxy.docker.internal
 Labels:
  com.docker.desktop.address=unix:///Users/rameshreddy/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker/Data/docker-cli.sock
 Experimental: false
 Insecure Registries:
  hubproxy.docker.internal:5555
  ::1/128
  127.0.0.0/8
 Live Restore Enabled: false

Diagnostics ID

C42B0E74-CE36-4470-92B8-166A8535B9B2/20250930063608

Additional Info

No response

[eevlogiev]

Same here on my side:

Docker Desktop version: 4.47.0 (206054)
MacOS: Tahoe 26.0

[nausikt]

Me too, please help!

Docker Desktop version: Version 4.47.0 (206054)
MacOS: Sonoma 14.6

[voonyee]

hi @nagarameshreddy, thanks for reporting this.
As a workaround, can you:
Disable k8s, shut down DD, switch the default context to docker-desktop (kubectl config use-context docker-desktop), start up DD, enable K8s. Then, see if Kubernetes is still stuck on "Starting: waiting for node to be ready"?

[nausikt]

Thank you! @voonyee. That's works for me too.

Edited:
It does related to default context, either we already set it in existing .kube/config or KUBECONFIG in our env. Therefore, we need to changed it.

[nagarameshreddy]

hi @nagarameshreddy, thanks for reporting this. As a workaround, can you: Disable k8s, shut down DD, switch the default context to docker-desktop (kubectl config use-context docker-desktop), start up DD, enable K8s. Then, see if Kubernetes is still stuck on "Starting: waiting for node to be ready"?

Its worked Thanks

[ranophoenix]

Hi! Unfortunately, this workaround didn't work for me:

MacOS: 26.0.1 (M1 Max)

[nausikt]

Hi! Unfortunately, this workaround didn't work for me:

MacOS: 26.0.1 (M1 Max)

You probably have existing ~/.kube/config. you guys can clear the way for DD to generate ~/.kube/config then merge your config later.

mv ~/.kube/config ~/.kube/config.bak.20251002
# then try restart, cluster again.

Just let DD produce default docker-desktop context first. once we skipped "Starting: waiting for node to be ready", we can handle context ourself later.

hi @nagarameshreddy, thanks for reporting this. As a workaround, can you: Disable k8s, shut down DD, switch the default context to docker-desktop (kubectl config use-context docker-desktop), start up DD, enable K8s. Then, see if Kubernetes is still stuck on "Starting: waiting for node to be ready"?

This workaround, works for other folks because they might already have docker-desktop context around.

[ranophoenix]

Thanks, @nausikt! It did work.

[ranophoenix]

This workaround, works for other folks because they already have docker-desktop context around.

I already had the docker-desktop context around, but the initial workaround didn't work.

[nausikt]

This workaround, works for other folks because they already have docker-desktop context around.

I already had the docker-desktop context around, but the initial workaround didn't work.

Ouchh, Thanks for pointed out!, then my another guess might be something went wrong with how they patch default context in our existing ~/.kube/config.