diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/conditions.go b/api/v1alpha1/conditions.go
index bc31f1bb..bfe86c62 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/conditions.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/conditions.go
@@ -82,6 +82,10 @@ const (
 	ClickHouseConditionReasonExternalSecretValid    ConditionReason = "ExternalSecretValid"
 	ClickHouseConditionReasonExternalSecretNotFound ConditionReason = "ExternalSecretNotFound"
 	ClickHouseConditionReasonExternalSecretInvalid  ConditionReason = "ExternalSecretInvalid"
+
+	// ClickHouseConditionReasonPingImpossible is a special condition reason. It is set in case the operator cannot
+	// create a client to ping replica, but it may be healthy.
+	ClickHouseConditionReasonPingImpossible ConditionReason = "PingImpossible"
 )
 
 // KeeperCluster specific condition types and reasons.
diff --git a/internal/controller/clickhouse/controller_test.go b/internal/controller/clickhouse/controller_test.go
index aced0fd7..5ffd3fc8 100644
--- a/internal/controller/clickhouse/controller_test.go
+++ b/internal/controller/clickhouse/controller_test.go
@@ -133,10 +133,6 @@ var _ = When("reconciling ClickHouseCluster", Ordered, func() {
 		Expect(jobs.Items).To(HaveLen(1))
 		Expect(jobs.Items[0].Labels[controllerutil.LabelRoleKey]).To(Equal(controllerutil.LabelVersionProbe))
 
-		testutil.AssertEvents(recorder.Events, map[string]int{
-			"ClusterNotReady": 1,
-		})
-
 		By("completing the version probe job")
 		testutil.CompleteVersionProbeJob(ctx, suite, cr.Namespace, cr.SpecificName(), "26.1.1.1")
 	})
@@ -148,6 +144,10 @@ var _ = When("reconciling ClickHouseCluster", Ordered, func() {
 		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 		Expect(suite.Client.Get(ctx, cr.NamespacedName(), cr)).To(Succeed())
 
+		testutil.AssertEvents(recorder.Events, map[string]int{
+			"ClusterNotReady": 1,
+		})
+
 		Expect(suite.Client.List(ctx, &services, listOpts)).To(Succeed())
 		Expect(services.Items).To(HaveLen(1))
 
@@ -208,15 +208,16 @@ var _ = When("reconciling ClickHouseCluster", Ordered, func() {
 
 		_, err := controller.Reconcile(ctx, ctrl.Request{NamespacedName: crossNamespaceCluster.NamespacedName()})
 		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
-		testutil.AssertEvents(recorder.Events, map[string]int{
-			"ClusterNotReady": 1,
-		})
 
 		testutil.CompleteVersionProbeJob(ctx, suite, crossNamespaceCluster.Namespace, crossNamespaceCluster.SpecificName(), "26.1.1.1")
 
 		_, err = controller.Reconcile(ctx, ctrl.Request{NamespacedName: crossNamespaceCluster.NamespacedName()})
 		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 
+		testutil.AssertEvents(recorder.Events, map[string]int{
+			"ClusterNotReady": 1,
+		})
+
 		var config corev1.ConfigMap
 		Expect(suite.Client.Get(ctx, types.NamespacedName{
 			Namespace: crossNamespaceCluster.Namespace,
@@ -631,7 +632,6 @@ var _ = When("reconciling ClickHouseCluster", Ordered, func() {
 
 		testutil.AssertEvents(recorder.Events, map[string]int{
 			"ExternalSecretNotFound": 1,
-			"ClusterNotReady":        1,
 		})
 
 		testutil.CompleteVersionProbeJob(ctx, suite, esoCR.Namespace, esoCR.SpecificName(), "26.1.1.1")
@@ -652,6 +652,12 @@ var _ = When("reconciling ClickHouseCluster", Ordered, func() {
 		Expect(cond.Message).To(ContainSubstring("plaintext password"))
 		Expect(cond.Message).NotTo(ContainSubstring("interserver-password"))
 
+		// commander becomes non-nil once the partial secret is found,
+		// so Ready transitions Unknown -> False and emits ClusterNotReady.
+		testutil.AssertEvents(recorder.Events, map[string]int{
+			"ClusterNotReady": 1,
+		})
+
 		By("reconciling with external secret manage policy")
 
 		esoCR.Spec.ExternalSecret.Policy = v1.ExternalSecretPolicyManage
diff --git a/internal/controller/clickhouse/sync.go b/internal/controller/clickhouse/sync.go
index 8bab65e4..0558bc0b 100644
--- a/internal/controller/clickhouse/sync.go
+++ b/internal/controller/clickhouse/sync.go
@@ -927,21 +927,37 @@ func (r *clickhouseReconciler) evaluateReplicaConditions() {
 	expected := int(r.Cluster.Replicas() * r.Cluster.Shards())
 
 	r.SetCondition(chctrl.ReplicaStartupCondition(errorIDs))
-	r.SetCondition(chctrl.HealthyCondition(notReadyIDs))
 	r.SetCondition(chctrl.ClusterSizeCondition(exists, expected))
 
-	if len(notReadyShards) == 0 {
-		r.SetCondition(
-			metav1.Condition{Type: v1.ConditionTypeReady, Status: metav1.ConditionTrue, Reason: v1.ClickHouseConditionAllShardsReady, Message: "All shards are ready"},
-			chctrl.EventSpec{Type: corev1.EventTypeNormal, Reason: v1.EventReasonClusterReady, Action: v1.EventActionBecameReady, Message: "ClickHouse cluster is ready"},
-		)
+	if r.commander == nil {
+		r.SetCondition(metav1.Condition{
+			Type:    v1.ConditionTypeHealthy,
+			Status:  metav1.ConditionUnknown,
+			Reason:  v1.ClickHouseConditionReasonPingImpossible,
+			Message: "Cannot probe replicas",
+		})
+		r.SetCondition(metav1.Condition{
+			Type:    v1.ConditionTypeReady,
+			Status:  metav1.ConditionUnknown,
+			Reason:  v1.ClickHouseConditionReasonPingImpossible,
+			Message: "Cannot probe replicas",
+		})
 	} else {
-		slices.Sort(notReadyShards)
-		message := fmt.Sprintf("Not Ready shards: %v", notReadyShards)
-		r.SetCondition(
-			metav1.Condition{Type: v1.ConditionTypeReady, Status: metav1.ConditionFalse, Reason: v1.ClickHouseConditionSomeShardsNotReady, Message: message},
-			chctrl.EventSpec{Type: corev1.EventTypeWarning, Reason: v1.EventReasonClusterNotReady, Action: v1.EventActionBecameNotReady, Message: message},
-		)
+		r.SetCondition(chctrl.HealthyCondition(notReadyIDs))
+
+		if len(notReadyShards) == 0 {
+			r.SetCondition(
+				metav1.Condition{Type: v1.ConditionTypeReady, Status: metav1.ConditionTrue, Reason: v1.ClickHouseConditionAllShardsReady, Message: "All shards are ready"},
+				chctrl.EventSpec{Type: corev1.EventTypeNormal, Reason: v1.EventReasonClusterReady, Action: v1.EventActionBecameReady, Message: "ClickHouse cluster is ready"},
+			)
+		} else {
+			slices.Sort(notReadyShards)
+			message := fmt.Sprintf("Not Ready shards: %v", notReadyShards)
+			r.SetCondition(
+				metav1.Condition{Type: v1.ConditionTypeReady, Status: metav1.ConditionFalse, Reason: v1.ClickHouseConditionSomeShardsNotReady, Message: message},
+				chctrl.EventSpec{Type: corev1.EventTypeWarning, Reason: v1.EventReasonClusterNotReady, Action: v1.EventActionBecameNotReady, Message: message},
+			)
+		}
 	}
 }