diff --git a/ansible/roles/firstboot/files/ansible_payload/roles/metacluster/tasks/main.yml b/ansible/roles/firstboot/files/ansible_payload/roles/metacluster/tasks/main.yml
index d62a6e3..79eb11f 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/firstboot/files/ansible_payload/roles/metacluster/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/firstboot/files/ansible_payload/roles/metacluster/tasks/main.yml
@@ -13,6 +13,17 @@
         INSTALL_K3S_EXEC: 'server --cluster-init --disable local-storage'
       when: ansible_facts.services['k3s.service'] is undefined
 
+    - name: Ensure API availability
+      ansible.utils.cli_parse:
+        command: curl -k https://{{ vapp['guestinfo.ipaddress'] }}:6443/livez?verbose
+        parser:
+          name: ansible.utils.json
+        set_fact: api_readycheck
+      ignore_errors: yes
+      until: api_readycheck.apiVersion is defined
+      retries: 3
+      delay: 30
+
     - name: Initialize tempfile
       ansible.builtin.tempfile:
         state: file
@@ -57,17 +68,6 @@
     - name: Trigger handlers
       ansible.builtin.meta: flush_handlers
 
-    - name: Ensure API availability
-      ansible.utils.cli_parse:
-        command: curl -k https://{{ vapp['guestinfo.ipaddress'] }}:6443/livez?verbose
-        parser:
-          name: ansible.utils.json
-        set_fact: api_readycheck
-      ignore_errors: yes
-      until: api_readycheck.apiVersion is defined
-      retries: 3
-      delay: 30
-
 - name: Install kubectl tab-completion
   ansible.builtin.shell:
     cmd: kubectl completion bash | tee /etc/bash_completion.d/kubectl
diff --git a/scripts/Update-OvfConfiguration.yml b/scripts/Update-OvfConfiguration.yml
index 62abc04..45a7203 100644
--- a/scripts/Update-OvfConfiguration.yml
+++ b/scripts/Update-OvfConfiguration.yml
@@ -50,8 +50,8 @@ PropertyCategories:
   - Key: guestinfo.hostname
     Type: string(1..15)
     Label: Hostname*
-    Description: '(max length: 15 characters)'
-    DefaultValue: ''
+    Description: ''
+    DefaultValue: 'META-NODE-{{ hostname.suffix }}'
     Configurations: '*'
     UserConfigurable: true
 
@@ -151,6 +151,9 @@ AdvancedOptions:
 
 ---
 Variables:
+- Name: hostname.suffix
+  Expression: |
+    (-join ((48..57) + (97..122) | Get-Random -Count 5 | % {[char]$_})).ToUpper()
 - Name: appliance.name
   Expression: |
     $Parameter['appliance.name']