diff --git a/action/apply.go b/action/apply.go
index 11b2a26a..4a0dbbde 100644
--- a/action/apply.go
+++ b/action/apply.go
@@ -84,6 +84,22 @@ func (a Apply) Run() error {
 
 	if result = a.Manager.Run(); result != nil {
 		analytics.Client.Publish("apply-failure", map[string]interface{}{"clusterID": a.Manager.Config.Spec.K0s.Metadata.ClusterID})
+		log.Info(phase.Colorize.Red("==> Apply failed").String())
+
+		var installedHosts []string
+		for _, h := range a.Manager.Config.Spec.Hosts {
+			if h.Metadata.K0sInstalled {
+				installedHosts = append(installedHosts, h.String())
+			}
+		}
+		if len(installedHosts) > 0 {
+			log.Warn("Cluster setup failed, but 'k0s install' has been run on the following hosts:")
+			for _, h := range installedHosts {
+				log.Warnf("  - %s", h)
+			}
+			log.Warn("You may need to reset them before retrying 'k0sctl apply'. See 'k0sctl reset --help' for more information.")
+		}
+
 		return result
 	}
 
diff --git a/phase/initialize_k0s.go b/phase/initialize_k0s.go
index a2bf1726..a007feb2 100644
--- a/phase/initialize_k0s.go
+++ b/phase/initialize_k0s.go
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ func (p *InitializeK0s) Run() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	h.Metadata.K0sInstalled = true
+
 	if len(h.Environment) > 0 {
 		log.Infof("%s: updating service environment", h)
 		if err := h.Configurer.UpdateServiceEnvironment(h, h.K0sServiceName(), h.Environment); err != nil {
diff --git a/phase/install_controllers.go b/phase/install_controllers.go
index 19caa577..a04504c1 100644
--- a/phase/install_controllers.go
+++ b/phase/install_controllers.go
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ func (p *InstallControllers) Run() error {
 		if err = h.Exec(cmd); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		h.Metadata.K0sInstalled = true
 
 		if len(h.Environment) > 0 {
 			log.Infof("%s: updating service environment", h)
diff --git a/phase/install_workers.go b/phase/install_workers.go
index 2c1edaf1..f4848716 100644
--- a/phase/install_workers.go
+++ b/phase/install_workers.go
@@ -137,6 +137,8 @@ func (p *InstallWorkers) Run() error {
 			return err
 		}
 
+		h.Metadata.K0sInstalled = true
+
 		if len(h.Environment) > 0 {
 			log.Infof("%s: updating service environment", h)
 			if err := h.Configurer.UpdateServiceEnvironment(h, h.K0sServiceName(), h.Environment); err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/apis/k0sctl.k0sproject.io/v1beta1/cluster/host.go b/pkg/apis/k0sctl.k0sproject.io/v1beta1/cluster/host.go
index fbece209..28522b64 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/k0sctl.k0sproject.io/v1beta1/cluster/host.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/k0sctl.k0sproject.io/v1beta1/cluster/host.go
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ type HostMetadata struct {
 	K0sBinaryVersion  *version.Version
 	K0sBinaryTempFile string
 	K0sRunningVersion *version.Version
+	K0sInstalled      bool
 	Arch              string
 	IsK0sLeader       bool
 	Hostname          string