diff --git a/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.runner.qemu/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/runner/qemu/ConsoleTracker.java b/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.runner.qemu/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/runner/qemu/ConsoleTracker.java
index 7d54235..95b748c 100644
--- a/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.runner.qemu/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/runner/qemu/ConsoleTracker.java
+++ b/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.runner.qemu/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/runner/qemu/ConsoleTracker.java
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ import org.jgrapes.core.events.Start;
 @SuppressWarnings("PMD.DataflowAnomalyAnalysis")
 public class ConsoleTracker extends VmDefUpdater {
 
-    private final K8sClient apiClient;
     private VmDefinitionStub vmStub;
     private String mainChannelClientHost;
     private long mainChannelClientPort;
@@ -109,7 +108,7 @@ public class ConsoleTracker extends VmDefUpdater {
         vmStub.updateStatus(from -> {
             JsonObject status = from.status();
             status.addProperty("consoleClient", event.clientHost());
-            updateCondition(apiClient, from, status, "ConsoleConnected",
+            updateCondition(from, status, "ConsoleConnected",
                 true, "Connection from " + event.clientHost(), null);
             return status;
         });
@@ -144,7 +143,7 @@ public class ConsoleTracker extends VmDefUpdater {
         vmStub.updateStatus(from -> {
             JsonObject status = from.status();
             status.addProperty("consoleClient", "");
-            updateCondition(apiClient, from, status, "ConsoleConnected",
+            updateCondition(from, status, "ConsoleConnected",
                 false, event.clientHost() + " has disconnected", null);
             return status;
         });
diff --git a/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.runner.qemu/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/runner/qemu/StatusUpdater.java b/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.runner.qemu/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/runner/qemu/StatusUpdater.java
index ca5d46a..f663476 100644
--- a/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.runner.qemu/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/runner/qemu/StatusUpdater.java
+++ b/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.runner.qemu/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/runner/qemu/StatusUpdater.java
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ import static org.jdrupes.vmoperator.common.Constants.APP_NAME;
 import static org.jdrupes.vmoperator.common.Constants.VM_OP_GROUP;
 import static org.jdrupes.vmoperator.common.Constants.VM_OP_KIND_VM;
 import org.jdrupes.vmoperator.common.K8s;
-import org.jdrupes.vmoperator.common.K8sClient;
 import org.jdrupes.vmoperator.common.VmDefinitionModel;
 import org.jdrupes.vmoperator.common.VmDefinitionStub;
 import org.jdrupes.vmoperator.runner.qemu.events.BalloonChangeEvent;
@@ -59,7 +58,6 @@ public class StatusUpdater extends VmDefUpdater {
     private static final Set<RunState> RUNNING_STATES
         = Set.of(RunState.RUNNING, RunState.TERMINATING);
 
-    private K8sClient apiClient;
     private long observedGeneration;
     private boolean guestShutdownStops;
     private boolean shutdownByGuest;
@@ -73,15 +71,6 @@ public class StatusUpdater extends VmDefUpdater {
     @SuppressWarnings("PMD.ConstructorCallsOverridableMethod")
     public StatusUpdater(Channel componentChannel) {
         super(componentChannel);
-        try {
-            apiClient = new K8sClient();
-            io.kubernetes.client.openapi.Configuration
-                .setDefaultApiClient(apiClient);
-        } catch (IOException e) {
-            logger.log(Level.SEVERE, e,
-                () -> "Cannot access events API, terminating.");
-            fire(new Exit(1));
-        }
         attach(new ConsoleTracker(componentChannel));
     }
 
@@ -187,8 +176,8 @@ public class StatusUpdater extends VmDefUpdater {
         vmStub.updateStatus(vmDef, from -> {
             JsonObject status = from.status();
             boolean running = RUNNING_STATES.contains(event.runState());
-            updateCondition(apiClient, vmDef, vmDef.status(), "Running",
-                running, event.reason(), event.message());
+            updateCondition(vmDef, vmDef.status(), "Running", running,
+                event.reason(), event.message());
             if (event.runState() == RunState.STARTING) {
                 status.addProperty("ram", GsonPtr.to(from.data())
                     .getAsString("spec", "vm", "maximumRam").orElse("0"));
@@ -201,8 +190,8 @@ public class StatusUpdater extends VmDefUpdater {
             // In case console connection was still present
             if (!running) {
                 status.addProperty("consoleClient", "");
-                updateCondition(apiClient, from, status, "ConsoleConnected",
-                    false, "VM has stopped", null);
+                updateCondition(from, status, "ConsoleConnected", false,
+                    "VM has stopped", null);
             }
             return status;
         });
diff --git a/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.runner.qemu/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/runner/qemu/VmDefUpdater.java b/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.runner.qemu/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/runner/qemu/VmDefUpdater.java
index 893fc61..1c260c7 100644
--- a/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.runner.qemu/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/runner/qemu/VmDefUpdater.java
+++ b/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.runner.qemu/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/runner/qemu/VmDefUpdater.java
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 package org.jdrupes.vmoperator.runner.qemu;
 
 import com.google.gson.JsonObject;
-import io.kubernetes.client.openapi.ApiClient;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
@@ -31,7 +30,9 @@ import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
+import org.jdrupes.vmoperator.common.K8sClient;
 import org.jdrupes.vmoperator.common.VmDefinitionModel;
+import org.jdrupes.vmoperator.runner.qemu.events.Exit;
 import org.jgrapes.core.Channel;
 import org.jgrapes.core.Component;
 import org.jgrapes.core.annotation.Handler;
@@ -46,15 +47,28 @@ public class VmDefUpdater extends Component {
 
     protected String namespace;
     protected String vmName;
+    protected K8sClient apiClient;
 
     /**
      * Instantiates a new status updater.
      *
      * @param componentChannel the component channel
+     * @throws IOException 
      */
     @SuppressWarnings("PMD.ConstructorCallsOverridableMethod")
     public VmDefUpdater(Channel componentChannel) {
         super(componentChannel);
+        if (apiClient == null) {
+            try {
+                apiClient = new K8sClient();
+                io.kubernetes.client.openapi.Configuration
+                    .setDefaultApiClient(apiClient);
+            } catch (IOException e) {
+                logger.log(Level.SEVERE, e,
+                    () -> "Cannot access events API, terminating.");
+                fire(new Exit(1));
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -104,9 +118,8 @@ public class VmDefUpdater extends Component {
      * @param state the new state
      * @param reason the reason for the change
      */
-    protected void updateCondition(ApiClient apiClient, VmDefinitionModel from,
-            JsonObject status, String type, boolean state, String reason,
-            String message) {
+    protected void updateCondition(VmDefinitionModel from, JsonObject status,
+            String type, boolean state, String reason, String message) {
         // Optimize, as we can get this several times
         var current = status.getAsJsonArray("conditions").asList().stream()
             .map(cond -> (JsonObject) cond)