diff --git a/src/go/k8s/controllers/redpanda/suite_test.go b/src/go/k8s/controllers/redpanda/suite_test.go
index c5960fe078ef0..4c3751a31e2f6 100644
--- a/src/go/k8s/controllers/redpanda/suite_test.go
+++ b/src/go/k8s/controllers/redpanda/suite_test.go
@@ -529,6 +529,12 @@ func (m *mockAdminAPI) DisableMaintenanceMode(_ context.Context, _ int) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (m *mockAdminAPI) GetHealthOverview(_ context.Context) (admin.ClusterHealthOverview, error) {
+	return admin.ClusterHealthOverview{
+		IsHealthy: true,
+	}, nil
+}
+
 //nolint:goerr113 // test code
 func (m *mockAdminAPI) SetBrokerStatus(
 	id int, status admin.MembershipStatus,
diff --git a/src/go/k8s/pkg/admin/admin.go b/src/go/k8s/pkg/admin/admin.go
index 728b8db67ca4c..4962683bcddda 100644
--- a/src/go/k8s/pkg/admin/admin.go
+++ b/src/go/k8s/pkg/admin/admin.go
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ type AdminAPIClient interface {
 
 	EnableMaintenanceMode(ctx context.Context, node int) error
 	DisableMaintenanceMode(ctx context.Context, node int) error
+
+	GetHealthOverview(ctx context.Context) (admin.ClusterHealthOverview, error)
 }
 
 var _ AdminAPIClient = &admin.AdminAPI{}
diff --git a/src/go/k8s/pkg/resources/statefulset_update.go b/src/go/k8s/pkg/resources/statefulset_update.go
index 8200463031d70..dfbc22168856e 100644
--- a/src/go/k8s/pkg/resources/statefulset_update.go
+++ b/src/go/k8s/pkg/resources/statefulset_update.go
@@ -82,6 +82,10 @@ func (r *StatefulSetResource) runUpdate(
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if err = r.isClusterHealthy(ctx); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	if err = r.rollingUpdate(ctx, &modified.Spec.Template); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -94,6 +98,32 @@ func (r *StatefulSetResource) runUpdate(
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (r *StatefulSetResource) isClusterHealthy(ctx context.Context) error {
+	adminAPIClient, err := r.getAdminAPIClient(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("creating admin API client: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	health, err := adminAPIClient.GetHealthOverview(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("getting cluster health overview: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	restarting := "not restarting"
+	if r.pandaCluster.Status.IsRestarting() {
+		restarting = "restarting"
+	}
+
+	if !health.IsHealthy {
+		return &RequeueAfterError{
+			RequeueAfter: RequeueDuration,
+			Msg:          fmt.Sprintf("wait for cluster to become healthy (cluster %s)", restarting),
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (r *StatefulSetResource) rollingUpdate(
 	ctx context.Context, template *corev1.PodTemplateSpec,
 ) error {