diff --git a/.changeset/plenty-hoops-stare.md b/.changeset/plenty-hoops-stare.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..97ac356f2f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/plenty-hoops-stare.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@effect/cluster": patch
+---
+
+immediately set entity keep alive in EntityResource
diff --git a/packages/cluster/src/EntityResource.ts b/packages/cluster/src/EntityResource.ts
index 9231ee4862c..5dc27414cdd 100644
--- a/packages/cluster/src/EntityResource.ts
+++ b/packages/cluster/src/EntityResource.ts
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ export const make: <A, E, R>(options: {
 }) {
   let shuttingDown = false
 
+  yield* Entity.keepAlive(true)
+
   const ref = yield* RcRef.make({
     acquire: Effect.gen(function*() {
       const closeable = yield* Scope.make()
@@ -85,8 +87,6 @@ export const make: <A, E, R>(options: {
         })
       )
 
-      yield* Entity.keepAlive(true)
-
       return yield* options.acquire.pipe(
         Effect.provideService(CloseScope, closeable)
       )