diff --git a/src/integrations/prefect-kubernetes/prefect_kubernetes/worker.py b/src/integrations/prefect-kubernetes/prefect_kubernetes/worker.py
index 101bbe7d0fd1..0123de97f108 100644
--- a/src/integrations/prefect-kubernetes/prefect_kubernetes/worker.py
+++ b/src/integrations/prefect-kubernetes/prefect_kubernetes/worker.py
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@
 from typing_extensions import Literal, Self
 
 import prefect
+from prefect.client.schemas.objects import Flow as APIFlow
 from prefect.exceptions import (
     InfrastructureError,
 )
@@ -172,7 +173,6 @@
 )
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from prefect.client.schemas.objects import Flow as APIFlow
     from prefect.client.schemas.objects import FlowRun
     from prefect.client.schemas.responses import DeploymentResponse
     from prefect.flows import Flow
@@ -647,9 +647,34 @@ async def run(
     async def submit(
         self, flow: "Flow[..., R]", parameters: dict[str, Any] | None = None
     ) -> "FlowRun":
-        # TODO: Might not want to sync on every submit
-        await self.sync_with_backend()
+        """
+        EXPERIMENTAL: The interface for this method is subject to change.
+
+        Submits a flow to run in a Kubernetes job.
+
+        Args:
+            flow: The flow to submit
+            parameters: The parameters to pass to the flow
+
+        Returns:
+            A flow run object
+        """
+        if self._runs_task_group is None:
+            raise RuntimeError("Worker not properly initialized")
+        flow_run = await self._runs_task_group.start(
+            self._submit_adhoc_run, flow, parameters
+        )
+        return flow_run
 
+    async def _submit_adhoc_run(
+        self,
+        flow: "Flow[..., R]",
+        parameters: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        task_status: anyio.abc.TaskStatus["FlowRun"] | None = None,
+    ):
+        """
+        Submits a flow run to the Kubernetes worker.
+        """
         from prefect._experimental.bundles import (
             convert_step_to_command,
             create_bundle_for_flow_run,
@@ -660,10 +685,22 @@ async def submit(
         flow_run = await self._client.create_flow_run(
             flow, parameters=parameters, state=Pending()
         )
-        api_flow = await self._client.read_flow(flow_run.flow_id)
+        if task_status is not None:
+            task_status.started(flow_run)
+        # Avoid an API call to get the flow
+        api_flow = APIFlow(id=flow_run.flow_id, name=flow.name, labels={})
+        logger = self.get_flow_run_logger(flow_run)
 
         bundle = create_bundle_for_flow_run(flow=flow, flow_run=flow_run)
 
+        # TODO: Replace this with reading the steps from the work pool
+        upload_step = json.loads(os.environ.get("PREFECT__BUNDLE_UPLOAD_STEP", "{}"))
+        execute_step = json.loads(os.environ.get("PREFECT__BUNDLE_EXECUTE_STEP", "{}"))
+
+        upload_command = convert_step_to_command(upload_step, str(flow_run.id))
+        execute_command = convert_step_to_command(execute_step, str(flow_run.id))
+
+        logger.debug("Uploading execution bundle")
         with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp_dir:
             await (
                 anyio.Path(temp_dir)
@@ -671,33 +708,27 @@ async def submit(
                 .write_bytes(json.dumps(bundle).encode("utf-8"))
             )
 
-            # TODO: Replace this with reading the steps from the work pool
-            upload_step = json.loads(
-                os.environ.get("PREFECT__BUNDLE_UPLOAD_STEP", "{}")
-            )
-            execute_step = json.loads(
-                os.environ.get("PREFECT__BUNDLE_EXECUTE_STEP", "{}")
-            )
-
-            upload_command = convert_step_to_command(upload_step, str(flow_run.id))
-
-            await anyio.run_process(
-                upload_command + [str(flow_run.id)],
-                cwd=temp_dir,
-            )
-
-            execute_command = convert_step_to_command(execute_step, str(flow_run.id))
+            try:
+                await anyio.run_process(
+                    upload_command + [str(flow_run.id)],
+                    cwd=temp_dir,
+                )
+            except Exception as e:
+                self._logger.error(
+                    "Failed to upload bundle: %s", e.stderr.decode("utf-8")
+                )
+                raise e
 
-            configuration = await self.job_configuration.from_template_and_values(
-                base_job_template=self._work_pool.base_job_template,
-                values={"command": " ".join(execute_command)},
-                client=self._client,
-            )
-            configuration.prepare_for_flow_run(flow_run=flow_run, flow=api_flow)
+        logger.debug("Successfully uploaded execution bundle")
 
-            await self.run(flow_run, configuration)
+        configuration = await self.job_configuration.from_template_and_values(
+            base_job_template=self._work_pool.base_job_template,
+            values={"command": " ".join(execute_command)},
+            client=self._client,
+        )
+        configuration.prepare_for_flow_run(flow_run=flow_run, flow=api_flow)
 
-        return flow_run
+        await self.run(flow_run, configuration)
 
     async def teardown(self, *exc_info: Any):
         await super().teardown(*exc_info)
diff --git a/src/prefect/workers/base.py b/src/prefect/workers/base.py
index 5e63d7fc0947..cba74546cc77 100644
--- a/src/prefect/workers/base.py
+++ b/src/prefect/workers/base.py
@@ -566,8 +566,6 @@ async def start(
         healthcheck_thread = None
         try:
             async with self as worker:
-                # wait for an initial heartbeat to configure the worker
-                await worker.sync_with_backend()
                 # schedule the scheduled flow run polling loop
                 async with anyio.create_task_group() as loops_task_group:
                     loops_task_group.start_soon(
@@ -655,6 +653,8 @@ async def setup(self) -> None:
         await self._exit_stack.enter_async_context(self._client)
         await self._exit_stack.enter_async_context(self._runs_task_group)
 
+        await self.sync_with_backend()
+
         self.is_setup = True
 
     async def teardown(self, *exc_info: Any) -> None: