diff --git a/src/codeflare_sdk/cluster/cluster.py b/src/codeflare_sdk/cluster/cluster.py
index 99b11582d..5d00cdae8 100644
--- a/src/codeflare_sdk/cluster/cluster.py
+++ b/src/codeflare_sdk/cluster/cluster.py
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ def is_dashboard_ready(self) -> bool:
         else:
             return False
 
-    def wait_ready(self, timeout: Optional[int] = None):
+    def wait_ready(self, timeout: Optional[int] = None, dashboard_check: bool = True):
         """
         Waits for requested cluster to be ready, up to an optional timeout (s).
         Checks every five seconds.
@@ -274,19 +274,32 @@ def wait_ready(self, timeout: Optional[int] = None):
         dashboard_ready = False
         status = None
         time = 0
-        while not ready or not dashboard_ready:
+        while not ready:
             status, ready = self.status(print_to_console=False)
-            dashboard_ready = self.is_dashboard_ready()
             if status == CodeFlareClusterStatus.UNKNOWN:
                 print(
                     "WARNING: Current cluster status is unknown, have you run cluster.up yet?"
                 )
-            if not ready or not dashboard_ready:
+            if not ready:
+                if timeout and time >= timeout:
+                    raise TimeoutError(
+                        f"wait() timed out after waiting {timeout}s for cluster to be ready"
+                    )
+                sleep(5)
+                time += 5
+        print("Requested cluster is up and running!")
+
+        while dashboard_check and not dashboard_ready:
+            dashboard_ready = self.is_dashboard_ready()
+            if not dashboard_ready:
                 if timeout and time >= timeout:
-                    raise TimeoutError(f"wait() timed out after waiting {timeout}s")
+                    raise TimeoutError(
+                        f"wait() timed out after waiting {timeout}s for dashboard to be ready"
+                    )
                 sleep(5)
                 time += 5
-        print("Requested cluster and dashboard are up and running!")
+        if dashboard_ready:
+            print("Dashboard is ready!")
 
     def details(self, print_to_console: bool = True) -> RayCluster:
         cluster = _copy_to_ray(self)
diff --git a/tests/unit_test.py b/tests/unit_test.py
index 4a8e2f441..78925226a 100644
--- a/tests/unit_test.py
+++ b/tests/unit_test.py
@@ -1794,7 +1794,13 @@ def test_wait_ready(mocker, capsys):
     captured = capsys.readouterr()
     assert (
         captured.out
-        == "Waiting for requested resources to be set up...\nRequested cluster and dashboard are up and running!\n"
+        == "Waiting for requested resources to be set up...\nRequested cluster is up and running!\nDashboard is ready!\n"
+    )
+    cf.wait_ready(dashboard_check=False)
+    captured = capsys.readouterr()
+    assert (
+        captured.out
+        == "Waiting for requested resources to be set up...\nRequested cluster is up and running!\n"
     )