diff --git a/ansible/group_vars/do/main.yml b/ansible/group_vars/do/main.yml
index 34cdb798..db1397e4 100644
--- a/ansible/group_vars/do/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/group_vars/do/main.yml
@@ -3,14 +3,19 @@ project_name: "default"
 
 main_node_size: "s-1vcpu-2gb"
 crawl_node_size: "c-4"
-admin_node_size: "s-4vcpu-8gb"
 droplet_region: "sfo3"
-enable_admin_addons: true
 
 node_pools:
   - name=main-app;size={{ main_node_size }};label=nodeType=main;count=2
   - name=crawling;size={{ crawl_node_size }};label=nodeType=crawling;taint=nodeType=crawling:NoSchedule;auto-scale=true;min-nodes=1;max-nodes=3;count=1
-  - "{% if enable_admin_addons %}name=admin-app;size={{ admin_node_size }};label=nodeType=admin;count=1{% endif %}"
+
+enable_admin_addons: true
+
+admin_node_pool:
+  name: admin-app
+  size: s-4vcpu-8gb
+  label: nodeType=admin
+  count: 1
 
 db_name: "{{ project_name }}"
 k8s_name: "{{ project_name }}"
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/do_setup.yml b/ansible/playbooks/do_setup.yml
index a6556b12..e822c83a 100644
--- a/ansible/playbooks/do_setup.yml
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/do_setup.yml
@@ -106,6 +106,34 @@
       changed_when: false
       when: cluster_check.stdout.find(k8s_name) == -1
 
+    - name: d_ocean | k8s | test for existing k8s cluster's node pools
+      ansible.builtin.command: doctl kubernetes cluster node-pool list {{ k8s_name }}
+      changed_when: false
+      failed_when: false
+      register: cluster_nodepools_check
+
+    - name: d_ocean | k8s | create a admin node pool in the cluster {{ k8s_name }}
+      # skip_ansible_lint
+      ansible.builtin.command: >-
+        doctl kubernetes cluster node-pool create {{ k8s_name }} 
+          --name {{ admin_node_pool.name }}   --size {{ admin_node_pool.size }} 
+          --label {{ admin_node_pool.label }} --count {{ admin_node_pool.count }} 
+
+      async: 1800
+      poll: 60
+      changed_when: false
+      when: enable_admin_addons and cluster_nodepools_check.stdout.find(admin_node_pool.name) == -1
+
+    - name: d_ocean | k8s | remove a admin node pool from the cluster {{ k8s_name }}
+      # skip_ansible_lint
+      ansible.builtin.command: >-
+        echo "yes" | doctl kubernetes cluster node-pool delete {{ k8s_name }} {{ admin_node_pool.name }}
+
+      async: 1800
+      poll: 60
+      changed_when: false
+      when: not enable_admin_addons and cluster_nodepools_check.stdout.find(admin_node_pool.name) >= 0
+
     - name: d_ocean | k8s | Get information about our cluster
       community.digitalocean.digital_ocean_kubernetes_info:
         oauth_token: "{{ lookup('ansible.builtin.env', 'DO_API_TOKEN') }}"