diff --git a/devstack/lib/kuryr_kubernetes b/devstack/lib/kuryr_kubernetes
index 981684717..7146014b7 100644
--- a/devstack/lib/kuryr_kubernetes
+++ b/devstack/lib/kuryr_kubernetes
@@ -404,6 +404,7 @@ EOF
 
 function generate_controller_deployment() {
     output_dir=$1
+    readiness_probe=${2:-False}
     mkdir -p "$output_dir"
     rm -f ${output_dir}/controller_deployment.yml
     cat >> "${output_dir}/controller_deployment.yml" << EOF
@@ -434,6 +435,21 @@ spec:
         - name: config-volume
           mountPath: "/etc/kuryr/kuryr.conf"
           subPath: kuryr.conf
+EOF
+    # Add readiness probe if ports pool functionality is enabled. The rationale
+    # behind is to make the controller not ready until the precreated ports are
+    # loaded into the pools
+    if [ "$readiness_probe" ]; then
+        cat >> "${output_dir}/controller_deployment.yml" << EOF
+        readinessProbe:
+          exec:
+            command:
+            - cat
+            - /tmp/pools_loaded
+EOF
+    fi
+
+    cat >> "${output_dir}/controller_deployment.yml" << EOF
       volumes:
       - name: config-volume
         configMap:
diff --git a/devstack/plugin.sh b/devstack/plugin.sh
index 4bec324cd..13aa48fd3 100644
--- a/devstack/plugin.sh
+++ b/devstack/plugin.sh
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ function generate_containerized_kuryr_resources {
     local output_dir="${DATA_DIR}/kuryr-kubernetes"
     generate_kuryr_configmap $output_dir $KURYR_CONFIG $KURYR_CNI_CONFIG
     generate_kuryr_service_account $output_dir
-    generate_controller_deployment $output_dir
+    generate_controller_deployment $output_dir $KURYR_USE_PORTS_POOLS
     generate_cni_daemon_set $output_dir $CNI_BIN_DIR $CNI_CONF_DIR
 }
 
diff --git a/doc/source/installation/containerized.rst b/doc/source/installation/containerized.rst
index 2cadbd0f9..657eb1ec5 100644
--- a/doc/source/installation/containerized.rst
+++ b/doc/source/installation/containerized.rst
@@ -55,6 +55,15 @@ Below is the list of available variables:
 * ``$KURYR_K8S_BINDING_DRIVER`` - ``[binding]driver`` (default: ``kuryr.lib.binding.drivers.vlan``)
 * ``$KURYR_K8S_BINDING_IFACE`` - ``[binding]link_iface`` (default: eth0)
 
+In case of using ports pool functionality, we may want to make the
+kuryr-controller not ready until the pools are populated with the existing
+ports. To achive this a readiness probe must be added to the kuryr-controller
+deployment. To add the readiness probe, in addition to the above environment
+variables or the kuryr-controller configuration file, and extra environmental
+variable must be set:
+
+* ``$KURYR_USE_PORTS_POOLS`` - ``True`` (default: False)
+
 Example run: ::
 
     $ KURYR_K8S_API_ROOT="192.168.0.1:6443" ./tools/generate_k8s_resource_definitions /tmp
@@ -73,13 +82,13 @@ To deploy the files on your Kubernetes cluster run: ::
 
     $ kubectl apply -f config_map.yml -n kube-system
     $ kubectl apply -f service_account.yml -n kube-system
-    $ kubectl apply -f conteoller_deployment.yml -n kube-system
+    $ kubectl apply -f controller_deployment.yml -n kube-system
     $ kubectl apply -f cni_ds.yml -n kube-system
 
 After successful completion:
 
 * kuryr-controller Deployment object, with single replica count, will get
-  created in default namespace.
+  created in kube-system namespace.
 * kuryr-cni gets installed as a daemonset object on all the nodes in kube-system
   namespace
 
diff --git a/kuryr_kubernetes/controller/drivers/vif_pool.py b/kuryr_kubernetes/controller/drivers/vif_pool.py
index 26bd1b6be..cfadb8c9b 100644
--- a/kuryr_kubernetes/controller/drivers/vif_pool.py
+++ b/kuryr_kubernetes/controller/drivers/vif_pool.py
@@ -211,6 +211,18 @@ class BaseVIFPool(base.VIFPoolDriver):
     def show_pool(self, pool_key):
         return self._available_ports_pools.get(pool_key)
 
+    def _create_healthcheck_file(self):
+        # Note(ltomasbo): Create a health check file when the pre-created
+        # ports are loaded into their corresponding pools. This file is used
+        # by the readiness probe when the controller is deployed in
+        # containerized mode. This way the controller pod will not be ready
+        # until all the pre-created ports have been loaded
+        try:
+            with open('/tmp/pools_loaded', 'a'):
+                LOG.debug("Health check file created for readiness probe")
+        except IOError:
+            LOG.exception("I/O error creating the health check file.")
+
 
 class NeutronVIFPool(BaseVIFPool):
     """Manages VIFs for Bare Metal Kubernetes Pods."""
@@ -324,6 +336,7 @@ class NeutronVIFPool(BaseVIFPool):
                 pool_key, []).append(port['id'])
 
         LOG.info("PORTS POOL: pools updated with pre-created ports")
+        self._create_healthcheck_file()
 
 
 class NestedVIFPool(BaseVIFPool):
@@ -445,6 +458,7 @@ class NestedVIFPool(BaseVIFPool):
     def _recover_precreated_ports(self):
         self._precreated_ports(action='recover')
         LOG.info("PORTS POOL: pools updated with pre-created ports")
+        self._create_healthcheck_file()
 
     def _remove_precreated_ports(self, trunk_ips=None):
         self._precreated_ports(action='free', trunk_ips=trunk_ips)
diff --git a/tools/generate_k8s_resource_definitions.sh b/tools/generate_k8s_resource_definitions.sh
index 098ad3cb2..36518f86b 100755
--- a/tools/generate_k8s_resource_definitions.sh
+++ b/tools/generate_k8s_resource_definitions.sh
@@ -101,5 +101,6 @@ fi
 
 generate_kuryr_configmap $OUTPUT_DIR $CONTROLLER_CONF_PATH $CNI_CONF_PATH
 generate_kuryr_service_account $OUTPUT_DIR
-generate_controller_deployment $OUTPUT_DIR
+readiness_probe=${KURYR_USE_PORTS_POOLS:-False}
+generate_controller_deployment $OUTPUT_DIR $readiness_probe
 generate_cni_daemon_set $OUTPUT_DIR