diff --git a/pkg/cli/command/builder/install/install.go b/pkg/cli/command/builder/install/install.go
index 0e509b9..5b3ade3 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/command/builder/install/install.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/command/builder/install/install.go
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
 package install
 
 import (
+	"context"
+
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/client"
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/client/builder"
 	wrangler "github.com/rancher/wrangler-cli"
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 )
 
 func Command() *cobra.Command {
@@ -28,3 +32,22 @@ func (s *CommandSpec) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 	}
 	return s.Install.Do(cmd.Context(), k8s)
 }
+
+func Check(ctx context.Context) error {
+	pre := CommandSpec{}
+	// i've tried using subcommands from the cli command tree but there be dragons
+	wrangler.Command(&pre, cobra.Command{}) // initialize pre.Install defaults
+	k8s, err := client.DefaultConfig.Interface()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// if the daemon-set is available then we don't need to do anything
+	daemon, err := k8s.Apps.DaemonSet().Get(k8s.Namespace, "builder", metav1.GetOptions{})
+	if err == nil && daemon.Status.NumberAvailable > 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+	pre.NoWait = false
+	pre.NoFail = true
+	logrus.Warnf("Cannot find available builder daemon, attempting automatic installation...")
+	return pre.Install.Do(ctx, k8s)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/cli/command/image/build/build.go b/pkg/cli/command/image/build/build.go
index e410a9c..4c5dc96 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/command/image/build/build.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/command/image/build/build.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package build
 import (
 	"os"
 
+	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/cli/command/builder/install"
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/client"
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/client/image"
 	wrangler "github.com/rancher/wrangler-cli"
@@ -39,5 +40,9 @@ func (c *CommandSpec) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	err = install.Check(cmd.Context())
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	return c.Build.Do(cmd.Context(), k8s, path)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cli/command/image/image.go b/pkg/cli/command/image/image.go
index 0104dca..bb00ecd 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/command/image/image.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/command/image/image.go
@@ -3,18 +3,14 @@ package image
 import (
 	"fmt"
 
-	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/cli/command/builder/install"
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/cli/command/image/build"
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/cli/command/image/list"
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/cli/command/image/pull"
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/cli/command/image/push"
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/cli/command/image/remove"
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/cli/command/image/tag"
-	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/client"
 	wrangler "github.com/rancher/wrangler-cli"
-	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
-	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -46,25 +42,6 @@ func Command() *cobra.Command {
 type CommandSpec struct {
 }
 
-func (s *CommandSpec) PersistentPre(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
-	pre := install.CommandSpec{}
-	// i've tried using subcommands from the cli command tree but there be dragons
-	wrangler.Command(&pre, cobra.Command{}) // initialize pre.Install defaults
-	k8s, err := client.DefaultConfig.Interface()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	// if the daemon-set is available then we don't need to do anything
-	daemon, err := k8s.Apps.DaemonSet().Get(k8s.Namespace, "builder", metav1.GetOptions{})
-	if err == nil && daemon.Status.NumberAvailable > 0 {
-		return nil
-	}
-	pre.NoWait = false
-	pre.NoFail = true
-	logrus.Warnf("Cannot find available builder daemon, attempting automatic installation...")
-	return pre.Install.Do(cmd.Context(), k8s)
-}
-
 func (s *CommandSpec) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 	return cmd.Help()
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cli/command/image/list/list.go b/pkg/cli/command/image/list/list.go
index 2c6abb3..e550720 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/command/image/list/list.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/command/image/list/list.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package list
 import (
 	"fmt"
 
+	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/cli/command/builder/install"
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/client"
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/client/image"
 	wrangler "github.com/rancher/wrangler-cli"
@@ -35,5 +36,9 @@ func (s *CommandSpec) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	err = install.Check(cmd.Context())
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	return s.List.Do(cmd.Context(), k8s, args)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cli/command/image/pull/pull.go b/pkg/cli/command/image/pull/pull.go
index f257609..2ed45c3 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/command/image/pull/pull.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/command/image/pull/pull.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package pull
 
 import (
+	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/cli/command/builder/install"
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/client"
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/client/image"
 	wrangler "github.com/rancher/wrangler-cli"
@@ -30,5 +31,9 @@ func (s *CommandSpec) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	err = install.Check(cmd.Context())
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	return s.Pull.Do(cmd.Context(), k8s, args[0])
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cli/command/image/push/push.go b/pkg/cli/command/image/push/push.go
index 30007d4..2ed593f 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/command/image/push/push.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/command/image/push/push.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package push
 
 import (
+	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/cli/command/builder/install"
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/client"
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/client/image"
 	wrangler "github.com/rancher/wrangler-cli"
@@ -30,5 +31,9 @@ func (s *CommandSpec) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	err = install.Check(cmd.Context())
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	return s.Push.Do(cmd.Context(), k8s, args[0])
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cli/command/image/remove/remove.go b/pkg/cli/command/image/remove/remove.go
index 1cd874b..5214f08 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/command/image/remove/remove.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/command/image/remove/remove.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package remove
 import (
 	"fmt"
 
+	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/cli/command/builder/install"
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/client"
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/client/image"
 	wrangler "github.com/rancher/wrangler-cli"
@@ -36,5 +37,9 @@ func (c *CommandSpec) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	err = install.Check(cmd.Context())
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	return c.Remove.Do(cmd.Context(), k8s, args[0])
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cli/command/image/tag/tag.go b/pkg/cli/command/image/tag/tag.go
index 8fd6499..d9206f0 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/command/image/tag/tag.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/command/image/tag/tag.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package tag
 
 import (
+	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/cli/command/builder/install"
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/client"
 	"github.com/rancher/kim/pkg/client/image"
 	wrangler "github.com/rancher/wrangler-cli"
@@ -30,5 +31,9 @@ func (c *CommandSpec) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	err = install.Check(cmd.Context())
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	return c.Tag.Do(cmd.Context(), k8s, args[0], args[1:])
 }