diff --git a/cmd/installer/autoinstall/autoinstall.go b/cmd/installer/autoinstall/autoinstall.go
index 3fdaa38b5..792928cc7 100644
--- a/cmd/installer/autoinstall/autoinstall.go
+++ b/cmd/installer/autoinstall/autoinstall.go
@@ -151,6 +151,10 @@ func buildConfig() (*install.Config, error) {
 		cfg.JoinAddr = joinAddr
 	}
 
+	if os.Getenv("SPINIFEX_SKIP_FORMATION") == "1" {
+		cfg.SkipFormation = true
+	}
+
 	return cfg, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/installer/firstboot/firstboot.go b/cmd/installer/firstboot/firstboot.go
index 1654771f7..8ec289d24 100644
--- a/cmd/installer/firstboot/firstboot.go
+++ b/cmd/installer/firstboot/firstboot.go
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ type Config struct {
 	// and network failures are swallowed so the install is not gated on
 	// controller reachability.
 	InstallCallback string
+	// SkipFormation skips spx admin init/join. Used when a provisioning
+	// controller (e.g. bm-bootstrap.sh) owns cluster formation and will call
+	// spx admin init/join itself with the correct multi-node parameters.
+	SkipFormation bool
 }
 
 // Write drops the firstboot script and systemd unit into root, which should be
@@ -232,6 +236,9 @@ fi
 }
 
 func buildClusterCmd(cfg Config) string {
+	if cfg.SkipFormation {
+		return `echo "[firstboot] cluster formation skipped — provisioning controller will handle it"`
+	}
 	emailFlag := ""
 	if cfg.Email != "" {
 		// shellEscapeSingle keeps the email safe if it ever contains a
diff --git a/cmd/installer/install/config.go b/cmd/installer/install/config.go
index 657adc48c..6debbd9d9 100644
--- a/cmd/installer/install/config.go
+++ b/cmd/installer/install/config.go
@@ -55,6 +55,10 @@ type Config struct {
 	// JoinAddr is the primary node address (host:port) when ClusterRole is "join".
 	JoinAddr string
 
+	// SkipFormation skips spx admin init/join in firstboot; the provisioning
+	// controller (e.g. bm-bootstrap.sh) owns cluster formation instead.
+	SkipFormation bool
+
 	// CA certificate (PEM), optional.
 	HasCACert bool
 	CACert    string
diff --git a/cmd/installer/install/install.go b/cmd/installer/install/install.go
index 6bc7d4a45..809ad8858 100644
--- a/cmd/installer/install/install.go
+++ b/cmd/installer/install/install.go
@@ -696,6 +696,7 @@ func (c *Config) toFirstbootConfig() firstboot.Config {
 		JoinAddr:        c.JoinAddr,
 		Email:           c.Email,
 		InstallCallback: strings.TrimSpace(os.Getenv("SPINIFEX_INSTALL_CALLBACK")),
+		SkipFormation:   c.SkipFormation,
 	}
 }