diff --git a/pkg/operator/apiserver/controllerset/apiservercontrollerset.go b/pkg/operator/apiserver/controllerset/apiservercontrollerset.go
index 29e741febe..249dfc2162 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/apiserver/controllerset/apiservercontrollerset.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/apiserver/controllerset/apiservercontrollerset.go
@@ -170,6 +170,22 @@ func WithStatusControllerPdbCompatibleHighInertia(workloadConditionsPrefix strin
 	}
 }
 
+// WithStatusControllerAPIServicesAvailableInertia sets inertia for APIServicesAvailable
+// conditions to prevent brief transient errors from causing Available=False.
+// This is useful for handling temporary network issues or brief missing HTTP headers
+// that self-resolve within seconds.
+func WithStatusControllerAPIServicesAvailableInertia() func(s *status.StatusSyncer) *status.StatusSyncer {
+	return func(s *status.StatusSyncer) *status.StatusSyncer {
+		return s.WithAvailableInertia(status.MustNewInertia(
+			0, // default: no inertia for other conditions
+			status.InertiaCondition{
+				ConditionTypeMatcher: regexp.MustCompile("^APIServicesAvailable$"),
+				Duration:             5 * time.Second, // tolerate brief transient errors
+			}).Inertia,
+		)
+	}
+}
+
 func (cs *APIServerControllerSet) WithoutClusterOperatorStatusController() *APIServerControllerSet {
 	cs.clusterOperatorStatusController.controller = nil
 	cs.clusterOperatorStatusController.emptyAllowed = true
diff --git a/pkg/operator/status/status_controller.go b/pkg/operator/status/status_controller.go
index de348e797d..d53da28dac 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/status/status_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/status/status_controller.go
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ type StatusSyncer struct {
 	controllerFactory *factory.Factory
 	recorder          events.Recorder
 	degradedInertia   Inertia
+	availableInertia  Inertia
 
 	removeUnusedVersions bool
 }
@@ -123,6 +124,14 @@ func (c *StatusSyncer) WithDegradedInertia(inertia Inertia) *StatusSyncer {
 	return &output
 }
 
+// WithAvailableInertia returns a copy of the StatusSyncer with the
+// requested inertia function for available conditions.
+func (c *StatusSyncer) WithAvailableInertia(inertia Inertia) *StatusSyncer {
+	output := *c
+	output.availableInertia = inertia
+	return &output
+}
+
 // WithVersionRemoval returns a copy of the StatusSyncer that will
 // remove versions that are missing in VersionGetter from the status.
 func (c *StatusSyncer) WithVersionRemoval() *StatusSyncer {
@@ -217,7 +226,7 @@ func (c StatusSyncer) Sync(ctx context.Context, syncCtx factory.SyncContext) err
 
 	configv1helpers.SetStatusCondition(&clusterOperatorObj.Status.Conditions, UnionClusterCondition(configv1.OperatorDegraded, operatorv1.ConditionFalse, c.degradedInertia, currentDetailedStatus.Conditions...), c.clock)
 	configv1helpers.SetStatusCondition(&clusterOperatorObj.Status.Conditions, UnionClusterCondition(configv1.OperatorProgressing, operatorv1.ConditionFalse, nil, currentDetailedStatus.Conditions...), c.clock)
-	configv1helpers.SetStatusCondition(&clusterOperatorObj.Status.Conditions, UnionClusterCondition(configv1.OperatorAvailable, operatorv1.ConditionTrue, nil, currentDetailedStatus.Conditions...), c.clock)
+	configv1helpers.SetStatusCondition(&clusterOperatorObj.Status.Conditions, UnionClusterCondition(configv1.OperatorAvailable, operatorv1.ConditionTrue, c.availableInertia, currentDetailedStatus.Conditions...), c.clock)
 	configv1helpers.SetStatusCondition(&clusterOperatorObj.Status.Conditions, UnionClusterCondition(configv1.OperatorUpgradeable, operatorv1.ConditionTrue, nil, currentDetailedStatus.Conditions...), c.clock)
 	configv1helpers.SetStatusCondition(&clusterOperatorObj.Status.Conditions, UnionClusterCondition(configv1.EvaluationConditionsDetected, operatorv1.ConditionFalse, nil, currentDetailedStatus.Conditions...), c.clock)