diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/ionoscloudcluster_types.go b/api/v1alpha1/ionoscloudcluster_types.go
index 08183ffa..8f3c27b3 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/ionoscloudcluster_types.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/ionoscloudcluster_types.go
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ type IonosCloudClusterSpec struct {
 	// CredentialsRef is a reference to the secret containing the credentials to access the IONOS Cloud API.
 	//+kubebuilder:validation:XValidation:rule="has(self.name) && self.name != ''",message="credentialsRef.name must be provided"
 	CredentialsRef corev1.LocalObjectReference `json:"credentialsRef"`
+
+	// LoadBalancerProviderRef is a reference to the load balancer provider configuration.
+	// An empty loadBalancerProviderRef field is allowed and means to disable any load balancer logic.
+	LoadBalancerProviderRef *corev1.LocalObjectReference `json:"loadBalancerProviderRef,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // IonosCloudClusterStatus defines the observed state of IonosCloudCluster.
diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/ionoscloudcluster_types_test.go b/api/v1alpha1/ionoscloudcluster_types_test.go
index 7bab6cf0..a0e3ad8e 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/ionoscloudcluster_types_test.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/ionoscloudcluster_types_test.go
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ func defaultCluster() *IonosCloudCluster {
 			},
 			Location:       "de/txl",
 			CredentialsRef: corev1.LocalObjectReference{Name: "secret-name"},
+			LoadBalancerProviderRef: &corev1.LocalObjectReference{
+				Name: "fake-lb-provider",
+			},
 		},
 	}
 }
diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index 2dce7758..75adbd9c 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package v1alpha1
 
 import (
+	"k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/api/v1beta1"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/errors"
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ func (in *IonosCloudCluster) DeepCopyInto(out *IonosCloudCluster) {
 	*out = *in
 	out.TypeMeta = in.TypeMeta
 	in.ObjectMeta.DeepCopyInto(&out.ObjectMeta)
-	out.Spec = in.Spec
+	in.Spec.DeepCopyInto(&out.Spec)
 	in.Status.DeepCopyInto(&out.Status)
 }
 
@@ -105,6 +106,11 @@ func (in *IonosCloudClusterSpec) DeepCopyInto(out *IonosCloudClusterSpec) {
 	*out = *in
 	out.ControlPlaneEndpoint = in.ControlPlaneEndpoint
 	out.CredentialsRef = in.CredentialsRef
+	if in.LoadBalancerProviderRef != nil {
+		in, out := &in.LoadBalancerProviderRef, &out.LoadBalancerProviderRef
+		*out = new(v1.LocalObjectReference)
+		**out = **in
+	}
 }
 
 // DeepCopy is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, creating a new IonosCloudClusterSpec.
@@ -156,7 +162,7 @@ func (in *IonosCloudClusterTemplate) DeepCopyInto(out *IonosCloudClusterTemplate
 	*out = *in
 	out.TypeMeta = in.TypeMeta
 	in.ObjectMeta.DeepCopyInto(&out.ObjectMeta)
-	out.Spec = in.Spec
+	in.Spec.DeepCopyInto(&out.Spec)
 }
 
 // DeepCopy is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, creating a new IonosCloudClusterTemplate.
@@ -212,7 +218,7 @@ func (in *IonosCloudClusterTemplateList) DeepCopyObject() runtime.Object {
 // DeepCopyInto is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, writing into out. in must be non-nil.
 func (in *IonosCloudClusterTemplateResource) DeepCopyInto(out *IonosCloudClusterTemplateResource) {
 	*out = *in
-	out.Spec = in.Spec
+	in.Spec.DeepCopyInto(&out.Spec)
 }
 
 // DeepCopy is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, creating a new IonosCloudClusterTemplateResource.
@@ -228,7 +234,7 @@ func (in *IonosCloudClusterTemplateResource) DeepCopy() *IonosCloudClusterTempla
 // DeepCopyInto is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, writing into out. in must be non-nil.
 func (in *IonosCloudClusterTemplateSpec) DeepCopyInto(out *IonosCloudClusterTemplateSpec) {
 	*out = *in
-	out.Template = in.Template
+	in.Template.DeepCopyInto(&out.Template)
 }
 
 // DeepCopy is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, creating a new IonosCloudClusterTemplateSpec.
diff --git a/config/crd/bases/infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io_ionoscloudclusters.yaml b/config/crd/bases/infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io_ionoscloudclusters.yaml
index ede97de7..ec4be741 100644
--- a/config/crd/bases/infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io_ionoscloudclusters.yaml
+++ b/config/crd/bases/infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io_ionoscloudclusters.yaml
@@ -96,6 +96,19 @@ spec:
                 x-kubernetes-validations:
                 - message: credentialsRef.name must be provided
                   rule: has(self.name) && self.name != ''
+              loadBalancerProviderRef:
+                description: |-
+                  LoadBalancerProviderRef is a reference to the load balancer provider configuration.
+                  An empty loadBalancerProviderRef field is allowed and means to disable any load balancer logic.
+                properties:
+                  name:
+                    description: |-
+                      Name of the referent.
+                      More info: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/overview/working-with-objects/names/#names
+                      TODO: Add other useful fields. apiVersion, kind, uid?
+                    type: string
+                type: object
+                x-kubernetes-map-type: atomic
               location:
                 description: Location is the location where the data centers should
                   be located.
diff --git a/config/crd/bases/infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io_ionoscloudclustertemplates.yaml b/config/crd/bases/infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io_ionoscloudclustertemplates.yaml
index 542cc7b0..a5f4453a 100644
--- a/config/crd/bases/infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io_ionoscloudclustertemplates.yaml
+++ b/config/crd/bases/infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io_ionoscloudclustertemplates.yaml
@@ -88,6 +88,19 @@ spec:
                         x-kubernetes-validations:
                         - message: credentialsRef.name must be provided
                           rule: has(self.name) && self.name != ''
+                      loadBalancerProviderRef:
+                        description: |-
+                          LoadBalancerProviderRef is a reference to the load balancer provider configuration.
+                          An empty loadBalancerProviderRef field is allowed and means to disable any load balancer logic.
+                        properties:
+                          name:
+                            description: |-
+                              Name of the referent.
+                              More info: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/overview/working-with-objects/names/#names
+                              TODO: Add other useful fields. apiVersion, kind, uid?
+                            type: string
+                        type: object
+                        x-kubernetes-map-type: atomic
                       location:
                         description: Location is the location where the data centers
                           should be located.