diff --git a/pkg/bootstrap/bootstrap.go b/pkg/bootstrap/bootstrap.go
index ffb6029997..740c6fbff0 100644
--- a/pkg/bootstrap/bootstrap.go
+++ b/pkg/bootstrap/bootstrap.go
@@ -24,10 +24,6 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/fluxcd/go-git-providers/gitprovider"
-	"github.com/fluxcd/go-git-providers/validation"
-	kustomizev1 "github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller/api/v1beta1"
-	"github.com/fluxcd/pkg/apis/meta"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	apierr "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	apimeta "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
@@ -37,6 +33,11 @@ import (
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/filesys"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/yaml"
 
+	"github.com/fluxcd/go-git-providers/gitprovider"
+	"github.com/fluxcd/go-git-providers/validation"
+	kustomizev1 "github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller/api/v1beta1"
+	"github.com/fluxcd/pkg/apis/meta"
+
 	"github.com/fluxcd/flux2/internal/utils"
 	"github.com/fluxcd/flux2/pkg/bootstrap/git"
 	"github.com/fluxcd/flux2/pkg/log"
@@ -444,6 +445,11 @@ func (b *Bootstrap) kustomizationReconciled(ctx context.Context,
 			case metav1.ConditionTrue:
 				return true, nil
 			case metav1.ConditionFalse:
+				// TODO(hidde): this check becomes obsolete when https://github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller/pull/289
+				//  has been released.
+				if strings.Contains(c.Message, "connection refused") {
+					return false, nil
+				}
 				return false, fmt.Errorf(c.Message)
 			}
 		}