diff --git a/.changelog/38295.txt b/.changelog/38295.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..56508de28faa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/38295.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+```release-note:bug
+resource/aws_eks_cluster: Set `access_config.bootstrap_cluster_creator_admin_permissions` to `true` on Read for clusters with no `access_config` configured. This allows in-place updates of existing clusters when `access_config` is configured
+```
+
+```release-note:bug
+data-source/aws_eks_cluster: Add `access_config.bootstrap_cluster_creator_admin_permissions` attribute
+```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/internal/service/eks/cluster.go b/internal/service/eks/cluster.go
index 343c607a73c9..bb28f67a71c6 100644
--- a/internal/service/eks/cluster.go
+++ b/internal/service/eks/cluster.go
@@ -424,6 +424,7 @@ func resourceClusterRead(ctx context.Context, d *schema.ResourceData, meta inter
 	}
 
 	// bootstrap_cluster_creator_admin_permissions isn't returned from the AWS API.
+	// See https://github.com/aws/containers-roadmap/issues/185#issuecomment-1863025784.
 	var bootstrapClusterCreatorAdminPermissions *bool
 	if v, ok := d.GetOk("access_config"); ok {
 		if apiObject := expandCreateAccessConfigRequest(v.([]interface{})); apiObject != nil {
@@ -1068,6 +1069,9 @@ func flattenAccessConfigResponse(apiObject *types.AccessConfigResponse, bootstra
 
 	if bootstrapClusterCreatorAdminPermissions != nil {
 		tfMap["bootstrap_cluster_creator_admin_permissions"] = aws.ToBool(bootstrapClusterCreatorAdminPermissions)
+	} else {
+		// Setting default value to true for backward compatibility.
+		tfMap["bootstrap_cluster_creator_admin_permissions"] = true
 	}
 
 	return []interface{}{tfMap}
diff --git a/internal/service/eks/cluster_data_source.go b/internal/service/eks/cluster_data_source.go
index 072b6663aaca..092bf3b810bc 100644
--- a/internal/service/eks/cluster_data_source.go
+++ b/internal/service/eks/cluster_data_source.go
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ func dataSourceCluster() *schema.Resource {
 							Type:     schema.TypeString,
 							Computed: true,
 						},
+						"bootstrap_cluster_creator_admin_permissions": {
+							Type:     schema.TypeBool,
+							Computed: true,
+						},
 					},
 				},
 			},
diff --git a/internal/service/eks/cluster_test.go b/internal/service/eks/cluster_test.go
index bc38c08af8dd..0f3162b9abbe 100644
--- a/internal/service/eks/cluster_test.go
+++ b/internal/service/eks/cluster_test.go
@@ -159,10 +159,17 @@ func TestAccEKSCluster_AccessConfig_update(t *testing.T) {
 				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
 					testAccCheckClusterExists(ctx, resourceName, &cluster),
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "access_config.#", acctest.Ct1),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "access_config.0.authentication_mode", string(types.AuthenticationModeConfigMap)),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "access_config.0.bootstrap_cluster_creator_admin_permissions", acctest.CtTrue),
 				),
 			},
 			{
 				Config: testAccClusterConfig_accessConfig(rName, types.AuthenticationModeConfigMap),
+				ConfigPlanChecks: resource.ConfigPlanChecks{
+					PreApply: []plancheck.PlanCheck{
+						plancheck.ExpectResourceAction(resourceName, plancheck.ResourceActionNoop),
+					},
+				},
 				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
 					testAccCheckClusterExists(ctx, resourceName, &cluster),
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "access_config.#", acctest.Ct1),
@@ -172,6 +179,11 @@ func TestAccEKSCluster_AccessConfig_update(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			{
 				Config: testAccClusterConfig_accessConfig(rName, types.AuthenticationModeApiAndConfigMap),
+				ConfigPlanChecks: resource.ConfigPlanChecks{
+					PreApply: []plancheck.PlanCheck{
+						plancheck.ExpectResourceAction(resourceName, plancheck.ResourceActionUpdate),
+					},
+				},
 				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
 					testAccCheckClusterExists(ctx, resourceName, &cluster),
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "access_config.#", acctest.Ct1),
diff --git a/website/docs/r/eks_cluster.html.markdown b/website/docs/r/eks_cluster.html.markdown
index 6031384062bd..7a298d616ad3 100644
--- a/website/docs/r/eks_cluster.html.markdown
+++ b/website/docs/r/eks_cluster.html.markdown
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ The following arguments are optional:
 The `access_config` configuration block supports the following arguments:
 
 * `authentication_mode` - (Optional) The authentication mode for the cluster. Valid values are `CONFIG_MAP`, `API` or `API_AND_CONFIG_MAP`
-* `bootstrap_cluster_creator_admin_permissions` - (Optional) Whether or not to bootstrap the access config values to the cluster. Default is `true`.
+* `bootstrap_cluster_creator_admin_permissions` - (Optional) Whether or not to bootstrap the access config values to the cluster. Default is `false`.
 
 ### encryption_config