diff --git a/controllers/firewall_controller.go b/controllers/firewall_controller.go
index dfbe504a..48b2616f 100644
--- a/controllers/firewall_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/firewall_controller.go
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/intstr"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/json"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/record"
+	bootstraptokenutil "k8s.io/cluster-bootstrap/token/util"
 	ctrl "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/builder"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
@@ -108,6 +110,13 @@ func (r *FirewallReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request) (c
 			return ctrl.Result{}, err
 		}
 	}
+
+	err := r.reconcileSeedBootstrapToken(ctx, f)
+	if err != nil {
+		r.Log.Error(err, "failed to reconcile seed bootstrap token")
+		return ctrl.Result{}, err
+	}
+
 	if r.TokenUpdater != nil && f.Status.ShootAccess != nil {
 		r.TokenUpdater.UpdateShootAccess(f.Status.ShootAccess)
 	}
@@ -308,3 +317,59 @@ func (r *FirewallReconciler) reconcileSSHKeys(fw *firewallv2.Firewall) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+const seedBootstrapTokenFile = "/etc/metal/seed-bootstrap-token-secret"
+
+func (r *FirewallReconciler) reconcileSeedBootstrapToken(ctx context.Context, fw *firewallv2.Firewall) error {
+	bootstrapTokenID, ok := fw.Labels[firewallv2.FirewallBootstrapTokenIDLabel]
+	if !ok {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	bootstrapTokenSecret := &corev1.Secret{
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+			Name:      bootstraptokenutil.BootstrapTokenSecretName(bootstrapTokenID),
+			Namespace: metav1.NamespaceSystem,
+		},
+	}
+	err := r.SeedClient.Get(ctx, client.ObjectKeyFromObject(bootstrapTokenSecret), bootstrapTokenSecret)
+	if apierrors.IsUnauthorized(err) {
+		r.Log.Info("seed client is outdated, refresh")
+		return r.refreshSeedClientConnection()
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to fetch seed bootstrap token: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	raw, err := json.Marshal(bootstrapTokenSecret)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to serialize seed bootstrap token: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	err = os.WriteFile(seedBootstrapTokenFile, raw, 0600)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to write seed bootstrap token: %w", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (r *FirewallReconciler) refreshSeedClientConnection() error {
+	raw, err := os.ReadFile(seedBootstrapTokenFile)
+	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		r.Log.Error(err, "cannot refresh broken seed client, bootstrap token file missing")
+		return err
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	var bootstrapTokenSecret *corev1.Secret
+	err = json.Unmarshal(raw, &bootstrapTokenSecret)
+	if err != nil {
+		r.Log.Error(err, "cannot refresh broken seed client, bootstrap token file malformed")
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// TODO: use to fetch something
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 7bac07f4..46cecb84 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/google/go-cmp v0.6.0
 	github.com/google/nftables v0.2.1-0.20240414091927-5e242ec57806
 	github.com/ks2211/go-suricata v0.0.0-20200823200910-986ce1470707
-	github.com/metal-stack/firewall-controller-manager v0.4.3
+	github.com/metal-stack/firewall-controller-manager v0.4.4-0.20241115121111-5d30716c300f
 	github.com/metal-stack/metal-go v0.37.2
 	github.com/metal-stack/metal-lib v0.18.4
 	github.com/metal-stack/metal-networker v0.45.2
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ require (
 	k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver v0.29.3
 	k8s.io/apimachinery v0.31.0
 	k8s.io/client-go v0.29.3
+	k8s.io/cluster-bootstrap v0.29.3
 	sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.17.5
 )
 
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 962ad7d9..c6c82a35 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -111,8 +111,8 @@ github.com/mdlayher/netlink v1.7.2 h1:/UtM3ofJap7Vl4QWCPDGXY8d3GIY2UGSDbK+QWmY8/
 github.com/mdlayher/netlink v1.7.2/go.mod h1:xraEF7uJbxLhc5fpHL4cPe221LI2bdttWlU+ZGLfQSw=
 github.com/mdlayher/socket v0.5.1 h1:VZaqt6RkGkt2OE9l3GcC6nZkqD3xKeQLyfleW/uBcos=
 github.com/mdlayher/socket v0.5.1/go.mod h1:TjPLHI1UgwEv5J1B5q0zTZq12A/6H7nKmtTanQE37IQ=
-github.com/metal-stack/firewall-controller-manager v0.4.3 h1:WU5bqD710gUtzyA2NdWJuSveCbOhllQ7ybpgUg7aJW8=
-github.com/metal-stack/firewall-controller-manager v0.4.3/go.mod h1:J/3LHcvfJCpEEC4yk+WD0exh3btaScCaFkzbnbOsqrY=
+github.com/metal-stack/firewall-controller-manager v0.4.4-0.20241115121111-5d30716c300f h1:rqjQZOU596wJN0yDDnAb8MT8ps7dzaJqMtbJH80k5FY=
+github.com/metal-stack/firewall-controller-manager v0.4.4-0.20241115121111-5d30716c300f/go.mod h1:GbjvsY4Jn0U/YodluRyur6OITJW1wQgcGX/PO0XUxl4=
 github.com/metal-stack/metal-go v0.37.2 h1:SDIuV43y09kmwtHfsReOZoZ7c2F+lNP4iIhazfJL5tQ=
 github.com/metal-stack/metal-go v0.37.2/go.mod h1:3MJTYCS4YJz8D8oteTKhjpaAKNMMjMKYDrIy9awHGtQ=
 github.com/metal-stack/metal-hammer v0.13.5 h1:uwEKOTUCeDXDBDH/Y6P58fkC2kwFqZb/akLbAhwmVuA=
@@ -282,6 +282,8 @@ k8s.io/apimachinery v0.29.3 h1:2tbx+5L7RNvqJjn7RIuIKu9XTsIZ9Z5wX2G22XAa5EU=
 k8s.io/apimachinery v0.29.3/go.mod h1:hx/S4V2PNW4OMg3WizRrHutyB5la0iCUbZym+W0EQIU=
 k8s.io/client-go v0.29.3 h1:R/zaZbEAxqComZ9FHeQwOh3Y1ZUs7FaHKZdQtIc2WZg=
 k8s.io/client-go v0.29.3/go.mod h1:tkDisCvgPfiRpxGnOORfkljmS+UrW+WtXAy2fTvXJB0=
+k8s.io/cluster-bootstrap v0.29.3 h1:DIMDZSN8gbFMy9CS2mAS2Iqq/fIUG783WN/1lqi5TF8=
+k8s.io/cluster-bootstrap v0.29.3/go.mod h1:aPAg1VtXx3uRrx5qU2jTzR7p1rf18zLXWS+pGhiqPto=
 k8s.io/component-base v0.29.3 h1:Oq9/nddUxlnrCuuR2K/jp6aflVvc0uDvxMzAWxnGzAo=
 k8s.io/component-base v0.29.3/go.mod h1:Yuj33XXjuOk2BAaHsIGHhCKZQAgYKhqIxIjIr2UXYio=
 k8s.io/klog/v2 v2.130.1 h1:n9Xl7H1Xvksem4KFG4PYbdQCQxqc/tTUyrgXaOhHSzk=