diff --git a/lib/redis_client/cluster.rb b/lib/redis_client/cluster.rb
index 7158b47..9d94552 100644
--- a/lib/redis_client/cluster.rb
+++ b/lib/redis_client/cluster.rb
@@ -16,42 +16,47 @@ class Cluster
     def initialize(config, pool: nil, concurrency: nil, **kwargs)
       @config = config
       @concurrent_worker = ::RedisClient::Cluster::ConcurrentWorker.create(**(concurrency || {}))
-      @router = ::RedisClient::Cluster::Router.new(config, @concurrent_worker, pool: pool, **kwargs)
       @command_builder = config.command_builder
+
+      @pool = pool
+      @kwargs = kwargs
+      @router = nil
+      @mutex = Mutex.new
     end
 
     def inspect
-      "#<#{self.class.name} #{@router.node_keys.join(', ')}>"
+      node_keys = @router.nil? ? @config.startup_nodes.keys : router.node_keys
+      "#<#{self.class.name} #{node_keys.join(', ')}>"
     end
 
     def call(*args, **kwargs, &block)
       command = @command_builder.generate(args, kwargs)
-      @router.send_command(:call_v, command, &block)
+      router.send_command(:call_v, command, &block)
     end
 
     def call_v(command, &block)
       command = @command_builder.generate(command)
-      @router.send_command(:call_v, command, &block)
+      router.send_command(:call_v, command, &block)
     end
 
     def call_once(*args, **kwargs, &block)
       command = @command_builder.generate(args, kwargs)
-      @router.send_command(:call_once_v, command, &block)
+      router.send_command(:call_once_v, command, &block)
     end
 
     def call_once_v(command, &block)
       command = @command_builder.generate(command)
-      @router.send_command(:call_once_v, command, &block)
+      router.send_command(:call_once_v, command, &block)
     end
 
     def blocking_call(timeout, *args, **kwargs, &block)
       command = @command_builder.generate(args, kwargs)
-      @router.send_command(:blocking_call_v, command, timeout, &block)
+      router.send_command(:blocking_call_v, command, timeout, &block)
     end
 
     def blocking_call_v(timeout, command, &block)
       command = @command_builder.generate(command)
-      @router.send_command(:blocking_call_v, command, timeout, &block)
+      router.send_command(:blocking_call_v, command, timeout, &block)
     end
 
     def scan(*args, **kwargs, &block)
@@ -60,31 +65,31 @@ def scan(*args, **kwargs, &block)
       seed = Random.new_seed
       cursor = ZERO_CURSOR_FOR_SCAN
       loop do
-        cursor, keys = @router.scan('SCAN', cursor, *args, seed: seed, **kwargs)
+        cursor, keys = router.scan('SCAN', cursor, *args, seed: seed, **kwargs)
         keys.each(&block)
         break if cursor == ZERO_CURSOR_FOR_SCAN
       end
     end
 
     def sscan(key, *args, **kwargs, &block)
-      node = @router.assign_node(['SSCAN', key])
-      @router.try_delegate(node, :sscan, key, *args, **kwargs, &block)
+      node = router.assign_node(['SSCAN', key])
+      router.try_delegate(node, :sscan, key, *args, **kwargs, &block)
     end
 
     def hscan(key, *args, **kwargs, &block)
-      node = @router.assign_node(['HSCAN', key])
-      @router.try_delegate(node, :hscan, key, *args, **kwargs, &block)
+      node = router.assign_node(['HSCAN', key])
+      router.try_delegate(node, :hscan, key, *args, **kwargs, &block)
     end
 
     def zscan(key, *args, **kwargs, &block)
-      node = @router.assign_node(['ZSCAN', key])
-      @router.try_delegate(node, :zscan, key, *args, **kwargs, &block)
+      node = router.assign_node(['ZSCAN', key])
+      router.try_delegate(node, :zscan, key, *args, **kwargs, &block)
     end
 
     def pipelined(exception: true)
       seed = @config.use_replica? && @config.replica_affinity == :random ? nil : Random.new_seed
       pipeline = ::RedisClient::Cluster::Pipeline.new(
-        @router,
+        router,
         @command_builder,
         @concurrent_worker,
         exception: exception,
@@ -99,14 +104,14 @@ def pipelined(exception: true)
 
     def multi(watch: nil)
       if watch.nil? || watch.empty?
-        transaction = ::RedisClient::Cluster::Transaction.new(@router, @command_builder)
+        transaction = ::RedisClient::Cluster::Transaction.new(router, @command_builder)
         yield transaction
         return transaction.execute
       end
 
-      ::RedisClient::Cluster::OptimisticLocking.new(@router).watch(watch) do |c, slot, asking|
+      ::RedisClient::Cluster::OptimisticLocking.new(router).watch(watch) do |c, slot, asking|
         transaction = ::RedisClient::Cluster::Transaction.new(
-          @router, @command_builder, node: c, slot: slot, asking: asking
+          router, @command_builder, node: c, slot: slot, asking: asking
         )
         yield transaction
         transaction.execute
@@ -114,7 +119,7 @@ def multi(watch: nil)
     end
 
     def pubsub
-      ::RedisClient::Cluster::PubSub.new(@router, @command_builder)
+      ::RedisClient::Cluster::PubSub.new(router, @command_builder)
     end
 
     def with(...)
@@ -122,25 +127,33 @@ def with(...)
     end
 
     def close
+      @router&.close
       @concurrent_worker.close
-      @router.close
       nil
     end
 
     private
 
+    def router
+      return @router unless @router.nil?
+
+      @mutex.synchronize do
+        @router ||= ::RedisClient::Cluster::Router.new(@config, @concurrent_worker, pool: @pool, **@kwargs)
+      end
+    end
+
     def method_missing(name, *args, **kwargs, &block)
-      if @router.command_exists?(name)
+      if router.command_exists?(name)
         args.unshift(name)
         command = @command_builder.generate(args, kwargs)
-        return @router.send_command(:call_v, command, &block)
+        return router.send_command(:call_v, command, &block)
       end
 
       super
     end
 
     def respond_to_missing?(name, include_private = false)
-      return true if @router.command_exists?(name)
+      return true if router.command_exists?(name)
 
       super
     end
diff --git a/test/redis_client/test_cluster.rb b/test/redis_client/test_cluster.rb
index 44aa820..e147b28 100644
--- a/test/redis_client/test_cluster.rb
+++ b/test/redis_client/test_cluster.rb
@@ -863,6 +863,13 @@ def test_only_reshards_own_errors
         client2.close
       end
 
+      def test_initialization_delayed
+        config = ::RedisClient::ClusterConfig.new(nodes: 'redis://127.0.0.1:11211')
+        client = ::RedisClient::Cluster.new(config)
+        assert_instance_of(::RedisClient::Cluster, client)
+        assert_raises(RedisClient::Cluster::InitialSetupError) { client.call('PING') }
+      end
+
       private
 
       def wait_for_replication
diff --git a/test/test_against_cluster_broken.rb b/test/test_against_cluster_broken.rb
index 9ce25d9..3038b94 100644
--- a/test/test_against_cluster_broken.rb
+++ b/test/test_against_cluster_broken.rb
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ def setup
       fixed_hostname: TEST_FIXED_HOSTNAME,
       **TEST_GENERIC_OPTIONS
     ).new_client
+    @client.call('echo', 'init')
     @controller = ClusterController.new(
       TEST_NODE_URIS,
       replica_size: TEST_REPLICA_SIZE,
diff --git a/test/test_against_cluster_scale.rb b/test/test_against_cluster_scale.rb
index 1bad31c..a0400bb 100644
--- a/test/test_against_cluster_scale.rb
+++ b/test/test_against_cluster_scale.rb
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ def setup
       fixed_hostname: TEST_FIXED_HOSTNAME,
       **TEST_GENERIC_OPTIONS
     ).new_client
+    @client.call('echo', 'init')
   end
 
   def teardown
diff --git a/test/test_against_cluster_state.rb b/test/test_against_cluster_state.rb
index 27ec09b..0db5182 100644
--- a/test/test_against_cluster_state.rb
+++ b/test/test_against_cluster_state.rb
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ def setup
       )
       @controller.rebuild
       @client = new_test_client
+      @client.call('echo', 'init')
     end
 
     def teardown