diff --git a/roles/network_plugin/cilium/defaults/main.yml b/roles/network_plugin/cilium/defaults/main.yml
index 04c43a71d..ce823f027 100644
--- a/roles/network_plugin/cilium/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/network_plugin/cilium/defaults/main.yml
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ cilium_hubble_tls_generate: false
 # https://docs.cilium.io/en/v1.9/concepts/networking/ipam/
 cilium_ipam_mode: kubernetes
 
+# The address at which the cillium operator bind health check api
+cilium_operator_api_serve_addr: "127.0.0.1:9234"
+
 ## A dictionary of extra config variables to add to cilium-config, formatted like:
 ##  cilium_config_extra_vars:
 ##    var1: "value1"
diff --git a/roles/network_plugin/cilium/templates/cilium-config.yml.j2 b/roles/network_plugin/cilium/templates/cilium-config.yml.j2
index 94cd21664..fd251761d 100644
--- a/roles/network_plugin/cilium/templates/cilium-config.yml.j2
+++ b/roles/network_plugin/cilium/templates/cilium-config.yml.j2
@@ -151,6 +151,8 @@ data:
   native-routing-cidr: "{{ cilium_native_routing_cidr }}"
   auto-direct-node-routes: "{{ cilium_auto_direct_node_routes }}"
 
+  operator-api-serve-addr: "{{ cilium_operator_api_serve_addr }}"
+
   # Hubble settings
 {% if cilium_enable_hubble %}
   enable-hubble: "true"