diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/apis/apiregistration/helpers.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/apis/apiregistration/helpers.go
index 1f6790b32e3..5e36e7db26e 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/apis/apiregistration/helpers.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/apis/apiregistration/helpers.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
 )
 
@@ -85,6 +86,17 @@ func APIServiceNameToGroupVersion(apiServiceName string) schema.GroupVersion {
 	return schema.GroupVersion{Group: tokens[1], Version: tokens[0]}
 }
 
+// NewLocalAvailableAPIServiceCondition returns a condition for an available local APIService.
+func NewLocalAvailableAPIServiceCondition() APIServiceCondition {
+	return APIServiceCondition{
+		Type:               Available,
+		Status:             ConditionTrue,
+		LastTransitionTime: metav1.Now(),
+		Reason:             "Local",
+		Message:            "Local APIServices are always available",
+	}
+}
+
 // SetAPIServiceCondition sets the status condition.  It either overwrites the existing one or
 // creates a new one
 func SetAPIServiceCondition(apiService *APIService, newCondition APIServiceCondition) {
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/controllers/status/available_controller.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/controllers/status/available_controller.go
index 7516749e4af..df6a2b0f4de 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/controllers/status/available_controller.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/controllers/status/available_controller.go
@@ -120,10 +120,7 @@ func (c *AvailableConditionController) sync(key string) error {
 
 	// local API services are always considered available
 	if apiService.Spec.Service == nil {
-		availableCondition.Status = apiregistration.ConditionTrue
-		availableCondition.Reason = "Local"
-		availableCondition.Message = "Local APIServices are always available"
-		apiregistration.SetAPIServiceCondition(apiService, availableCondition)
+		apiregistration.SetAPIServiceCondition(apiService, apiregistration.NewLocalAvailableAPIServiceCondition())
 		_, err := c.apiServiceClient.APIServices().UpdateStatus(apiService)
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/registry/apiservice/strategy.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/registry/apiservice/strategy.go
index fdcb6637f76..51887d71937 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/registry/apiservice/strategy.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/registry/apiservice/strategy.go
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ func (apiServerStrategy) NamespaceScoped() bool {
 func (apiServerStrategy) PrepareForCreate(ctx genericapirequest.Context, obj runtime.Object) {
 	apiservice := obj.(*apiregistration.APIService)
 	apiservice.Status = apiregistration.APIServiceStatus{}
+
+	// mark local API services as immediately available on create
+	if apiservice.Spec.Service == nil {
+		apiregistration.SetAPIServiceCondition(apiservice, apiregistration.NewLocalAvailableAPIServiceCondition())
+	}
 }
 
 func (apiServerStrategy) PrepareForUpdate(ctx genericapirequest.Context, obj, old runtime.Object) {