diff --git a/nodes/_defaults.yaml b/nodes/_defaults.yaml
index 4b17c1b..0ddfc74 100644
--- a/nodes/_defaults.yaml
+++ b/nodes/_defaults.yaml
@@ -32,3 +32,4 @@ patches:
 patchesControlPlane:
   - !patch allow-control-plane-workloads
   - !patch sops
+  - !patch cluster-variables
diff --git a/nodes/testing/_defaults.yaml b/nodes/testing/_defaults.yaml
index 080b997..fcd8eb1 100644
--- a/nodes/testing/_defaults.yaml
+++ b/nodes/testing/_defaults.yaml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ installDisk: /dev/vda
 autoInstall: true
 cluster:
   name: testing
+  production: false
   controlPlaneIp: 192.168.1.100
   secretsFile: !realpath _secrets.yaml
   sopsKeyFile: !realpath _age.agekey
diff --git a/nodes/titan/_defaults.yaml b/nodes/titan/_defaults.yaml
index 816b841..7e30017 100644
--- a/nodes/titan/_defaults.yaml
+++ b/nodes/titan/_defaults.yaml
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ gateway: 10.0.0.1
 installDisk: /dev/sda
 cluster:
   name: titan
+  production: true
   controlPlaneIp: 10.0.2.1
   secretsFile: !realpath _secrets.yaml
   sopsKeyFile: !realpath _age.agekey
diff --git a/patches/cluster-variables.yaml b/patches/cluster-variables.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..190d325
--- /dev/null
+++ b/patches/cluster-variables.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+cluster:
+  inlineManifests:
+    - name: cluster-variables
+      contents: |
+        apiVersion: v1
+        kind: Namespace
+        metadata:
+          name: flux-system
+        ---
+        apiVersion: v1
+        kind: ConfigMap
+        metadata:
+          name: cluster-variables
+          namespace: flux-system
+        data:
+          cluster_env: {%- if node.cluster.production %} production {%- else %} staging {%- endif %}