diff --git a/app/models/clusters/applications/runner.rb b/app/models/clusters/applications/runner.rb
index 16efe90fa27..b881b4eaf36 100644
--- a/app/models/clusters/applications/runner.rb
+++ b/app/models/clusters/applications/runner.rb
@@ -43,12 +43,20 @@ module Clusters
 
       def create_and_assign_runner
         transaction do
-          project.runners.create!(name: 'kubernetes-cluster', tag_list: %w(kubernetes cluster)).tap do |runner|
+          project.runners.create!(runner_create_params).tap do |runner|
             update!(runner_id: runner.id)
           end
         end
       end
 
+      def runner_create_params
+        {
+          name: 'kubernetes-cluster',
+          runner_type: :project_type,
+          tag_list: %w(kubernetes cluster)
+        }
+      end
+
       def gitlab_url
         Gitlab::Routing.url_helpers.root_url(only_path: false)
       end
diff --git a/spec/models/clusters/applications/runner_spec.rb b/spec/models/clusters/applications/runner_spec.rb
index 64d995a73c1..5f2c723d483 100644
--- a/spec/models/clusters/applications/runner_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/clusters/applications/runner_spec.rb
@@ -74,9 +74,8 @@ describe Clusters::Applications::Runner do
 
       it 'assigns the new runner to runner' do
         subject
-        gitlab_runner.reload
 
-        expect(gitlab_runner.runner).not_to be_nil
+        expect(gitlab_runner.reload.runner).to be_project_type
       end
     end