diff --git a/pkg/etcd/etcd.go b/pkg/etcd/etcd.go
index c6c728a0bc..87222f9fd8 100644
--- a/pkg/etcd/etcd.go
+++ b/pkg/etcd/etcd.go
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
 	"github.com/gorilla/mux"
+	"github.com/k3s-io/kine/pkg/client"
+	endpoint2 "github.com/k3s-io/kine/pkg/endpoint"
 	"github.com/minio/minio-go/v7"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	certutil "github.com/rancher/dynamiclistener/cert"
@@ -149,6 +151,10 @@ func walDir(config *config.Control) string {
 	return filepath.Join(etcdDBDir(config), "member", "wal")
 }
 
+func sqliteFile(config *config.Control) string {
+	return filepath.Join(config.DataDir, "db", "state.db")
+}
+
 // nameFile returns the path to etcdDBDir/name.
 func nameFile(config *config.Control) string {
 	return filepath.Join(etcdDBDir(config), "name")
@@ -504,11 +510,68 @@ func GetAdvertiseAddress(advertiseIP string) (string, error) {
 
 // newCluster returns options to set up etcd for a new cluster
 func (e *ETCD) newCluster(ctx context.Context, reset bool) error {
-	return e.cluster(ctx, reset, executor.InitialOptions{
+	err := e.cluster(ctx, reset, executor.InitialOptions{
 		AdvertisePeerURL: fmt.Sprintf("https://%s:2380", e.address),
 		Cluster:          fmt.Sprintf("%s=https://%s:2380", e.name, e.address),
 		State:            "new",
 	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := e.migrateFromSQLite(ctx); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to migrate content from sqlite to etcd: %w", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (e *ETCD) migrateFromSQLite(ctx context.Context) error {
+	_, err := os.Stat(sqliteFile(e.config))
+	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return nil
+	} else if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	logrus.Infof("Migrating content from sqlite to etcd")
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	_, err = endpoint2.Listen(ctx, endpoint2.Config{
+		Endpoint: endpoint2.SQLiteBackend,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	sqliteClient, err := client.New(endpoint2.ETCDConfig{
+		Endpoints: []string{"unix://kine.sock"},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer sqliteClient.Close()
+
+	etcdClient, err := GetClient(ctx, e.runtime, "https://localhost:2379")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer etcdClient.Close()
+
+	values, err := sqliteClient.List(ctx, "/registry/", 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	for _, value := range values {
+		logrus.Infof("Migrating etcd key %s", value.Key)
+		_, err := etcdClient.Put(ctx, string(value.Key), string(value.Data))
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	return os.Rename(sqliteFile(e.config), sqliteFile(e.config)+".migrated")
 }
 
 // peerURL returns the peer access address for the local node