diff --git a/src/aleph/sdk/client/vm_client.py b/src/aleph/sdk/client/vm_client.py
index 4a738cba..a692d0b0 100644
--- a/src/aleph/sdk/client/vm_client.py
+++ b/src/aleph/sdk/client/vm_client.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 from aleph.sdk.chains.solana import SOLAccount
 from aleph.sdk.types import Account
 from aleph.sdk.utils import (
+    create_control_payload,
     create_vm_control_payload,
     sign_vm_control_payload,
     to_0x_hex,
@@ -333,6 +334,40 @@ async def notify_allocation(self, vm_id: ItemHash) -> Tuple[int, str]:
 
             return session.status, form_response_text
 
+    async def reserve_resources(
+        self, instance_content: Dict[str, Any]
+    ) -> Tuple[Optional[int], str]:
+        """Pre-check CRN capacity for an instance before creating it.
+
+        Sends the instance content to the CRN for admission control.
+        Returns 200 with {"status": "reserved", "expires": ...} if resources
+        are available, 503 if the CRN cannot fit the request.
+        """
+        path = "/control/reserve_resources"
+        payload = create_control_payload(
+            path=path, domain=self.node_domain, method="POST"
+        )
+        signed_operation = sign_vm_control_payload(payload, self.ephemeral_key)
+
+        if not self.pubkey_signature_header:
+            self.pubkey_signature_header = (
+                await self._generate_pubkey_signature_header()
+            )
+
+        headers = {
+            "X-SignedPubKey": self.pubkey_signature_header,
+            "X-SignedOperation": signed_operation,
+        }
+
+        try:
+            async with self.session.post(
+                f"{self.node_url}{path}", headers=headers, json=instance_content
+            ) as resp:
+                return resp.status, await resp.text()
+        except aiohttp.ClientError as e:
+            logger.error("HTTP error during reserve_resources: %s", str(e))
+            return None, str(e)
+
     async def manage_instance(
         self, vm_id: ItemHash, operations: List[Union[VmOperation, str]]
     ) -> Tuple[int, str]:
diff --git a/src/aleph/sdk/utils.py b/src/aleph/sdk/utils.py
index 94bc3bb9..0e23ced2 100644
--- a/src/aleph/sdk/utils.py
+++ b/src/aleph/sdk/utils.py
@@ -241,13 +241,16 @@ def create_vm_control_payload(
     vm_id: ItemHash, operation: str, domain: str, method: str
 ) -> Dict[str, str]:
     path = f"/control/machine/{vm_id}/{operation}"
-    payload = {
+    return create_control_payload(path=path, domain=domain, method=method)
+
+
+def create_control_payload(path: str, domain: str, method: str) -> Dict[str, str]:
+    return {
         "time": datetime.utcnow().isoformat() + "Z",
         "method": method.upper(),
         "path": path,
         "domain": domain,
     }
-    return payload
 
 
 def sign_vm_control_payload(payload: Dict[str, str], ephemeral_key) -> str:
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_vm_client.py b/tests/unit/test_vm_client.py
index 42d9e0fd..b9c5f826 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_vm_client.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_vm_client.py
@@ -222,6 +222,53 @@ async def test_exit_rescue():
         await vm_client.session.close()
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_reserve_resources_success():
+    account = ETHAccount(private_key=b"0x" + b"1" * 30)
+    instance_content = {"address": "0xabc", "time": 1700000000.0}
+
+    with aioresponses() as m:
+        vm_client = VmClient(
+            account=account,
+            node_url="http://localhost",
+            session=aiohttp.ClientSession(),
+        )
+        m.post(
+            "http://localhost/control/reserve_resources",
+            status=200,
+            payload={"status": "reserved", "expires": "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z"},
+        )
+
+        status, response_text = await vm_client.reserve_resources(instance_content)
+        assert status == 200
+        assert "reserved" in response_text
+        assert ("POST", URL("http://localhost/control/reserve_resources")) in m.requests
+        await vm_client.session.close()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_reserve_resources_insufficient_capacity():
+    account = ETHAccount(private_key=b"0x" + b"1" * 30)
+    instance_content = {"address": "0xabc", "time": 1700000000.0}
+
+    with aioresponses() as m:
+        vm_client = VmClient(
+            account=account,
+            node_url="http://localhost",
+            session=aiohttp.ClientSession(),
+        )
+        m.post(
+            "http://localhost/control/reserve_resources",
+            status=503,
+            body="This CRN cannot reserve the requested resources at this time.",
+        )
+
+        status, response_text = await vm_client.reserve_resources(instance_content)
+        assert status == 503
+        assert "cannot reserve" in response_text
+        await vm_client.session.close()
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_get_logs(aiohttp_client):
     account = ETHAccount(private_key=b"0x" + b"1" * 30)