diff --git a/kubetest2-gke/deployer/deployer.go b/kubetest2-gke/deployer/deployer.go
index c12eb4b6..fb33879b 100644
--- a/kubetest2-gke/deployer/deployer.go
+++ b/kubetest2-gke/deployer/deployer.go
@@ -52,12 +52,18 @@ const (
 )
 
 var (
-	// poolRe matches instance group URLs of the form `https://www.googleapis.com/compute/v1/projects/some-project/zones/a-zone/instanceGroupManagers/gke-some-cluster-some-pool-90fcb815-grp`. Match meaning:
+	// poolRe matches instance group URLs of the form `https://www.googleapis.com/compute/v1/projects/some-project/zones/a-zone/instanceGroupManagers/gke-some-cluster-some-pool-90fcb815-grp`
+	// or `https://www.googleapis.com/compute/v1/projects/some-project/zones/a-zone/instanceGroupManagers/gk3-some-cluster-some-pool-90fcb815-grp` for GKE in Autopilot mode.
+	// Match meaning:
 	// m[0]: path starting with zones/
 	// m[1]: zone
 	// m[2]: pool name (passed to e2es)
 	// m[3]: unique hash (used as nonce for firewall rules)
-	poolRe = regexp.MustCompile(`zones/([^/]+)/instanceGroupManagers/(gke-.*-([0-9a-f]{8})-grp)$`)
+	poolRe = regexp.MustCompile(`zones/([^/]+)/instanceGroupManagers/(gk[e|3]-.*-([0-9a-f]{8})-grp)$`)
+
+	// createAutopilotRe matches the cluster creation command to create GKE Autopilot clusters
+	// https://cloud.google.com/sdk/gcloud/reference/container/clusters/create-auto
+	createAutopilotRe = regexp.MustCompile(`container\s+clusters\s+create-auto`)
 
 	urlRe           = regexp.MustCompile(`https://.*/`)
 	defaultNodePool = gkeNodePool{
@@ -106,6 +112,7 @@ type deployer struct {
 	projectClustersLayout map[string][]cluster
 	nodes                 int
 	machineType           string
+	imageType             string
 	network               string
 	subnetworkRanges      []string
 	environment           string
@@ -223,6 +230,7 @@ func bindFlags(d *deployer) *pflag.FlagSet {
 	flags.StringVar(&d.zone, "zone", "", "For use with gcloud commands to specify the cluster zone.")
 	flags.IntVar(&d.nodes, "num-nodes", defaultNodePool.Nodes, "For use with gcloud commands to specify the number of nodes for the cluster.")
 	flags.StringVar(&d.machineType, "machine-type", defaultNodePool.MachineType, "For use with gcloud commands to specify the machine type for the cluster.")
+	flags.StringVar(&d.imageType, "image-type", image, "The image type to use for the cluster.")
 	flags.BoolVar(&d.gcpSSHKeyIgnored, "ignore-gcp-ssh-key", true, "Whether the GCP SSH key should be ignored or not for bringing up the cluster.")
 	flags.BoolVar(&d.workloadIdentityEnabled, "enable-workload-identity", false, "Whether enable workload identity for the cluster or not.")
 	flags.StringVar(&d.privateClusterAccessLevel, "private-cluster-access-level", "", "Private cluster access level, if not empty, must be one of 'no', 'limited' or 'unrestricted'")
diff --git a/kubetest2-gke/deployer/network.go b/kubetest2-gke/deployer/network.go
index b6ea48f3..97ce09a9 100644
--- a/kubetest2-gke/deployer/network.go
+++ b/kubetest2-gke/deployer/network.go
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ func transformNetworkName(projects []string, network string) string {
 
 // Returns the sub network args needed for the cluster creation command.
 // Reference: https://cloud.google.com/kubernetes-engine/docs/how-to/cluster-shared-vpc#creating_a_cluster_in_your_first_service_project
-func subNetworkArgs(projects []string, region, network string, projectIndex int) []string {
+func subNetworkArgs(createCommand string, projects []string, region, network string, projectIndex int) []string {
 	// No sub network args need to be added for creating clusters in the host project.
 	if projectIndex == 0 {
 		return []string{}
@@ -179,12 +179,16 @@ func subNetworkArgs(projects []string, region, network string, projectIndex int)
 	hostProject := projects[0]
 	curtProject := projects[projectIndex]
 	subnetName := network + "-" + curtProject
-	return []string{
-		"--enable-ip-alias",
+	args := []string{
 		fmt.Sprintf("--subnetwork=projects/%s/regions/%s/subnetworks/%s", hostProject, region, subnetName),
 		fmt.Sprintf("--cluster-secondary-range-name=%s-pods", subnetName),
 		fmt.Sprintf("--services-secondary-range-name=%s-services", subnetName),
 	}
+	// GKE in Autopilot mode does not support --enable-ip-alias flag - https://cloud.google.com/sdk/gcloud/reference/container/clusters/create-auto
+	if !createAutopilotRe.MatchString(createCommand) {
+		args = append(args, "--enable-ip-alias")
+	}
+	return args
 }
 
 func (d *deployer) setupNetwork() error {
diff --git a/kubetest2-gke/deployer/up.go b/kubetest2-gke/deployer/up.go
index 61d97894..1f06ed1d 100644
--- a/kubetest2-gke/deployer/up.go
+++ b/kubetest2-gke/deployer/up.go
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ func (d *deployer) Up() error {
 	loc := location(d.region, d.zone)
 	for i := range d.projects {
 		project := d.projects[i]
-		subNetworkArgs := subNetworkArgs(d.projects, d.region, d.network, i)
+		subNetworkArgs := subNetworkArgs(d.createCommandFlag, d.projects, d.region, d.network, i)
 		for j := range d.projectClustersLayout[project] {
 			cluster := d.projectClustersLayout[project][j]
 			privateClusterArgs := privateClusterArgs(d.projects, d.network, d.privateClusterAccessLevel, d.privateClusterMasterIPRanges, cluster)
@@ -78,11 +78,21 @@ func (d *deployer) Up() error {
 				args = append(args,
 					"--project="+project,
 					loc,
-					"--machine-type="+d.machineType,
-					"--image-type="+image,
-					"--num-nodes="+strconv.Itoa(d.nodes),
 					"--network="+transformNetworkName(d.projects, d.network),
 				)
+				// A few args are not supported in GKE Autopilot cluster creation, so they should be left unset
+				// when they are not provided via the flags.
+				// https://cloud.google.com/sdk/gcloud/reference/container/clusters/create-auto
+				if d.machineType != "" {
+					args = append(args, "--machine-type="+d.machineType)
+				}
+				if d.nodes != 0 {
+					args = append(args, "--num-nodes="+strconv.Itoa(d.nodes))
+				}
+				if d.imageType != "" {
+					args = append(args, "--image-type="+image)
+				}
+
 				if d.workloadIdentityEnabled {
 					args = append(args, fmt.Sprintf("--workload-pool=%s.svc.id.goog", project))
 				}
@@ -234,8 +244,8 @@ func (d *deployer) verifyUpFlags() error {
 	if err := d.verifyLocationFlags(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if d.nodes <= 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("--num-nodes must be larger than 0")
+	if d.nodes < 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("--num-nodes must be no less than 0")
 	}
 	if err := validateVersion(d.Version); err != nil {
 		return err