diff --git a/cluster/gce/config-default.sh b/cluster/gce/config-default.sh
index 925bf05e97..b39ebbae2d 100755
--- a/cluster/gce/config-default.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/config-default.sh
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ PREEMPTIBLE_MASTER=${PREEMPTIBLE_MASTER:-false}
 KUBE_DELETE_NODES=${KUBE_DELETE_NODES:-true}
 KUBE_DELETE_NETWORK=${KUBE_DELETE_NETWORK:-} # default value calculated below
 CREATE_CUSTOM_NETWORK=${CREATE_CUSTOM_NETWORK:-false}
+MIG_WAIT_UNTIL_STABLE_TIMEOUT=${MIG_WAIT_UNTIL_STABLE_TIMEOUT:-1800}
 
 MASTER_OS_DISTRIBUTION=${KUBE_MASTER_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-${KUBE_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-gci}}
 NODE_OS_DISTRIBUTION=${KUBE_NODE_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-${KUBE_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-gci}}
diff --git a/cluster/gce/config-test.sh b/cluster/gce/config-test.sh
index 38284feaa5..62eb1eab30 100755
--- a/cluster/gce/config-test.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/config-test.sh
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ PREEMPTIBLE_MASTER=${PREEMPTIBLE_MASTER:-false}
 KUBE_DELETE_NODES=${KUBE_DELETE_NODES:-true}
 KUBE_DELETE_NETWORK=${KUBE_DELETE_NETWORK:-true}
 CREATE_CUSTOM_NETWORK=${CREATE_CUSTOM_NETWORK:-false}
+MIG_WAIT_UNTIL_STABLE_TIMEOUT=${MIG_WAIT_UNTIL_STABLE_TIMEOUT:-1800}
 
 MASTER_OS_DISTRIBUTION=${KUBE_MASTER_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-${KUBE_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-gci}}
 NODE_OS_DISTRIBUTION=${KUBE_NODE_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-${KUBE_OS_DISTRIBUTION:-gci}}
diff --git a/cluster/gce/util.sh b/cluster/gce/util.sh
index 97f6e136da..6882c04fbe 100755
--- a/cluster/gce/util.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/util.sh
@@ -2358,7 +2358,8 @@ function create-nodes() {
     gcloud compute instance-groups managed wait-until-stable \
         "${group_name}" \
         --zone "${ZONE}" \
-        --project "${PROJECT}" || true;
+        --project "${PROJECT}" \
+        --timeout "${MIG_WAIT_UNTIL_STABLE_TIMEOUT}" || true;
   done
 }