diff --git a/autogen/cluster.tf b/autogen/cluster.tf
index 68e23ebabc..4791220591 100644
--- a/autogen/cluster.tf
+++ b/autogen/cluster.tf
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ resource "google_container_node_pool" "pools" {
   location = local.location
   {% if beta_cluster %}
   // use node_locations if provided, defaults to cluster level node_locations if not specified
-  node_locations = lookup(var.node_pools[count.index], "node_locations", "") != "" ? split(",", var.node_pools[count.index]["node_locations"]) : google_container_cluster.primary.node_locations
+  node_locations = lookup(var.node_pools[count.index], "node_locations", "") != "" ? split(",", var.node_pools[count.index]["node_locations"]) : null
   {% endif %}
   cluster  = google_container_cluster.primary.name
   version = lookup(var.node_pools[count.index], "auto_upgrade", false) ? "" : lookup(
diff --git a/modules/beta-private-cluster-update-variant/cluster.tf b/modules/beta-private-cluster-update-variant/cluster.tf
index a0b7f50b8d..10c206f35c 100644
--- a/modules/beta-private-cluster-update-variant/cluster.tf
+++ b/modules/beta-private-cluster-update-variant/cluster.tf
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ resource "google_container_node_pool" "pools" {
   project  = var.project_id
   location = local.location
   // use node_locations if provided, defaults to cluster level node_locations if not specified
-  node_locations = lookup(var.node_pools[count.index], "node_locations", "") != "" ? split(",", var.node_pools[count.index]["node_locations"]) : google_container_cluster.primary.node_locations
+  node_locations = lookup(var.node_pools[count.index], "node_locations", "") != "" ? split(",", var.node_pools[count.index]["node_locations"]) : null
   cluster        = google_container_cluster.primary.name
   version = lookup(var.node_pools[count.index], "auto_upgrade", false) ? "" : lookup(
     var.node_pools[count.index],
diff --git a/modules/beta-private-cluster/cluster.tf b/modules/beta-private-cluster/cluster.tf
index 042a4735cd..c363dacf9f 100644
--- a/modules/beta-private-cluster/cluster.tf
+++ b/modules/beta-private-cluster/cluster.tf
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ resource "google_container_node_pool" "pools" {
   project  = var.project_id
   location = local.location
   // use node_locations if provided, defaults to cluster level node_locations if not specified
-  node_locations = lookup(var.node_pools[count.index], "node_locations", "") != "" ? split(",", var.node_pools[count.index]["node_locations"]) : google_container_cluster.primary.node_locations
+  node_locations = lookup(var.node_pools[count.index], "node_locations", "") != "" ? split(",", var.node_pools[count.index]["node_locations"]) : null
   cluster        = google_container_cluster.primary.name
   version = lookup(var.node_pools[count.index], "auto_upgrade", false) ? "" : lookup(
     var.node_pools[count.index],
diff --git a/modules/beta-public-cluster/cluster.tf b/modules/beta-public-cluster/cluster.tf
index 2b4fb3a6e9..1f5eee84aa 100644
--- a/modules/beta-public-cluster/cluster.tf
+++ b/modules/beta-public-cluster/cluster.tf
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ resource "google_container_node_pool" "pools" {
   project  = var.project_id
   location = local.location
   // use node_locations if provided, defaults to cluster level node_locations if not specified
-  node_locations = lookup(var.node_pools[count.index], "node_locations", "") != "" ? split(",", var.node_pools[count.index]["node_locations"]) : google_container_cluster.primary.node_locations
+  node_locations = lookup(var.node_pools[count.index], "node_locations", "") != "" ? split(",", var.node_pools[count.index]["node_locations"]) : null
   cluster        = google_container_cluster.primary.name
   version = lookup(var.node_pools[count.index], "auto_upgrade", false) ? "" : lookup(
     var.node_pools[count.index],