diff --git a/EXAMPLE/cluster_defs/aws/testid/eu-west-1/sandbox/cluster_vars__buildenv.yml b/EXAMPLE/cluster_defs/aws/testid/eu-west-1/sandbox/cluster_vars__buildenv.yml
index 2b2a40b6..6892f033 100644
--- a/EXAMPLE/cluster_defs/aws/testid/eu-west-1/sandbox/cluster_vars__buildenv.yml
+++ b/EXAMPLE/cluster_defs/aws/testid/eu-west-1/sandbox/cluster_vars__buildenv.yml
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ cluster_vars:
         auto_volumes:
           - { device_name: "/dev/sda1", mountpoint: "/", fstype: "ext4", volume_type: "gp2", volume_size: 8, encrypted: True, delete_on_termination: true }
           - { device_name: "/dev/sdf", mountpoint: "/media/mysvc", fstype: "ext4", volume_type: "gp2", volume_size: 1, encrypted: True, delete_on_termination: true }
-          - { device_name: "/dev/sdg", mountpoint: "/media/mysvc", fstype: "ext4", volume_type: "gp2", volume_size: 1, encrypted: True, delete_on_termination: true }
+          - { device_name: "/dev/sdg", mountpoint: "/media/mysvc", fstype: "ext4", volume_type: "gp2", volume_size: 1, iops: 100, encrypted: True, delete_on_termination: true }
         lvmparams: { vg_name: "vg0", lv_name: "lv0", lv_size: "100%VG" }
         flavor: t4g.nano
 #        image: "ami-0c28049fa5618bca4"              # eu-west-1 20.04 arm64 hvm-ssd 20210820.  Ubuntu images can be located at https://cloud-images.ubuntu.com/locator/
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ cluster_vars:
         auto_volumes:
           - { device_name: "/dev/sda1", mountpoint: "/", fstype: "ext4", volume_type: "gp2", volume_size: 8, encrypted: True, delete_on_termination: true }
           - { device_name: "/dev/sdf", mountpoint: "/media/mysvc", fstype: "ext4", volume_type: "gp2", volume_size: 1, encrypted: True, delete_on_termination: true, perms: { owner: "root", group: "root", mode: "775" } }
-          - { device_name: "/dev/sdg", mountpoint: "/media/mysvc2", fstype: "ext4", volume_type: "gp2", volume_size: 1, encrypted: True, delete_on_termination: true }
+          - { device_name: "/dev/sdg", mountpoint: "/media/mysvc2", fstype: "ext4", volume_type: "gp2", volume_size: 1, iops: 100, encrypted: True, delete_on_termination: true }
         flavor: t3a.nano
         version: "{{sysdisks_version | default('')}}"
         vms_by_az: { a: 1, b: 1, c: 0 }
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ cluster_vars:
       sysdiskslvm:
         auto_volumes:
           - { device_name: "/dev/sda1", mountpoint: "/", fstype: "ext4", volume_type: "gp2", volume_size: 8, encrypted: True, delete_on_termination: true }
-          - { device_name: "/dev/sdf", mountpoint: "/media/mysvc", fstype: "ext4", volume_type: "gp2", volume_size: 1, encrypted: True, delete_on_termination: true }
+          - { device_name: "/dev/sdf", mountpoint: "/media/mysvc", fstype: "ext4", volume_type: "gp2", volume_size: 1, iops: 100, encrypted: True, delete_on_termination: true }
           - { device_name: "/dev/sdg", mountpoint: "/media/mysvc", fstype: "ext4", volume_type: "gp2", volume_size: 1, encrypted: True, delete_on_termination: true }
         lvmparams: { vg_name: "vg0", lv_name: "lv0", lv_size: "100%VG" }
         flavor: t3a.nano
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ cluster_vars:
 
       hostnvme-multi:
         auto_volumes:
-          - { device_name: "/dev/sda1", mountpoint: "/", fstype: "ext4", volume_type: "gp2", volume_size: 8, encrypted: True, delete_on_termination: true }
+          - { device_name: "/dev/sda1", mountpoint: "/", fstype: "ext4", volume_type: "gp2", volume_size: 8, iops: 100, encrypted: True, delete_on_termination: true }
           - { device_name: "/dev/sdb", mountpoint: "/media/mysvc", fstype: "ext4", volume_type: "ephemeral", ephemeral: ephemeral0 }
           - { device_name: "/dev/sdc", mountpoint: "/media/mysvc2", fstype: "ext4", volume_type: "ephemeral", ephemeral: ephemeral1 }
           - { device_name: "/dev/sdf", mountpoint: "/media/mysvc8", fstype: "ext4", volume_type: "gp2", volume_size: 1, encrypted: True, delete_on_termination: true }
diff --git a/EXAMPLE/cluster_defs/test_aws_euw1/cluster_vars.yml b/EXAMPLE/cluster_defs/test_aws_euw1/cluster_vars.yml
index 7a3d2cbc..55678642 100644
--- a/EXAMPLE/cluster_defs/test_aws_euw1/cluster_vars.yml
+++ b/EXAMPLE/cluster_defs/test_aws_euw1/cluster_vars.yml
@@ -96,8 +96,8 @@ cluster_vars:
   sandbox:
     hosttype_vars:
       sys: {auto_volumes: [], flavor: t3a.nano, version: '{{sys_version | default('''')}}', vms_by_az: {a: 1, b: 1, c: 0}}
-      sysdisks2: {auto_volumes: [{device_name: /dev/sda1, mountpoint: /, fstype: ext4, volume_type: gp2, volume_size: 9, encrypted: true, delete_on_termination: true}, {device_name: /dev/sdf, mountpoint: /media/mysvc, fstype: ext4, volume_type: gp2, volume_size: 1, encrypted: true, delete_on_termination: true, perms: {owner: root, group: root, mode: '775'}}, {device_name: /dev/sdg, mountpoint: /media/mysvc2, fstype: ext4, volume_type: gp2, volume_size: 1, encrypted: true, delete_on_termination: true}], flavor: t3a.nano, version: '{{sysdisks_version | default('''')}}', vms_by_az: {a: 1, b: 1, c: 0}}
-      sysdisks3: {auto_volumes: [{device_name: /dev/sdf, mountpoint: /media/mysvc, fstype: ext4, volume_type: gp2, volume_size: 1, encrypted: true, delete_on_termination: true}, {device_name: /dev/sdg, mountpoint: /media/mysvc2, fstype: ext4, volume_type: gp2, volume_size: 1, encrypted: true, delete_on_termination: true}, {device_name: /dev/sdh, mountpoint: /media/mysvc3, fstype: ext4, volume_type: gp2, volume_size: 1, encrypted: true, delete_on_termination: true}], flavor: t3a.nano, version: '{{sysdisks_version | default('''')}}', vms_by_az: {a: 1, b: 1, c: 0}}
+      sysdisks2: {auto_volumes: [{device_name: /dev/sda1, mountpoint: /, fstype: ext4, volume_type: gp2, volume_size: 9, encrypted: true, delete_on_termination: true}, {device_name: /dev/sdf, mountpoint: /media/mysvc, fstype: ext4, volume_type: gp2, volume_size: 1, encrypted: true, delete_on_termination: true, perms: {owner: root, group: root, mode: '775'}}, {device_name: /dev/sdg, mountpoint: /media/mysvc2, fstype: ext4, volume_type: gp2, volume_size: 1, iops: 100, encrypted: true, delete_on_termination: true}], flavor: t3a.nano, version: '{{sysdisks_version | default('''')}}', vms_by_az: {a: 1, b: 1, c: 0}}
+      sysdisks3: {auto_volumes: [{device_name: /dev/sdf, mountpoint: /media/mysvc, fstype: ext4, volume_type: gp2, volume_size: 1, encrypted: true, delete_on_termination: true}, {device_name: /dev/sdg, mountpoint: /media/mysvc2, fstype: ext4, volume_type: gp2, volume_size: 1, encrypted: true, delete_on_termination: true}, {device_name: /dev/sdh, mountpoint: /media/mysvc3, fstype: ext4, volume_type: gp2, volume_size: 1, iops: 100, encrypted: true, delete_on_termination: true}], flavor: t3a.nano, version: '{{sysdisks_version | default('''')}}', vms_by_az: {a: 1, b: 1, c: 0}}
       hostnvme-multi: {auto_volumes: [{device_name: "/dev/sda1", mountpoint: "/", fstype: "ext4", volume_type: "gp2", volume_size: 8, encrypted: True, delete_on_termination: true}, {device_name: /dev/sdb, mountpoint: /media/mysvc, fstype: ext4, volume_type: ephemeral, ephemeral: ephemeral0}, {device_name: /dev/sdc, mountpoint: /media/mysvc2, fstype: ext4, volume_type: ephemeral, ephemeral: ephemeral1}, {device_name: /dev/sdf, mountpoint: /media/mysvc8, fstype: ext4, volume_type: gp2, volume_size: 1, encrypted: true, delete_on_termination: true}], flavor: i3en.2xlarge, version: '{{sys_version | default('''')}}', vms_by_az: {a: 1, b: 1, c: 0}}
       hostnvme-lvm: {auto_volumes: [{device_name: "/dev/sda1", mountpoint: "/", fstype: "ext4", volume_type: "gp2", volume_size: 8, encrypted: True, delete_on_termination: true}, {device_name: /dev/sdb, mountpoint: /media/data, fstype: ext4, volume_type: ephemeral, ephemeral: ephemeral0}, {device_name: /dev/sdc, mountpoint: /media/data, fstype: ext4, volume_type: ephemeral, ephemeral: ephemeral1}], lvmparams: {vg_name: vg0, lv_name: lv0, lv_size: 100%VG}, flavor: i3en.2xlarge, version: '{{sys_version | default('''')}}', vms_by_az: {a: 1, b: 1, c: 0}}
       hosthdd-multi: {auto_volumes: [{device_name: /dev/sdb, mountpoint: /media/mysvc, fstype: ext4, volume_type: ephemeral, ephemeral: ephemeral0}, {device_name: /dev/sdc, mountpoint: /media/mysvc2, fstype: ext4, volume_type: ephemeral, ephemeral: ephemeral1}, {device_name: /dev/sdd, mountpoint: /media/mysvc3, fstype: ext4, volume_type: ephemeral, ephemeral: ephemeral2}], flavor: d2.xlarge, version: '{{sys_version | default('''')}}', vms_by_az: {a: 1, b: 1, c: 0}}
diff --git a/_dependencies/tasks/main.yml b/_dependencies/tasks/main.yml
index 1ca825d8..bbdcda2d 100644
--- a/_dependencies/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/_dependencies/tasks/main.yml
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@
         that: "'{%- for hosttype in cluster_vars[buildenv].hosttype_vars | dict2items -%}{%- if ('lvmparams' not in hosttype.value and (hosttype.value.auto_volumes | length) == (hosttype.value.auto_volumes | map(attribute='mountpoint') | list | unique | count))  or  ('lvmparams' in hosttype.value and (hosttype.value.auto_volumes | selectattr('mountpoint', '!=', '/') | map(attribute='mountpoint') | list | unique | count == 1)) -%}{%- else -%}{{hosttype.key}}{%- endif -%}{%- endfor -%}' == ''"
         fail_msg: "All non-root volume mountpoints must either be all different (in which case 'lvmparams' must not be set), or all the same (in which case, 'lvmparams' must be set)"
 
+    - assert: { that: "cluster_vars[buildenv] | json_query(\"hosttype_vars.*.auto_volumes[] | [?iops > `16000`] && [?starts_with(volume_type, `gp`)]\") | length == 0", fail_msg: "Volume iops is too high; maximum is 16000" }
+      when: cluster_vars.type == "aws"
 
 - name: Create gcp service account contents file from cluster_vars[buildenv].gcp_service_account_rawtext (unless already defined by user)
   block:
diff --git a/create/tasks/create_aws.yml b/create/tasks/create_aws.yml
index 9874c365..20e58c14 100644
--- a/create/tasks/create_aws.yml
+++ b/create/tasks/create_aws.yml
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@
         encrypted: "{{item.auto_volume.encrypted}}"
         volume_size: "{%- if 'src' in item.auto_volume -%}{{omit}}{%- else -%}{{item.auto_volume.volume_size}}{%- endif -%}"
         volume_type: "{{item.auto_volume.volume_type}}"
+        iops: "{{item.auto_volume.iops | default(omit)}}"
         delete_on_termination: yes
       loop: "{{ cluster_hosts_target_denormalised_by_volume | selectattr('auto_volume.src', 'defined') | list }}"
       async: 7200