diff --git a/src/dstack/_internal/core/backends/gcp/resources.py b/src/dstack/_internal/core/backends/gcp/resources.py
index e51574948..4d1397fda 100644
--- a/src/dstack/_internal/core/backends/gcp/resources.py
+++ b/src/dstack/_internal/core/backends/gcp/resources.py
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ def get_availability_zones(
 
 
 def check_vpc(
-    network_client: compute_v1.NetworksClient,
+    subnetworks_client: compute_v1.SubnetworksClient,
     routers_client: compute_v1.RoutersClient,
     project_id: str,
     regions: List[str],
@@ -71,14 +71,21 @@ def check_vpc(
     if shared_vpc_project_id:
         vpc_project_id = shared_vpc_project_id
     try:
-        network_client.get(project=vpc_project_id, network=vpc_name)
+        for region in regions:
+            get_vpc_subnet_or_error(
+                subnetworks_client=subnetworks_client,
+                vpc_project_id=vpc_project_id,
+                vpc_name=vpc_name,
+                region=region,
+            )
     except google.api_core.exceptions.NotFound:
-        raise ComputeError(f"Failed to find VPC {vpc_name} in project {vpc_project_id}")
+        raise ComputeError(f"Failed to find Shared VPC project {vpc_project_id}")
 
     if allocate_public_ip:
         return
 
-    if nat_check:
+    # We may have no permissions to check NAT in a shared VPC
+    if nat_check and shared_vpc_project_id is None:
         regions_without_nat = []
         for region in regions:
             if not has_vpc_nat_access(routers_client, vpc_project_id, vpc_name, region):
@@ -230,7 +237,8 @@ def get_vpc_subnet_or_error(
         if network_name == vpc_name and subnet_region == region:
             return subnet_resource_name
     raise ComputeError(
-        f"No usable subnetwork found in region {region} for VPC {vpc_name} in project {vpc_project_id}"
+        f"No usable subnetwork found in region {region} for VPC {vpc_name} in project {vpc_project_id}."
+        f" Ensure that VPC {vpc_name} exists and has usable subnetworks."
     )
 
 
diff --git a/src/dstack/_internal/server/services/backends/configurators/gcp.py b/src/dstack/_internal/server/services/backends/configurators/gcp.py
index bbca96f66..8c45ae21e 100644
--- a/src/dstack/_internal/server/services/backends/configurators/gcp.py
+++ b/src/dstack/_internal/server/services/backends/configurators/gcp.py
@@ -221,11 +221,11 @@ def _get_regions_element(
         return element
 
     def _check_config(self, config: GCPConfigInfoWithCredsPartial, credentials: Credentials):
-        network_client = compute_v1.NetworksClient(credentials=credentials)
+        subnetworks_client = compute_v1.SubnetworksClient(credentials=credentials)
         routers_client = compute_v1.RoutersClient(credentials=credentials)
         self._check_tags_config(config)
         self._check_vpc_config(
-            network_client=network_client,
+            subnetworks_client=subnetworks_client,
             routers_client=routers_client,
             config=config,
         )
@@ -245,14 +245,14 @@ def _check_tags_config(self, config: GCPConfigInfoWithCredsPartial):
     def _check_vpc_config(
         self,
         config: GCPConfigInfoWithCredsPartial,
-        network_client: compute_v1.NetworksClient,
+        subnetworks_client: compute_v1.SubnetworksClient,
         routers_client: compute_v1.RoutersClient,
     ):
         allocate_public_ip = config.public_ips if config.public_ips is not None else True
         nat_check = config.nat_check if config.nat_check is not None else True
         try:
             resources.check_vpc(
-                network_client=network_client,
+                subnetworks_client=subnetworks_client,
                 routers_client=routers_client,
                 project_id=config.project_id,
                 regions=config.regions or DEFAULT_REGIONS,