diff --git a/pkg/gke/components/CruGKE.vue b/pkg/gke/components/CruGKE.vue
index 4fb449db539..d6ea9010d54 100644
--- a/pkg/gke/components/CruGKE.vue
+++ b/pkg/gke/components/CruGKE.vue
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ import type { getGKEMachineTypesResponse, getGKEServiceAccountsResponse } from '
 import type { GKEMachineTypeOption } from '../types/index.d.ts';
 import debounce from 'lodash/debounce';
 import {
-  clusterNameChars, clusterNameStartEnd, requiredInCluster, ipv4WithCidr, ipv4oripv6WithCidr
+  clusterNameChars, clusterNameStartEnd, requiredInCluster, ipv4WithCidr, ipv4oripv6WithCidr, GKEInitialCount
 } from '../util/validators';
 import { diffUpstreamSpec, syncUpstreamConfig } from '@shell/utils/kontainer';
 
@@ -322,6 +322,7 @@ export default defineComponent({
         nodeIpv4CidrBlockFormat:     ipv4WithCidr(this, 'gke.nodeIpv4CidrBlock.label', 'gkeConfig.ipAllocationPolicy.nodeIpv4CidrBlock'),
         servicesIpv4CidrBlockFormat: ipv4WithCidr(this, 'gke.servicesIpv4CidrBlock.label', 'gkeConfig.ipAllocationPolicy.servicesIpv4CidrBlock'),
         clusterIpv4CidrFormat:       ipv4oripv6WithCidr(this, 'gke.clusterIpv4Cidr.label', 'gkeConfig.clusterIpv4Cidr'),
+        initialNodeCount:            GKEInitialCount(this),
         /**
          * The nodepool validators below are performing double duty. When passed directly to an input, the val argument is provided and validated - this generates the error icon in the input component.
          * otherwise they're run in the fv mixin and ALL nodepools are validated - this disables the cruresource create button
@@ -339,19 +340,6 @@ export default defineComponent({
           return !!this.nodePools.find((pool: GKENodePool) => !valid(pool.config.diskSizeGb || 0) ) ? this.t('gke.errors.diskSizeGb') : null;
         },
 
-        initialNodeCount: (val: number) => {
-          if (!this.isAuthenticated) {
-            return;
-          }
-          const valid = (input: number) => input >= 1;
-
-          if (val || val === 0) {
-            return !valid(val) ? this.t('gke.errors.initialNodeCount') : null;
-          }
-
-          return !!this.nodePools.find((pool: GKENodePool) => !valid(pool.initialNodeCount || 0) ) ? this.t('gke.errors.initialNodeCount') : null;
-        },
-
         ssdCount: (val: number) => {
           if (!this.isAuthenticated) {
             return;
@@ -686,7 +674,7 @@ export default defineComponent({
     @error="e=>errors=e"
     @finish="save"
   >
-    <template>
+    <div>
       <AccountAccess
         :mode="mode"
         :credential.sync="config.googleCredentialSecret"
@@ -884,7 +872,7 @@ export default defineComponent({
           />
         </Accordion>
       </div>
-    </template>
+    </div>
     <template
       v-if="!hasCredential"
       #form-footer
diff --git a/pkg/gke/l10n/en-us.yaml b/pkg/gke/l10n/en-us.yaml
index 0d913698afa..4d72cdee509 100644
--- a/pkg/gke/l10n/en-us.yaml
+++ b/pkg/gke/l10n/en-us.yaml
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ gke:
     clusterNameStartEnd: Cluster name must startd and end with a letter or number.
     diskSizeGb: Disk Size must be at least 10GB.
     genericKey: Value
-    initialNodeCount: Initial Node Count must be at least 1.
+    initialNodeCount: Initial Node Count must be at least 0, and no greater than 1000.
     ipv4Cidr: '{key} must be a valid ipv4 cidr range.'
     ipv4oripv6: '{key} must be a valid ipv6 or ipv4 CIDR address'
     minMaxNodeCount: Minimum Node Count cannot exceed Maximum Node Count.
diff --git a/pkg/gke/util/__tests__/validators.test.ts b/pkg/gke/util/__tests__/validators.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f7dc4459433
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/gke/util/__tests__/validators.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import { GKEInitialCount } from '../validators';
+
+const mockTranslation = (key: string) => key;
+
+describe('validate GKE node group initial count', () => {
+  it.each([
+    [-1, 'gke.errors.initialNodeCount'],
+    [0, null],
+    [2, null],
+    [1000, null],
+    [1001, 'gke.errors.initialNodeCount']
+  ])('should return an error if the initial node count is less than 0 or greater than 1000', (count, errMsg) => {
+    const ctx = {
+      config:          { },
+      t:               mockTranslation,
+      isAuthenticated: true
+    } as any;
+
+    const res = GKEInitialCount(ctx)(count);
+
+    expect(res).toBe(errMsg);
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    [[{ initialNodeCount: -1 }], 'gke.errors.initialNodeCount'],
+    [[{ initialNodeCount: 0 }, { initialNodeCount: 1 }], null],
+    [[{ initialNodeCount: 1000 }, { initialNodeCount: 1 }], null],
+    [[{ initialNodeCount: 1001 }, { initialNodeCount: 1 }], 'gke.errors.initialNodeCount']
+
+  ])('should validate each node group in the component context if not called with a specific count value', (nodePools, errMsg) => {
+    const ctx = {
+      config:          { },
+      t:               mockTranslation,
+      nodePools,
+      isAuthenticated: true
+    } as any;
+
+    const res = GKEInitialCount(ctx)();
+
+    expect(res).toBe(errMsg);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/pkg/gke/util/validators.ts b/pkg/gke/util/validators.ts
index 63841369491..996e19df3de 100644
--- a/pkg/gke/util/validators.ts
+++ b/pkg/gke/util/validators.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/explicit-module-boundary-types */
 import { get } from '@shell/utils/object';
+import { GKENodePool } from '../types';
 import ipaddr from 'ipaddr.js';
 
 // no need to try to validate any fields if the user is still selecting a credential and the rest of the form isn't visible
@@ -69,3 +70,18 @@ export const ipv4oripv6WithCidr = (ctx: any, labelKey: string, clusterPath: stri
     return isValid || !toValidate.length ? undefined : ctx.t('gke.errors.ipv4Cidr', { key: ctx.t(labelKey) || ctx.t('gke.errors.genericKey') });
   };
 };
+
+export const GKEInitialCount = (ctx:any) => {
+  return (val?: number) => {
+    if (!ctx.isAuthenticated) {
+      return;
+    }
+    const valid = (input?: number) => (!!input || input === 0) && input >= 0 && input <= 1000;
+
+    if (val || val === 0) {
+      return !valid(val) ? ctx.t('gke.errors.initialNodeCount') : null;
+    }
+
+    return !!ctx.nodePools.find((pool: GKENodePool) => !valid(pool.initialNodeCount) ) ? ctx.t('gke.errors.initialNodeCount') : null;
+  };
+};