diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/aws/apis/v1alpha1/provider_defaults.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/aws/apis/v1alpha1/provider_defaults.go
index 13b8d17ec115..178f84241a72 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/aws/apis/v1alpha1/provider_defaults.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/aws/apis/v1alpha1/provider_defaults.go
@@ -60,5 +60,8 @@ func (c *Constraints) defaultAMIFamily() {
 	if c.AMIFamily != nil {
 		return
 	}
+	if c.LaunchTemplate != nil {
+		return
+	}
 	c.AMIFamily = &AMIFamilyAL2
 }