diff --git a/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/spotinsttasks/launch_spec.go b/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/spotinsttasks/launch_spec.go
index 6f49c200c1c30..cfa262b3d4872 100644
--- a/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/spotinsttasks/launch_spec.go
+++ b/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/spotinsttasks/launch_spec.go
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ func (_ *LaunchSpec) update(cloud awsup.AWSCloud, a, e, changes *LaunchSpec) err
 				return err
 			}
 
-			if *actual.ImageID != *image.ImageId {
+			if fi.StringValue(actual.ImageID) != fi.StringValue(image.ImageId) {
 				spec.SetImageId(image.ImageId)
 			}