diff --git a/.pipelines/cni/load-test-templates/create-cluster-template.yaml b/.pipelines/cni/load-test-templates/create-cluster-template.yaml
index bcdce8f643..9fb8d319ed 100644
--- a/.pipelines/cni/load-test-templates/create-cluster-template.yaml
+++ b/.pipelines/cni/load-test-templates/create-cluster-template.yaml
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@ steps:
       addSpnToEnvironment: true
       inlineScript: |
         set -ex
+        if ! [ -z ${K8S_VERSION} ]; then
+          echo "Default k8s version, $(make -C ./hack/aks vars | grep K8S | cut -d'=' -f 2), is manually set to ${K8S_VERSION}"
+          export K8S_VER=${K8S_VERSION}
+        fi
+
         make -C ./hack/aks azcfg AZCLI=az REGION=${{ parameters.region }}
         make -C ./hack/aks ${{ parameters.clusterType }} \
         AZCLI=az REGION=${{ parameters.region }} SUB=$(SUB_AZURE_NETWORK_AGENT_BUILD_VALIDATIONS) \
diff --git a/.pipelines/templates/create-cluster.jobs.yaml b/.pipelines/templates/create-cluster.jobs.yaml
index 2bfa2f56f2..18816bc257 100644
--- a/.pipelines/templates/create-cluster.jobs.yaml
+++ b/.pipelines/templates/create-cluster.jobs.yaml
@@ -42,6 +42,12 @@ jobs:
               az extension add --name aks-preview
               az extension update --name aks-preview
             fi
+
+            if ! [ -z ${K8S_VERSION} ]; then
+              echo "Default k8s version, $(make -C ./hack/aks vars | grep K8S | cut -d'=' -f 2), is manually set to ${K8S_VERSION}"
+              export K8S_VER=${K8S_VERSION}
+            fi
+
             mkdir -p ~/.kube/
             make -C ./hack/aks azcfg AZCLI=az REGION=${{ parameters.region }}
 
diff --git a/.pipelines/templates/create-cluster.yaml b/.pipelines/templates/create-cluster.yaml
index 4d4e106568..60573922a3 100644
--- a/.pipelines/templates/create-cluster.yaml
+++ b/.pipelines/templates/create-cluster.yaml
@@ -31,6 +31,12 @@ jobs:
               az extension add --name aks-preview
               az extension update --name aks-preview
             fi
+
+            if ! [ -z ${K8S_VERSION} ]; then
+              echo "Default k8s version, $(make -C ./hack/aks vars | grep K8S | cut -d'=' -f 2), is manually set to ${K8S_VERSION}"
+              export K8S_VER=${K8S_VERSION}
+            fi
+
             mkdir -p ~/.kube/
             make -C ./hack/aks azcfg AZCLI=az REGION=${{ parameters.region }}
 
diff --git a/hack/aks/Makefile b/hack/aks/Makefile
index cad91ba967..86facf22a9 100644
--- a/hack/aks/Makefile
+++ b/hack/aks/Makefile
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ vars: ## Show the input vars configured for the cluster commands
 	@echo VM_SIZE=$(VM_SIZE)
 	@echo NODE_COUNT=$(NODE_COUNT)
 	@echo VMSS_NAME=$(VMSS_NAME)
+	@echo K8S_VER=$(K8S_VER)
 
 
 ##@ SWIFT Infra