diff --git a/test/e2e/aks_machinepools.go b/test/e2e/aks_machinepools.go
index efe745d05b7..6f5ecceaef8 100644
--- a/test/e2e/aks_machinepools.go
+++ b/test/e2e/aks_machinepools.go
@@ -23,11 +23,14 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"sync"
 
+	asocontainerservicev1 "github.com/Azure/azure-service-operator/v2/api/containerservice/v1api20231001"
 	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/utils/ptr"
 	infrav1 "sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api-provider-azure/api/v1beta1"
+	infrav1exp "sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api-provider-azure/exp/api/v1alpha1"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api-provider-azure/exp/mutators"
 	clusterv1 "sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/api/v1beta1"
 	expv1 "sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/exp/api/v1beta1"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/test/framework"
@@ -46,7 +49,7 @@ func AKSMachinePoolSpec(ctx context.Context, inputGetter func() AKSMachinePoolSp
 
 	originalReplicas := map[types.NamespacedName]int32{}
 	for _, mp := range input.MachinePools {
-		originalReplicas[client.ObjectKeyFromObject(mp)] = ptr.Deref[int32](mp.Spec.Replicas, 0)
+		originalReplicas[client.ObjectKeyFromObject(mp)] = ptr.Deref(mp.Spec.Replicas, 0)
 	}
 
 	By("Scaling the machine pools out")
@@ -58,7 +61,7 @@ func AKSMachinePoolSpec(ctx context.Context, inputGetter func() AKSMachinePoolSp
 			framework.ScaleMachinePoolAndWait(ctx, framework.ScaleMachinePoolAndWaitInput{
 				ClusterProxy:              bootstrapClusterProxy,
 				Cluster:                   input.Cluster,
-				Replicas:                  ptr.Deref[int32](mp.Spec.Replicas, 0) + 1,
+				Replicas:                  ptr.Deref(mp.Spec.Replicas, 0) + 1,
 				MachinePools:              []*expv1.MachinePool{mp},
 				WaitForMachinePoolToScale: input.WaitIntervals,
 			})
@@ -75,7 +78,7 @@ func AKSMachinePoolSpec(ctx context.Context, inputGetter func() AKSMachinePoolSp
 			framework.ScaleMachinePoolAndWait(ctx, framework.ScaleMachinePoolAndWaitInput{
 				ClusterProxy:              bootstrapClusterProxy,
 				Cluster:                   input.Cluster,
-				Replicas:                  ptr.Deref[int32](mp.Spec.Replicas, 0) - 1,
+				Replicas:                  ptr.Deref(mp.Spec.Replicas, 0) - 1,
 				MachinePools:              []*expv1.MachinePool{mp},
 				WaitForMachinePoolToScale: input.WaitIntervals,
 			})
@@ -87,15 +90,41 @@ func AKSMachinePoolSpec(ctx context.Context, inputGetter func() AKSMachinePoolSp
 	// System node pools cannot be scaled to 0, so only include user node pools.
 	var machinePoolsToScale []*expv1.MachinePool
 	for _, mp := range input.MachinePools {
-		ammp := &infrav1.AzureManagedMachinePool{}
-		err := bootstrapClusterProxy.GetClient().Get(ctx, types.NamespacedName{
-			Namespace: mp.Spec.Template.Spec.InfrastructureRef.Namespace,
-			Name:      mp.Spec.Template.Spec.InfrastructureRef.Name,
-		}, ammp)
-		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
-
-		if ammp.Spec.Mode != string(infrav1.NodePoolModeSystem) {
-			machinePoolsToScale = append(machinePoolsToScale, mp)
+		switch mp.Spec.Template.Spec.InfrastructureRef.Kind {
+		case infrav1.AzureManagedMachinePoolKind:
+			ammp := &infrav1.AzureManagedMachinePool{}
+			err := bootstrapClusterProxy.GetClient().Get(ctx, types.NamespacedName{
+				Namespace: mp.Spec.Template.Spec.InfrastructureRef.Namespace,
+				Name:      mp.Spec.Template.Spec.InfrastructureRef.Name,
+			}, ammp)
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+
+			if ammp.Spec.Mode != string(infrav1.NodePoolModeSystem) {
+				machinePoolsToScale = append(machinePoolsToScale, mp)
+			}
+		case infrav1exp.AzureASOManagedMachinePoolKind:
+			ammp := &infrav1exp.AzureASOManagedMachinePool{}
+			err := bootstrapClusterProxy.GetClient().Get(ctx, types.NamespacedName{
+				Namespace: mp.Spec.Template.Spec.InfrastructureRef.Namespace,
+				Name:      mp.Spec.Template.Spec.InfrastructureRef.Name,
+			}, ammp)
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+
+			resources, err := mutators.ToUnstructured(ctx, ammp.Spec.Resources)
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			for _, resource := range resources {
+				if resource.GetKind() != "ManagedClustersAgentPool" {
+					continue
+				}
+				// mode may not be set in spec. Get the ASO object and check in status.
+				resource.SetNamespace(ammp.Namespace)
+				agentPool := &asocontainerservicev1.ManagedClustersAgentPool{}
+				Expect(bootstrapClusterProxy.GetClient().Get(ctx, client.ObjectKeyFromObject(resource), agentPool)).To(Succeed())
+				if ptr.Deref(agentPool.Status.Mode, "") != asocontainerservicev1.AgentPoolMode_STATUS_System {
+					machinePoolsToScale = append(machinePoolsToScale, mp)
+				}
+				break
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/azure_test.go b/test/e2e/azure_test.go
index bdf292c46a6..3d258f60ecd 100644
--- a/test/e2e/azure_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/azure_test.go
@@ -974,6 +974,16 @@ var _ = Describe("Workload cluster creation", func() {
 					WaitForControlPlaneMachinesReady: WaitForAKSControlPlaneReady,
 				}),
 			), result)
+
+			By("Exercising machine pools", func() {
+				AKSMachinePoolSpec(ctx, func() AKSMachinePoolSpecInput {
+					return AKSMachinePoolSpecInput{
+						Cluster:       result.Cluster,
+						MachinePools:  result.MachinePools,
+						WaitIntervals: e2eConfig.GetIntervals(specName, "wait-machine-pool-nodes"),
+					}
+				})
+			})
 		})
 	})