diff --git a/cluster/gce/gci/configure-helper.sh b/cluster/gce/gci/configure-helper.sh
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 5d1271d166a..7a938eafb5b
--- a/cluster/gce/gci/configure-helper.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/gci/configure-helper.sh
@@ -1753,24 +1753,29 @@ function prepare-kube-proxy-manifest-variables {
   if [[ -n "${FEATURE_GATES:-}" ]]; then
     params+=" --feature-gates=${FEATURE_GATES}"
   fi
-  if [[ "${KUBE_PROXY_MODE:-}" == "ipvs" ]];then
-    # use 'nf_conntrack' instead of 'nf_conntrack_ipv4' for linux kernel >= 4.19
-    # https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/70398
-    local -r kernel_version=$(uname -r | cut -d\. -f1,2)
-    local conntrack_module="nf_conntrack"
-    if [[ $(printf '%s\n4.18\n' "${kernel_version}" | sort -V | tail -1) == "4.18" ]]; then
-      conntrack_module="nf_conntrack_ipv4"
-    fi
 
-    if sudo modprobe -a ip_vs ip_vs_rr ip_vs_wrr ip_vs_sh ${conntrack_module}; then
-      params+=" --proxy-mode=ipvs"
-    else
-      # If IPVS modules are not present, make sure the node does not come up as
-      # healthy.
-      exit 1
-    fi
-  fi
-  params+=" --iptables-sync-period=1m --iptables-min-sync-period=10s --ipvs-sync-period=1m --ipvs-min-sync-period=10s"
+  case "${KUBE_PROXY_MODE:-iptables}" in
+    iptables)
+      params+=" --proxy-mode=iptables --iptables-sync-period=1m --iptables-min-sync-period=10s"
+      ;;
+    ipvs)
+      # use 'nf_conntrack' instead of 'nf_conntrack_ipv4' for linux kernel >= 4.19
+      # https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/70398
+      local -r kernel_version=$(uname -r | cut -d\. -f1,2)
+      local conntrack_module="nf_conntrack"
+      if [[ $(printf '%s\n4.18\n' "${kernel_version}" | sort -V | tail -1) == "4.18" ]]; then
+        conntrack_module="nf_conntrack_ipv4"
+      fi
+
+      if ! sudo modprobe -a ip_vs ip_vs_rr ip_vs_wrr ip_vs_sh ${conntrack_module}; then
+        # If IPVS modules are not present, make sure the node does not come up as
+        # healthy.
+        exit 1
+      fi
+      params+=" --proxy-mode=ipvs --ipvs-sync-period=1m --ipvs-min-sync-period=10s"
+      ;;
+  esac
+
   if [[ -n "${KUBEPROXY_TEST_ARGS:-}" ]]; then
     params+=" ${KUBEPROXY_TEST_ARGS}"
   fi