diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag/BUILD b/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag/BUILD
index 6efdc3379d9..9c52db98989 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag/BUILD
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag/BUILD
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ go_test(
         "map_string_bool_test.go",
         "map_string_string_test.go",
         "namedcertkey_flag_test.go",
+        "string_slice_flag_test.go",
     ],
     embed = [":go_default_library"],
     deps = ["//vendor/github.com/spf13/pflag:go_default_library"],
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ go_library(
         "omitempty.go",
         "sectioned.go",
         "string_flag.go",
+        "string_slice_flag.go",
         "tristate.go",
     ],
     importmap = "k8s.io/kubernetes/vendor/k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag",
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag/string_slice_flag.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag/string_slice_flag.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7b2e0f61695
--- /dev/null
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag/string_slice_flag.go
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2021 The Kubernetes Authors.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package flag
+
+import (
+	goflag "flag"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
+)
+
+// StringSlice implements goflag.Value and plfag.Value,
+// and allows set to be invoked repeatedly to accumulate values.
+type StringSlice struct {
+	value   *[]string
+	changed bool
+}
+
+func NewStringSlice(s *[]string) *StringSlice {
+	return &StringSlice{value: s}
+}
+
+var _ goflag.Value = &StringSlice{}
+var _ pflag.Value = &StringSlice{}
+
+func (s *StringSlice) String() string {
+	return strings.Join(*s.value, " ")
+}
+
+func (s *StringSlice) Set(val string) error {
+	if s.value == nil || !s.changed {
+		*s.value = make([]string, 0)
+	}
+	*s.value = append(*s.value, val)
+	s.changed = true
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (StringSlice) Type() string {
+	return "sliceString"
+}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag/string_slice_flag_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag/string_slice_flag_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6e5ef240679
--- /dev/null
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/cli/flag/string_slice_flag_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2021 The Kubernetes Authors.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package flag
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"reflect"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
+)
+
+func TestStringSlice(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		args       []string
+		def        []string
+		expected   []string
+		parseError string
+		changed    bool
+	}{
+		{
+			args:     []string{},
+			expected: nil,
+		},
+		{
+			args:     []string{"a"},
+			expected: []string{"a"},
+			changed:  true,
+		},
+		{
+			args:     []string{"a", "b"},
+			expected: []string{"a", "b"},
+			changed:  true,
+		},
+		{
+			def:      []string{"a"},
+			args:     []string{"a", "b"},
+			expected: []string{"a", "b"},
+			changed:  true,
+		},
+		{
+			def:      []string{"a", "b"},
+			args:     []string{"a", "b"},
+			expected: []string{"a", "b"},
+			changed:  true,
+		},
+	}
+	for i, test := range tests {
+		fs := pflag.NewFlagSet("testStringSlice", pflag.ContinueOnError)
+		var s []string
+		s = append(s, test.def...)
+
+		v := NewStringSlice(&s)
+		fs.Var(v, "slice", "usage")
+
+		args := []string{}
+		for _, a := range test.args {
+			args = append(args, fmt.Sprintf("--slice=%s", a))
+		}
+
+		err := fs.Parse(args)
+		if test.parseError != "" {
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Errorf("%d: expected error %q, got nil", i, test.parseError)
+			} else if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), test.parseError) {
+				t.Errorf("%d: expected error %q, got %q", i, test.parseError, err)
+			}
+		} else if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("%d: expected nil error, got %v", i, err)
+		}
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(s, test.expected) {
+			t.Errorf("%d: expected %+v, got %+v", i, test.expected, s)
+		}
+		if v.changed != test.changed {
+			t.Errorf("%d: expected %t got %t", i, test.changed, v.changed)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/providers/gce/gce.go b/test/e2e/framework/providers/gce/gce.go
index 271a70760a9..05b0b003c83 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/providers/gce/gce.go
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/providers/gce/gce.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package gce
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"math/rand"
 	"net/http"
 	"os/exec"
 	"regexp"
@@ -47,6 +48,21 @@ func factory() (framework.ProviderInterface, error) {
 	framework.Logf("Fetching cloud provider for %q\r", framework.TestContext.Provider)
 	zone := framework.TestContext.CloudConfig.Zone
 	region := framework.TestContext.CloudConfig.Region
+	allowedZones := framework.TestContext.CloudConfig.Zones
+
+	// ensure users don't specify a zone outside of the requested zones
+	if len(zone) > 0 && len(allowedZones) > 0 {
+		var found bool
+		for _, allowedZone := range allowedZones {
+			if zone == allowedZone {
+				found = true
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if !found {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("the provided zone %q must be included in the list of allowed zones %v", zone, allowedZones)
+		}
+	}
 
 	var err error
 	if region == "" {
@@ -59,6 +75,9 @@ func factory() (framework.ProviderInterface, error) {
 	if !framework.TestContext.CloudConfig.MultiZone {
 		managedZones = []string{zone}
 	}
+	if len(allowedZones) > 0 {
+		managedZones = allowedZones
+	}
 
 	gceCloud, err := gcecloud.CreateGCECloud(&gcecloud.CloudConfig{
 		APIEndpoint:        framework.TestContext.CloudConfig.APIEndpoint,
@@ -79,7 +98,10 @@ func factory() (framework.ProviderInterface, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error building GCE/GKE provider: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	// Arbitrarily pick one of the zones we have nodes in
+	// Arbitrarily pick one of the zones we have nodes in, looking at prepopulated zones first.
+	if framework.TestContext.CloudConfig.Zone == "" && len(managedZones) > 0 {
+		framework.TestContext.CloudConfig.Zone = managedZones[rand.Intn(len(managedZones))]
+	}
 	if framework.TestContext.CloudConfig.Zone == "" && framework.TestContext.CloudConfig.MultiZone {
 		zones, err := gceCloud.GetAllZonesFromCloudProvider()
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/test_context.go b/test/e2e/framework/test_context.go
index b23942da406..d939a86e6a9 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/test_context.go
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/test_context.go
@@ -229,7 +229,8 @@ type NodeTestContextType struct {
 type CloudConfig struct {
 	APIEndpoint       string
 	ProjectID         string
-	Zone              string // for multizone tests, arbitrarily chosen zone
+	Zone              string   // for multizone tests, arbitrarily chosen zone
+	Zones             []string // for multizone tests, use this set of zones instead of querying the cloud provider. Must include Zone.
 	Region            string
 	MultiZone         bool
 	MultiMaster       bool
@@ -339,6 +340,7 @@ func RegisterClusterFlags(flags *flag.FlagSet) {
 	flags.StringVar(&cloudConfig.APIEndpoint, "gce-api-endpoint", "", "The GCE APIEndpoint being used, if applicable")
 	flags.StringVar(&cloudConfig.ProjectID, "gce-project", "", "The GCE project being used, if applicable")
 	flags.StringVar(&cloudConfig.Zone, "gce-zone", "", "GCE zone being used, if applicable")
+	flags.Var(cliflag.NewStringSlice(&cloudConfig.Zones), "gce-zones", "The set of zones to use in a multi-zone test instead of querying the cloud provider.")
 	flags.StringVar(&cloudConfig.Region, "gce-region", "", "GCE region being used, if applicable")
 	flags.BoolVar(&cloudConfig.MultiZone, "gce-multizone", false, "If true, start GCE cloud provider with multizone support.")
 	flags.BoolVar(&cloudConfig.MultiMaster, "gce-multimaster", false, "If true, the underlying GCE/GKE cluster is assumed to be multi-master.")