diff --git a/cluster/gce/util.sh b/cluster/gce/util.sh
index cacb3d89a73..971fd648e47 100755
--- a/cluster/gce/util.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/util.sh
@@ -333,6 +333,30 @@ function wait-for-jobs {
   fi
 }
 
+# Robustly try to create a static ip.
+# $1: The name of the ip to create
+# $2: The name of the region to create the ip in.
+function create-static-ip {
+  detect-project
+  local attempt=0
+  local REGION="$2"
+  while true; do
+    if ! gcloud compute addresses create "$1" \
+      --project "${PROJECT}" \
+      --region "${REGION}" -q > /dev/null; then
+      if (( attempt > 4 )); then
+        echo -e "${color_red}Failed to create static ip $1 ${color_norm}" >&2
+        exit 2
+      fi
+      attempt=$(($attempt+1)) 
+      echo -e "${color_yellow}Attempt $attempt failed to create static ip $1. Retrying.${color_norm}" >&2
+      sleep $(($attempt * 5))
+    else
+      break
+    fi
+  done
+}
+
 # Robustly try to create a firewall rule.
 # $1: The name of firewall rule.
 # $2: IP ranges.
@@ -347,12 +371,13 @@ function create-firewall-rule {
       --source-ranges "$2" \
       --target-tags "$3" \
       --allow tcp,udp,icmp,esp,ah,sctp; then
-        if (( attempt > 5 )); then
-          echo -e "${color_red}Failed to create firewall rule $1 ${color_norm}" >&2
-          exit 2
-        fi
-        echo -e "${color_yellow}Attempt $(($attempt+1)) failed to create firewall rule $1. Retrying.${color_norm}" >&2
-        attempt=$(($attempt+1))
+      if (( attempt > 4 )); then
+        echo -e "${color_red}Failed to create firewall rule $1 ${color_norm}" >&2
+        exit 2
+      fi
+      echo -e "${color_yellow}Attempt $(($attempt+1)) failed to create firewall rule $1. Retrying.${color_norm}" >&2
+      attempt=$(($attempt+1))
+      sleep $(($attempt * 5))
     else
         break
     fi
@@ -654,7 +679,8 @@ function kube-up {
   # so extract the region name, which is the same as the zone but with the final
   # dash and characters trailing the dash removed.
   local REGION=${ZONE%-*}
-  MASTER_RESERVED_IP=$(gcloud compute addresses create "${MASTER_NAME}-ip" \
+  create-static-ip "${MASTER_NAME}-ip" "${REGION}"
+  MASTER_RESERVED_IP=$(gcloud compute addresses describe "${MASTER_NAME}-ip" \
     --project "${PROJECT}" \
     --region "${REGION}" -q --format yaml | awk '/^address:/ { print $2 }')
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/google_compute.go b/test/e2e/google_compute.go
index 54fb454a052..f33a78a5725 100644
--- a/test/e2e/google_compute.go
+++ b/test/e2e/google_compute.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"os/exec"
 	"regexp"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
 )
@@ -32,15 +33,22 @@ func createGCEStaticIP(name string) (string, error) {
 	// NAME           REGION      ADDRESS       STATUS
 	// test-static-ip us-central1 104.197.143.7 RESERVED
 
-	output, err := exec.Command("gcloud", "compute", "addresses", "create",
-		name, "--project", testContext.CloudConfig.ProjectID,
-		"--region", "us-central1", "-q").CombinedOutput()
-	if err != nil {
+	var output []byte
+	var err error
+	for attempts := 0; attempts < 4; attempts++ {
+		output, err = exec.Command("gcloud", "compute", "addresses", "create",
+			name, "--project", testContext.CloudConfig.ProjectID,
+			"--region", "us-central1", "-q").CombinedOutput()
+		if err == nil {
+			break
+		}
 		glog.Errorf("Creating static IP with name:%s in project: %s", name, testContext.CloudConfig.ProjectID)
 		glog.Errorf("output: %s", output)
+		time.Sleep(time.Duration(5*attempts) * time.Second)
+	}
+	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
-	glog.Errorf("Creating static IP with name:%s in project: %s", name, testContext.CloudConfig.ProjectID)
 	text := string(output)
 	if strings.Contains(text, "RESERVED") {
 		r, _ := regexp.Compile("[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+")