diff --git a/pkg/ctl/create/nodegroup.go b/pkg/ctl/create/nodegroup.go
index fc32358ac6..83b47381fe 100644
--- a/pkg/ctl/create/nodegroup.go
+++ b/pkg/ctl/create/nodegroup.go
@@ -111,6 +111,16 @@ func doCreateNodeGroups(p *api.ProviderConfig, cfg *api.ClusterConfig, nameArg s
 		}
 		meta = cfg.Metadata
 
+		if meta.Name == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("metadata.name must be set")
+		}
+
+		if meta.Region == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("metadata.region must be set")
+		}
+
+		p.Region = meta.Region
+
 		// Limit nodegroups to set specified on command line via globs
 		if err := filterNodeGroups(cfg); err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -149,16 +159,6 @@ func doCreateNodeGroups(p *api.ProviderConfig, cfg *api.ClusterConfig, nameArg s
 			}
 		}
 
-		if meta.Name == "" {
-			return fmt.Errorf("metadata.name must be set")
-		}
-
-		if meta.Region == "" {
-			return fmt.Errorf("metadata.region must be set")
-		}
-
-		p.Region = meta.Region
-
 		if err := checkEachNodeGroup(cfg, newNodeGroupChecker); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}