diff --git a/drivers/google/compute_util.go b/drivers/google/compute_util.go
index c160c2ce02..6079dfdf32 100644
--- a/drivers/google/compute_util.go
+++ b/drivers/google/compute_util.go
@@ -177,8 +177,6 @@ func (c *ComputeUtil) createInstance(d *Driver) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	tags := append(d.Tags, firewallTargetTag)
-
 	instance := &raw.Instance{
 		Name:        c.instanceName,
 		Description: "docker host vm",
@@ -200,7 +198,7 @@ func (c *ComputeUtil) createInstance(d *Driver) error {
 			},
 		},
 		Tags: &raw.Tags{
-			Items: tags,
+			Items: parseTags(d),
 		},
 		ServiceAccounts: []*raw.ServiceAccount{
 			{
@@ -277,6 +275,17 @@ func (c *ComputeUtil) createInstance(d *Driver) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// parseTags computes the tags for the instance.
+func parseTags(d *Driver) []string {
+	tags := []string{firewallTargetTag}
+
+	if d.Tags != "" {
+		tags = append(tags, strings.Split(d.Tags, ",")...)
+	}
+
+	return tags
+}
+
 // deleteInstance deletes the instance, leaving the persistent disk.
 func (c *ComputeUtil) deleteInstance() error {
 	log.Infof("Deleting instance.")
diff --git a/drivers/google/compute_util_test.go b/drivers/google/compute_util_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3bebc3025c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/google/compute_util_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package google
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestDefaultTag(t *testing.T) {
+	tags := parseTags(&Driver{Tags: ""})
+
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"docker-machine"}, tags)
+}
+
+func TestAdditionalTag(t *testing.T) {
+	tags := parseTags(&Driver{Tags: "tag1"})
+
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"docker-machine", "tag1"}, tags)
+}
+
+func TestAdditionalTags(t *testing.T) {
+	tags := parseTags(&Driver{Tags: "tag1,tag2"})
+
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"docker-machine", "tag1", "tag2"}, tags)
+}
diff --git a/drivers/google/google.go b/drivers/google/google.go
index 3f7054ee3d..f210c9319b 100644
--- a/drivers/google/google.go
+++ b/drivers/google/google.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ type Driver struct {
 	DiskSize      int
 	AuthTokenPath string
 	Project       string
-	Tags          []string
+	Tags          string
 }
 
 const (
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ func (d *Driver) SetConfigFromFlags(flags drivers.DriverOptions) error {
 	d.AuthTokenPath = flags.String("google-auth-token")
 	d.Project = flags.String("google-project")
 	d.Scopes = flags.String("google-scopes")
-	d.Tags = flags.StringSlice("google-tags")
+	d.Tags = flags.String("google-tags")
 	d.SwarmMaster = flags.Bool("swarm-master")
 	d.SwarmHost = flags.String("swarm-host")
 	d.SwarmDiscovery = flags.String("swarm-discovery")