diff --git a/cmd/kops/create_cluster.go b/cmd/kops/create_cluster.go
index 78098721a6..7216d2503c 100644
--- a/cmd/kops/create_cluster.go
+++ b/cmd/kops/create_cluster.go
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ func RunCreateCluster(ctx context.Context, f *util.Factory, out io.Writer, c *Cr
 		cluster.Spec.MasterPublicName = c.MasterPublicName
 	}
 
-	if err := commands.SetClusterFields(c.Overrides, cluster, instanceGroups); err != nil {
+	if err := commands.SetClusterFields(c.Overrides, cluster); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/commands/set_cluster.go b/pkg/commands/set_cluster.go
index 27320325f3..63c69e9ed8 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/set_cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/set_cluster.go
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func RunSetCluster(ctx context.Context, f *util.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command, out
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if err := SetClusterFields(options.Fields, cluster, instanceGroups); err != nil {
+	if err := SetClusterFields(options.Fields, cluster); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func RunSetCluster(ctx context.Context, f *util.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command, out
 }
 
 // SetClusterFields sets field values in the cluster
-func SetClusterFields(fields []string, cluster *api.Cluster, instanceGroups []*api.InstanceGroup) error {
+func SetClusterFields(fields []string, cluster *api.Cluster) error {
 	for _, field := range fields {
 		kv := strings.SplitN(field, "=", 2)
 		if len(kv) != 2 {
diff --git a/pkg/commands/set_cluster_test.go b/pkg/commands/set_cluster_test.go
index cd9452cb33..31cf70cdee 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/set_cluster_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/set_cluster_test.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ func TestSetClusterBadInput(t *testing.T) {
 		"bad-set-input",
 	}
 
-	err := SetClusterFields(fields, &kops.Cluster{}, []*kops.InstanceGroup{})
+	err := SetClusterFields(fields, &kops.Cluster{})
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Errorf("expected a field parsing error, but received none")
 	}
@@ -310,10 +310,9 @@ func TestSetClusterFields(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for _, g := range grid {
-		var igs []*kops.InstanceGroup
 		c := g.Input
 
-		err := SetClusterFields(g.Fields, &c, igs)
+		err := SetClusterFields(g.Fields, &c)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Errorf("unexpected error from setClusterFields %v: %v", g.Fields, err)
 			continue
@@ -362,10 +361,9 @@ func TestSetCiliumFields(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for _, g := range grid {
-		var igs []*kops.InstanceGroup
 		c := g.Input
 
-		err := SetClusterFields(g.Fields, &c, igs)
+		err := SetClusterFields(g.Fields, &c)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Errorf("unexpected error from setClusterFields %v: %v", g.Fields, err)
 			continue