diff --git a/.github/release/clusters/logos-storage-rel-tests-gcp-europe-west4/main.tf b/.github/release/clusters/logos-storage-rel-tests-gcp-europe-west4/main.tf
index c280ac1b..294c2915 100644
--- a/.github/release/clusters/logos-storage-rel-tests-gcp-europe-west4/main.tf
+++ b/.github/release/clusters/logos-storage-rel-tests-gcp-europe-west4/main.tf
@@ -1,46 +1,30 @@
-# Kubernetes cluster — runners-ci pool is configured inline in the module
+# Both node pools are inline in the module so GCP provisions them in parallel.
 module "gke" {
   source = "../modules/gke"
 
-  name                       = "logos-storage-rel-tests"
-  project                    = var.project
-  region                     = var.region
-  zone                       = var.zone
-  node_pool_name             = "runners-ci-e2-standard-2"
-  node_pool_machine_type     = "e2-standard-2"
-  node_pool_min              = 1
-  node_pool_max              = 5
+  name    = "logos-storage-rel-tests"
+  project = var.project
+  region  = var.region
+  zone    = var.zone
+
+  node_pool_name         = "runners-ci-e2-standard-2"
+  node_pool_machine_type = "e2-standard-2"
+  node_pool_min          = 1
+  node_pool_max          = 5
   node_pool_labels = {
     allow-tests-pods = "false"
     default-pool     = "true"
     scaling-type     = "auto"
     workload-type    = "tests-runners-ci"
   }
-}
 
-# Node pool - Tests Pods
-resource "google_container_node_pool" "tests-pods" {
-  name     = "tests-e2-medium"
-  cluster  = module.gke.kubernetes_cluster_id
-  location = var.zone
-  project  = var.project
-
-  autoscaling {
-    min_node_count = 0
-    max_node_count = 10
-  }
-
-  node_config {
-    machine_type = "e2-medium"
-    spot         = true
-    labels = {
-      allow-tests-pods = "true"
-      default-pool     = "false"
-      scaling-type     = "auto"
-      workload-type    = "tests-pods"
-    }
-    oauth_scopes = [
-      "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform",
-    ]
+  tests_pool_name         = "tests-e2-medium"
+  tests_pool_machine_type = "e2-medium"
+  tests_pool_max          = 10
+  tests_pool_labels = {
+    allow-tests-pods = "true"
+    default-pool     = "false"
+    scaling-type     = "auto"
+    workload-type    = "tests-pods"
   }
 }
diff --git a/.github/release/clusters/modules/gke/main.tf b/.github/release/clusters/modules/gke/main.tf
index ba63ed0d..5c126bf9 100644
--- a/.github/release/clusters/modules/gke/main.tf
+++ b/.github/release/clusters/modules/gke/main.tf
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-# Kubernetes cluster — runners-ci pool configured inline to avoid the
-# remove_default_node_pool create-then-delete cycle that adds ~5 min.
+# Both node pools are inline so GCP provisions them in parallel during
+# cluster creation, avoiding the sequential create penalty of a separate
+# google_container_node_pool resource.
 resource "google_container_cluster" "this" {
   name     = local.name
   location = var.zone
@@ -29,4 +30,24 @@ resource "google_container_cluster" "this" {
       ]
     }
   }
+
+  node_pool {
+    name               = var.tests_pool_name
+    initial_node_count = 0
+
+    autoscaling {
+      min_node_count = 0
+      max_node_count = var.tests_pool_max
+    }
+
+    node_config {
+      machine_type = var.tests_pool_machine_type
+      spot         = true
+      labels       = var.tests_pool_labels
+
+      oauth_scopes = [
+        "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform",
+      ]
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/.github/release/clusters/modules/gke/variables.tf b/.github/release/clusters/modules/gke/variables.tf
index caf78c7f..d7b166df 100644
--- a/.github/release/clusters/modules/gke/variables.tf
+++ b/.github/release/clusters/modules/gke/variables.tf
@@ -48,3 +48,25 @@ variable "node_pool_labels" {
     scaling-type = "auto"
   }
 }
+
+# Tests node pool (spot, scales to zero)
+variable "tests_pool_name" {
+  type        = string
+  description = "Name for the tests node pool."
+}
+
+variable "tests_pool_machine_type" {
+  type        = string
+  description = "The GCE machine type for nodes in the tests pool."
+}
+
+variable "tests_pool_max" {
+  type        = number
+  description = "Maximum number of nodes in the tests pool."
+}
+
+variable "tests_pool_labels" {
+  type        = map(string)
+  description = "Kubernetes labels to apply to nodes in the tests pool."
+  default     = {}
+}