diff --git a/cmd/aws/create.go b/cmd/aws/create.go
index f549e4e7..3625fb07 100644
--- a/cmd/aws/create.go
+++ b/cmd/aws/create.go
@@ -11,11 +11,13 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/aws"
+	awshttp "github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/aws/transport/http"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/config"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/ec2"
 	ec2Types "github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/ec2/types"
@@ -301,7 +303,16 @@ func createKubernetesAdminRole(ctx context.Context, clusterName string, iamClien
 
 	// Check if the IAM policy exists
 	cp, err := iamClient.GetPolicy(ctx, &iam.GetPolicyInput{PolicyArn: aws.String(fmt.Sprintf("arn:aws:iam::%s:policy/%s", *callerIdentity.Account, policyName))})
-	if err == nil && cp.Policy != nil {
+	if err != nil {
+		var newError *awshttp.ResponseError
+		if errors.As(err, newError) && newError.HTTPStatusCode() == http.StatusNotFound {
+			// Policy does not exist, continue
+		} else {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to get policy %q: %w", policyName, err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if cp.Policy != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("policy %q already exists: please delete the policy and try again", policyName)
 	}
 
@@ -342,7 +353,12 @@ func createKubernetesAdminRole(ctx context.Context, clusterName string, iamClien
 	// Check if a role with this name already exists
 	role, err := iamClient.GetRole(ctx, &iam.GetRoleInput{RoleName: aws.String(roleName)})
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to get role %q: %w %T %#v", roleName, err, err, err)
+		var newError *awshttp.ResponseError
+		if errors.As(err, newError) && newError.HTTPStatusCode() == http.StatusNotFound {
+			// Role does not exist, continue
+		} else {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to get role %q: %w", roleName, err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	if role.Role != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/aws/create_test.go b/cmd/aws/create_test.go
index a32e1bc4..b82fb917 100644
--- a/cmd/aws/create_test.go
+++ b/cmd/aws/create_test.go
@@ -271,9 +271,10 @@ func TestValidateCredentials(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			clusterName := "foobar"
 			checker := &internalaws.Checker{IAMClient: &mockAWSSimulator{FnSimulatePrincipalPolicy: fnGenerateSimulator(tt.simulator)}}
 
-			credentials, err := convertLocalCredsToSession(ctx, tt.mockStsClient, tt.mockIamClient, checker, tt.roleARN)
+			credentials, err := convertLocalCredsToSession(ctx, tt.mockStsClient, tt.mockIamClient, checker, tt.roleARN, clusterName)
 			if tt.wantErr {
 				require.Error(t, err)
 			} else {