# Ensure Compute Engine VM Instances Have Automatic Restart Enabled

- Source: https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/articles/a_1788888295640615-ensure-compute-engine-vm-instances-have-automatic-restart-enabled
- Section: [Solutions](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions) › [GCP Benchmarks](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/62000112667) › [GCP Knowledge Bases](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/folders/62000169178)
- Last updated: 2026-09-08
- Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com)

**Description**

Ensure that Compute Engine VM instances have the Automatic restart setting enabled so that the instance automatically restarts if it terminates unexpectedly due to a non-user-initiated event, such as a host system maintenance failure or a hardware error.

**Rationale**

Without automatic restart enabled, a VM that terminates unexpectedly due to an infrastructure failure will remain stopped until manually restarted, extending unplanned downtime for the workload running on it. Enabling automatic restart improves the resiliency and availability of the instance without requiring manual intervention after a host-level failure.

**Impact**

-   Reduces unplanned downtime following host system failures or unexpected terminations
    
-   Improves the overall availability of workloads running on individual VM instances
    
-   Does not protect against user-initiated stops, which are unaffected by this setting
    

**Default Value**

Automatic restart is enabled by default for new Compute Engine VM instances, but may have been disabled on some instances and should be verified.

**Pre-Requisites**

-   IAM permissions to view and edit Compute Engine instance settings (e.g., Compute Instance Admin)
    

**Test Plan**

1.  Sign in to the Google Cloud Console at [https://console.cloud.google.com](https://console.cloud.google.com/).
    
2.  Select the relevant project.
    
3.  Navigate to Compute Engine > VM instances and select the instance to review.
    
4.  Open the instance details and locate the Availability policy section.
    
5.  Verify that Automatic restart is set to On.
    
6.  If Automatic restart is set to Off, follow the implementation steps.
    

**Implementation Steps**

1.  Sign in to the Google Cloud Console at [https://console.cloud.google.com](https://console.cloud.google.com/).
    
2.  Select the relevant project.
    
3.  Navigate to Compute Engine > VM instances and select the instance to update.
    
4.  Select Edit (note that the instance may need to be stopped for this field to be editable, depending on the field).
    
5.  Under Availability policy, set Automatic restart to On.
    
6.  Click Save to apply the change.
    
7.  Confirm the instance details now reflect Automatic restart as On.
    

**Backout Plan**

1.  Sign in to the Google Cloud Console at [https://console.cloud.google.com](https://console.cloud.google.com/).
    
2.  Select the relevant project.
    
3.  Navigate to Compute Engine > VM instances and select the affected instance.
    
4.  Select Edit.
    
5.  Under Availability policy, set Automatic restart to Off.
    
6.  Click Save to apply the change.
    

**Reference**

-   [https://cloud.google.com/compute/docs/instances/setting-vm-host-options](https://cloud.google.com/compute/docs/instances/setting-vm-host-options)

## Related compliance guidance

- [SOC 2 compliance: a practical implementation guide for cloud-native SaaS teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria): Configuration checks like this one are the technical half of a SOC 2 / ISO 27001 programme — the guide shows where they fit, what else an auditor expects, and how to evidence them.
- [ISO/IEC 27001:2022 compliance: a practical implementation guide](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022): ISO 27001 Annex A.8 (technological controls) is where cloud hardening evidence lands; the guide shows how to run the ISMS around it.