diff --git a/pkg/providers/cloudstack/config/template-md.yaml b/pkg/providers/cloudstack/config/template-md.yaml
index 4229bbe63874f..0c6607befceb9 100644
--- a/pkg/providers/cloudstack/config/template-md.yaml
+++ b/pkg/providers/cloudstack/config/template-md.yaml
@@ -133,14 +133,16 @@ metadata:
     cluster.x-k8s.io/cluster-name: {{.clusterName}}
   name: {{.workerNodeGroupName}}
   namespace: {{.eksaSystemNamespace}}
-  {{- if .autoscalingConfig }}
+{{- if .autoscalingConfig }}
   annotations:
     cluster.x-k8s.io/cluster-api-autoscaler-node-group-min-size: "{{ .autoscalingConfig.MinCount }}"
     cluster.x-k8s.io/cluster-api-autoscaler-node-group-max-size: "{{ .autoscalingConfig.MaxCount }}"
 {{- end }}
 spec:
   clusterName: {{.clusterName}}
+{{- if not .autoscalingConfig }}
   replicas: {{.workerReplicas}}
+{{- end }}
   selector:
     matchLabels: {}
   template:
diff --git a/pkg/providers/cloudstack/testdata/expected_results_main_autoscaling_md.yaml b/pkg/providers/cloudstack/testdata/expected_results_main_autoscaling_md.yaml
index a4c30a6cd0469..a69af7639a2ab 100644
--- a/pkg/providers/cloudstack/testdata/expected_results_main_autoscaling_md.yaml
+++ b/pkg/providers/cloudstack/testdata/expected_results_main_autoscaling_md.yaml
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ metadata:
     cluster.x-k8s.io/cluster-api-autoscaler-node-group-max-size: "5"
 spec:
   clusterName: test
-  replicas: 3
   selector:
     matchLabels: {}
   template:
diff --git a/pkg/providers/docker/config/template-md.yaml b/pkg/providers/docker/config/template-md.yaml
index b0e9cc8592ce1..8a806cc3d87fd 100644
--- a/pkg/providers/docker/config/template-md.yaml
+++ b/pkg/providers/docker/config/template-md.yaml
@@ -87,7 +87,9 @@ metadata:
 {{- end }}
 spec:
   clusterName: {{.clusterName}}
+{{- if not .autoscalingConfig }}
   replicas: {{.workerReplicas}}
+{{- end }}
   selector:
     matchLabels: null
   template:
diff --git a/pkg/providers/docker/testdata/valid_autoscaler_deployment_md_expected.yaml b/pkg/providers/docker/testdata/valid_autoscaler_deployment_md_expected.yaml
index 57092cdf7f8ae..c0aa5ac7c1703 100644
--- a/pkg/providers/docker/testdata/valid_autoscaler_deployment_md_expected.yaml
+++ b/pkg/providers/docker/testdata/valid_autoscaler_deployment_md_expected.yaml
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ metadata:
     cluster.x-k8s.io/cluster-api-autoscaler-node-group-max-size: "5"
 spec:
   clusterName: test-cluster
-  replicas: 3
   selector:
     matchLabels: null
   template:
diff --git a/pkg/providers/nutanix/config/md-template.yaml b/pkg/providers/nutanix/config/md-template.yaml
index ac63a9ffff750..b42cefe60e845 100644
--- a/pkg/providers/nutanix/config/md-template.yaml
+++ b/pkg/providers/nutanix/config/md-template.yaml
@@ -5,14 +5,16 @@ metadata:
     cluster.x-k8s.io/cluster-name: "{{.clusterName}}"
   name: "{{.workerNodeGroupName}}"
   namespace: "{{.eksaSystemNamespace}}"
-  {{- if .autoscalingConfig }}
+{{- if .autoscalingConfig }}
   annotations:
     cluster.x-k8s.io/cluster-api-autoscaler-node-group-min-size: "{{ .autoscalingConfig.MinCount }}"
     cluster.x-k8s.io/cluster-api-autoscaler-node-group-max-size: "{{ .autoscalingConfig.MaxCount }}"
-  {{- end }}
+{{- end }}
 spec:
   clusterName: "{{.clusterName}}"
+{{- if not .autoscalingConfig }}
   replicas: {{.workerReplicas}}
+{{- end }}
   selector:
     matchLabels: {}
   template:
diff --git a/pkg/providers/nutanix/testdata/expected_results_autoscaling_md.yaml b/pkg/providers/nutanix/testdata/expected_results_autoscaling_md.yaml
index 3a2a9fc1eba38..36350779f950c 100644
--- a/pkg/providers/nutanix/testdata/expected_results_autoscaling_md.yaml
+++ b/pkg/providers/nutanix/testdata/expected_results_autoscaling_md.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ metadata:
     cluster.x-k8s.io/cluster-api-autoscaler-node-group-max-size: "5"
 spec:
   clusterName: "eksa-unit-test"
-  replicas: 3
   selector:
     matchLabels: {}
   template:
diff --git a/pkg/providers/tinkerbell/config/template-md.yaml b/pkg/providers/tinkerbell/config/template-md.yaml
index 83e39ed128df3..726b7a4eea5b9 100644
--- a/pkg/providers/tinkerbell/config/template-md.yaml
+++ b/pkg/providers/tinkerbell/config/template-md.yaml
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ metadata:
 {{- end }}
 spec:
   clusterName: {{.clusterName}}
+{{- if not .autoscalingConfig }}
   replicas: {{.workerReplicas}}
+{{- end }}
   selector:
     matchLabels: {}
   template:
diff --git a/pkg/providers/tinkerbell/testdata/expected_results_cluster_tinkerbell_autoscaler_md.yaml b/pkg/providers/tinkerbell/testdata/expected_results_cluster_tinkerbell_autoscaler_md.yaml
index 38be178580505..eab49bb2312b5 100644
--- a/pkg/providers/tinkerbell/testdata/expected_results_cluster_tinkerbell_autoscaler_md.yaml
+++ b/pkg/providers/tinkerbell/testdata/expected_results_cluster_tinkerbell_autoscaler_md.yaml
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ metadata:
     cluster.x-k8s.io/cluster-api-autoscaler-node-group-max-size: "5"
 spec:
   clusterName: test
-  replicas: 1
   selector:
     matchLabels: {}
   template:
diff --git a/pkg/providers/vsphere/config/template-md.yaml b/pkg/providers/vsphere/config/template-md.yaml
index 164b6c2de1a8a..62e32ed3f4b33 100644
--- a/pkg/providers/vsphere/config/template-md.yaml
+++ b/pkg/providers/vsphere/config/template-md.yaml
@@ -172,7 +172,9 @@ metadata:
 {{- end }}
 spec:
   clusterName: {{.clusterName}}
+{{- if not .autoscalingConfig }}
   replicas: {{.workerReplicas}}
+{{- end }}
   selector:
     matchLabels: {}
   template:
diff --git a/pkg/providers/vsphere/testdata/expected_results_minimal_autoscaling_md.yaml b/pkg/providers/vsphere/testdata/expected_results_minimal_autoscaling_md.yaml
index 0d8968d4bc8d9..b9918819ddb09 100644
--- a/pkg/providers/vsphere/testdata/expected_results_minimal_autoscaling_md.yaml
+++ b/pkg/providers/vsphere/testdata/expected_results_minimal_autoscaling_md.yaml
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ metadata:
     cluster.x-k8s.io/cluster-api-autoscaler-node-group-max-size: "5"
 spec:
   clusterName: test
-  replicas: 3
   selector:
     matchLabels: {}
   template: