diff --git a/machine/v1/types_controlplanemachineset.go b/machine/v1/types_controlplanemachineset.go
index 1a61a4c95a8..bcfdcc2539f 100644
--- a/machine/v1/types_controlplanemachineset.go
+++ b/machine/v1/types_controlplanemachineset.go
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ type FailureDomains struct {
 type AWSFailureDomain struct {
 	// Subnet is a reference to the subnet to use for this instance
 	// +optional
-	Subnet AWSResourceReference `json:"subnet,omitempty"`
+	Subnet *AWSResourceReference `json:"subnet,omitempty"`
 
 	// Placement configures the placement information for this instance
 	// +optional
diff --git a/machine/v1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/machine/v1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index 0926bb887f8..12842ef52e0 100644
--- a/machine/v1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/machine/v1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -14,7 +14,11 @@ import (
 // DeepCopyInto is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, writing into out. in must be non-nil.
 func (in *AWSFailureDomain) DeepCopyInto(out *AWSFailureDomain) {
 	*out = *in
-	in.Subnet.DeepCopyInto(&out.Subnet)
+	if in.Subnet != nil {
+		in, out := &in.Subnet, &out.Subnet
+		*out = new(AWSResourceReference)
+		(*in).DeepCopyInto(*out)
+	}
 	out.Placement = in.Placement
 	return
 }