diff --git a/pkg/i2gw/providers/gce/gce_extensions.go b/pkg/i2gw/providers/gce/gce_extensions.go
index d566d575..d2120254 100644
--- a/pkg/i2gw/providers/gce/gce_extensions.go
+++ b/pkg/i2gw/providers/gce/gce_extensions.go
@@ -167,21 +167,16 @@ func buildGceServiceExtensions(ir intermediate.IR, gatewayResources *i2gw.Gatewa
 }
 
 func addBackendPolicyIfConfigured(serviceNamespacedName types.NamespacedName, serviceIR intermediate.ProviderSpecificServiceIR) *gkegatewayv1.GCPBackendPolicy {
-	if serviceIR.Gce == nil || serviceIR.Gce.SessionAffinity == nil {
+	if serviceIR.Gce == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	affinityType := serviceIR.Gce.SessionAffinity.AffinityType
 	backendPolicy := gkegatewayv1.GCPBackendPolicy{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 			Namespace: serviceNamespacedName.Namespace,
 			Name:      serviceNamespacedName.Name,
 		},
 		Spec: gkegatewayv1.GCPBackendPolicySpec{
-			Default: &gkegatewayv1.GCPBackendPolicyConfig{
-				SessionAffinity: &gkegatewayv1.SessionAffinityConfig{
-					Type: &affinityType,
-				},
-			},
+			Default: &gkegatewayv1.GCPBackendPolicyConfig{},
 			TargetRef: gatewayv1alpha2.NamespacedPolicyTargetReference{
 				Group: "",
 				Kind:  "Service",
@@ -189,10 +184,18 @@ func addBackendPolicyIfConfigured(serviceNamespacedName types.NamespacedName, se
 			},
 		},
 	}
-	if affinityType == "GENERATED_COOKIE" {
-		backendPolicy.Spec.Default.SessionAffinity.CookieTTLSec = serviceIR.Gce.SessionAffinity.CookieTTLSec
+	backendPolicy.SetGroupVersionKind(GCPBackendPolicyGVK)
+
+	if serviceIR.Gce.SessionAffinity != nil {
+		affinityType := serviceIR.Gce.SessionAffinity.AffinityType
+		saConfig := gkegatewayv1.SessionAffinityConfig{
+			Type: &affinityType,
+		}
+		if affinityType == "GENERATED_COOKIE" {
+			saConfig.CookieTTLSec = serviceIR.Gce.SessionAffinity.CookieTTLSec
+		}
+		backendPolicy.Spec.Default.SessionAffinity = &saConfig
 	}
 
-	backendPolicy.SetGroupVersionKind(GCPBackendPolicyGVK)
 	return &backendPolicy
 }