diff --git a/controllers/gce/backends/backends_test.go b/controllers/gce/backends/backends_test.go
index 951cbb1cd..08afd35f6 100644
--- a/controllers/gce/backends/backends_test.go
+++ b/controllers/gce/backends/backends_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package backends
 
 import (
+	"net/http"
 	"testing"
 
 	compute "google.golang.org/api/compute/v1"
@@ -25,10 +26,14 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/ingress/controllers/gce/storage"
 	"k8s.io/ingress/controllers/gce/utils"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/sets"
+
+	"google.golang.org/api/googleapi"
 )
 
 const defaultZone = "zone-a"
 
+var noOpErrFunc = func(op int, be *compute.BackendService) error { return nil }
+
 func newBackendPool(f BackendServices, fakeIGs instances.InstanceGroups, syncWithCloud bool) BackendPool {
 	namer := &utils.Namer{}
 	nodePool := instances.NewNodePool(fakeIGs)
@@ -40,7 +45,7 @@ func newBackendPool(f BackendServices, fakeIGs instances.InstanceGroups, syncWit
 }
 
 func TestBackendPoolAdd(t *testing.T) {
-	f := NewFakeBackendServices()
+	f := NewFakeBackendServices(noOpErrFunc)
 	fakeIGs := instances.NewFakeInstanceGroups(sets.NewString())
 	pool := newBackendPool(f, fakeIGs, false)
 	namer := utils.Namer{}
@@ -110,7 +115,7 @@ func TestBackendPoolSync(t *testing.T) {
 	// Call sync on a backend pool with a list of ports, make sure the pool
 	// creates/deletes required ports.
 	svcNodePorts := []int64{81, 82, 83}
-	f := NewFakeBackendServices()
+	f := NewFakeBackendServices(noOpErrFunc)
 	fakeIGs := instances.NewFakeInstanceGroups(sets.NewString())
 	pool := newBackendPool(f, fakeIGs, true)
 	pool.Add(81)
@@ -174,7 +179,7 @@ func TestBackendPoolSync(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestBackendPoolShutdown(t *testing.T) {
-	f := NewFakeBackendServices()
+	f := NewFakeBackendServices(noOpErrFunc)
 	fakeIGs := instances.NewFakeInstanceGroups(sets.NewString())
 	pool := newBackendPool(f, fakeIGs, false)
 	namer := utils.Namer{}
@@ -187,7 +192,7 @@ func TestBackendPoolShutdown(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestBackendInstanceGroupClobbering(t *testing.T) {
-	f := NewFakeBackendServices()
+	f := NewFakeBackendServices(noOpErrFunc)
 	fakeIGs := instances.NewFakeInstanceGroups(sets.NewString())
 	pool := newBackendPool(f, fakeIGs, false)
 	namer := utils.Namer{}
@@ -230,3 +235,40 @@ func TestBackendInstanceGroupClobbering(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("Expected %v Got %v", expectedGroups, gotGroups)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestBackendCreateBalancingMode(t *testing.T) {
+	f := NewFakeBackendServices(noOpErrFunc)
+
+	fakeIGs := instances.NewFakeInstanceGroups(sets.NewString())
+	pool := newBackendPool(f, fakeIGs, false)
+	namer := utils.Namer{}
+	nodePort := int64(8080)
+	modes := []BalancingMode{Rate, Utilization}
+
+	// block the creation of Backends with the given balancingMode
+	// and verify that a backend with the other balancingMode is
+	// created
+	for i, bm := range modes {
+		f.errFunc = func(op int, be *compute.BackendService) error {
+			for _, b := range be.Backends {
+				if b.BalancingMode == string(bm) {
+					return &googleapi.Error{Code: http.StatusBadRequest}
+				}
+			}
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		pool.Add(nodePort)
+		be, err := f.GetBackendService(namer.BeName(nodePort))
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("%v", err)
+		}
+
+		for _, b := range be.Backends {
+			if b.BalancingMode != string(modes[(i+1)%len(modes)]) {
+				t.Fatalf("Wrong balancing mode, expected %v got %v", modes[(i+1)%len(modes)], b.BalancingMode)
+			}
+		}
+		pool.GC([]int64{})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/controllers/gce/backends/fakes.go b/controllers/gce/backends/fakes.go
index a5eb1d006..bb2b031f0 100644
--- a/controllers/gce/backends/fakes.go
+++ b/controllers/gce/backends/fakes.go
@@ -25,8 +25,9 @@ import (
 )
 
 // NewFakeBackendServices creates a new fake backend services manager.
-func NewFakeBackendServices() *FakeBackendServices {
+func NewFakeBackendServices(ef func(op int, be *compute.BackendService) error) *FakeBackendServices {
 	return &FakeBackendServices{
+		errFunc: ef,
 		backendServices: cache.NewStore(func(obj interface{}) (string, error) {
 			svc := obj.(*compute.BackendService)
 			return svc.Name, nil
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ func NewFakeBackendServices() *FakeBackendServices {
 type FakeBackendServices struct {
 	backendServices cache.Store
 	calls           []int
+	errFunc         func(op int, be *compute.BackendService) error
 }
 
 // GetBackendService fakes getting a backend service from the cloud.
@@ -60,6 +62,11 @@ func (f *FakeBackendServices) GetBackendService(name string) (*compute.BackendSe
 
 // CreateBackendService fakes backend service creation.
 func (f *FakeBackendServices) CreateBackendService(be *compute.BackendService) error {
+	if f.errFunc != nil {
+		if err := f.errFunc(utils.Create, be); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
 	f.calls = append(f.calls, utils.Create)
 	be.SelfLink = be.Name
 	return f.backendServices.Update(be)
diff --git a/controllers/gce/controller/fakes.go b/controllers/gce/controller/fakes.go
index cfa3ed08f..ae97f0d9c 100644
--- a/controllers/gce/controller/fakes.go
+++ b/controllers/gce/controller/fakes.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/intstr"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/sets"
 
+	compute "google.golang.org/api/compute/v1"
 	"k8s.io/ingress/controllers/gce/backends"
 	"k8s.io/ingress/controllers/gce/firewalls"
 	"k8s.io/ingress/controllers/gce/healthchecks"
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ type fakeClusterManager struct {
 // NewFakeClusterManager creates a new fake ClusterManager.
 func NewFakeClusterManager(clusterName string) *fakeClusterManager {
 	fakeLbs := loadbalancers.NewFakeLoadBalancers(clusterName)
-	fakeBackends := backends.NewFakeBackendServices()
+	fakeBackends := backends.NewFakeBackendServices(func(op int, be *compute.BackendService) error { return nil })
 	fakeIGs := instances.NewFakeInstanceGroups(sets.NewString())
 	fakeHCs := healthchecks.NewFakeHealthChecks()
 	namer := utils.NewNamer(clusterName)
diff --git a/controllers/gce/loadbalancers/loadbalancers_test.go b/controllers/gce/loadbalancers/loadbalancers_test.go
index 4d6fe133b..f1373a933 100644
--- a/controllers/gce/loadbalancers/loadbalancers_test.go
+++ b/controllers/gce/loadbalancers/loadbalancers_test.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ const (
 )
 
 func newFakeLoadBalancerPool(f LoadBalancers, t *testing.T) LoadBalancerPool {
-	fakeBackends := backends.NewFakeBackendServices()
+	fakeBackends := backends.NewFakeBackendServices(func(op int, be *compute.BackendService) error { return nil })
 	fakeIGs := instances.NewFakeInstanceGroups(sets.NewString())
 	fakeHCs := healthchecks.NewFakeHealthChecks()
 	namer := &utils.Namer{}