diff --git a/sagemaker-train/src/sagemaker/train/defaults.py b/sagemaker-train/src/sagemaker/train/defaults.py
index 5ba6ddcbb8..3c36b817ec 100644
--- a/sagemaker-train/src/sagemaker/train/defaults.py
+++ b/sagemaker-train/src/sagemaker/train/defaults.py
@@ -100,12 +100,15 @@ def get_compute(compute: Optional[Compute] = None) -> Compute:
                 volume_size_in_gb=DEFAULT_VOLUME_SIZE,
             )
             logger.info(f"Compute not provided. Using default:\n{compute}")
-        if compute.instance_type is None:
-            compute.instance_type = DEFAULT_INSTANCE_TYPE
-            logger.info(f"Instance type not provided. Using default:\n{DEFAULT_INSTANCE_TYPE}")
-        if compute.instance_count is None:
-            compute.instance_count = DEFAULT_INSTANCE_COUNT
-            logger.info(f"Instance count not provided. Using default:\n{compute.instance_count}")
+        if not compute.instance_groups:
+            if compute.instance_type is None:
+                compute.instance_type = DEFAULT_INSTANCE_TYPE
+                logger.info(f"Instance type not provided. Using default:\n{DEFAULT_INSTANCE_TYPE}")
+            if compute.instance_count is None:
+                compute.instance_count = DEFAULT_INSTANCE_COUNT
+                logger.info(
+                    f"Instance count not provided. Using default:\n{compute.instance_count}"
+                )
         if compute.volume_size_in_gb is None:
             compute.volume_size_in_gb = DEFAULT_VOLUME_SIZE
             logger.info(f"Volume size not provided. Using default:\n{compute.volume_size_in_gb}")
@@ -225,11 +228,21 @@ def get_compute(
                 ),
             )
             logger.info(f"Compute not provided. Using default compute:\n{compute}")
-        if compute.instance_type is None and training_components_model.DefaultTrainingInstanceType:
-            compute.instance_type = training_components_model.DefaultTrainingInstanceType
-            logger.info(
-                f"Instance type not provided. Using default instance type:\n{compute.instance_type}"
-            )
+        if not compute.instance_groups:
+            if (
+                compute.instance_type is None
+                and training_components_model.DefaultTrainingInstanceType
+            ):
+                compute.instance_type = training_components_model.DefaultTrainingInstanceType
+                logger.info(
+                    f"Instance type not provided. Using default instance type:"
+                    f"\n{compute.instance_type}"
+                )
+            if compute.instance_count is None:
+                compute.instance_count = DEFAULT_INSTANCE_COUNT
+                logger.info(
+                    f"Instance count not provided. Using default instance count:\n{compute}"
+                )
         if compute.volume_size_in_gb is None:
             compute.volume_size_in_gb = (
                 training_components_model.TrainingVolumeSize or DEFAULT_VOLUME_SIZE
@@ -237,9 +250,6 @@ def get_compute(
             logger.info(
                 f"Volume size not provided. Using default volume size:\n{compute.volume_size_in_gb}"
             )
-        if compute.instance_count is None:
-            compute.instance_count = DEFAULT_INSTANCE_COUNT
-            logger.info(f"Instance count not provided. Using default instance count:\n{compute}")
         return compute
 
     def get_networking(