diff --git a/.changelog/6908.txt b/.changelog/6908.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..996185c6829
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/6908.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:bug
+container: fixed GKE permadiff/thrashing when `update_settings. max_surge` or `update_settings. max_unavailable` values are updating on `google_container_node_pool`
+```
diff --git a/google/resource_container_node_pool.go b/google/resource_container_node_pool.go
index 7fbe78e573a..6a4b511dd06 100644
--- a/google/resource_container_node_pool.go
+++ b/google/resource_container_node_pool.go
@@ -1474,6 +1474,10 @@ func nodePoolUpdate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}, nodePoolInfo *Node
 				if v, ok := upgradeSettingsConfig["max_surge"]; ok {
 					upgradeSettings.MaxSurge = int64(v.(int))
 				}
+				// max_unavailable not be preserved if only max_surge is updated
+				if v, ok := upgradeSettingsConfig["max_unavailable"]; ok {
+					upgradeSettings.MaxUnavailable = int64(v.(int))
+				}
 			}
 
 			if d.HasChange(prefix + "upgrade_settings.0.max_unavailable") {
@@ -1483,6 +1487,10 @@ func nodePoolUpdate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}, nodePoolInfo *Node
 				if v, ok := upgradeSettingsConfig["max_unavailable"]; ok {
 					upgradeSettings.MaxUnavailable = int64(v.(int))
 				}
+				// max_surge not be preserved if only max_unavailable is updated
+				if v, ok := upgradeSettingsConfig["max_surge"]; ok {
+					upgradeSettings.MaxSurge = int64(v.(int))
+				}
 			}
 
 			if d.HasChange(prefix + "upgrade_settings.0.blue_green_settings") {
diff --git a/google/resource_container_node_pool_test.go b/google/resource_container_node_pool_test.go
index 5775b835753..4edbef70b86 100644
--- a/google/resource_container_node_pool_test.go
+++ b/google/resource_container_node_pool_test.go
@@ -475,6 +475,14 @@ func TestAccContainerNodePool_withUpgradeSettings(t *testing.T) {
 				ImportState:       true,
 				ImportStateVerify: true,
 			},
+			{
+				Config: testAccContainerNodePool_withUpgradeSettings(cluster, np, 2, 1, "SURGE", "", 0, 0.0, ""),
+			},
+			{
+				ResourceName:      "google_container_node_pool.with_upgrade_settings",
+				ImportState:       true,
+				ImportStateVerify: true,
+			},
 			{
 				Config: testAccContainerNodePool_withUpgradeSettings(cluster, np, 1, 1, "SURGE", "", 0, 0.0, ""),
 			},