diff --git a/ecs/Dockerfile b/ecs/Dockerfile
index 185a080e..e5b506b9 100644
--- a/ecs/Dockerfile
+++ b/ecs/Dockerfile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # syntax = docker/dockerfile:experimental
 ARG GO_VERSION=1.14.4-alpine
-ARG ALPINE_PKG_DOCKER_VERSION=19.03.11-r0
+ARG ALPINE_PKG_DOCKER_VERSION=19.03.12-r0
 ARG GOLANGCI_LINT_VERSION=v1.27.0-alpine
 
 FROM --platform=${BUILDPLATFORM} golang:${GO_VERSION} AS base
diff --git a/ecs/pkg/amazon/backend/up.go b/ecs/pkg/amazon/backend/up.go
index 3ea21d17..ee871fe5 100644
--- a/ecs/pkg/amazon/backend/up.go
+++ b/ecs/pkg/amazon/backend/up.go
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ func (b *Backend) Up(ctx context.Context, options cli.ProjectOptions) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if len(subNets) < 2 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("VPC %s should have at least 2 associated subnets in different availability zones", vpc)
+	}
 
 	lb, err := b.GetLoadBalancer(ctx, project)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -95,6 +98,7 @@ func (b Backend) GetVPC(ctx context.Context, project *types.Project) (string, er
 		if !ok {
 			return "", fmt.Errorf("VPC does not exist: %s", vpc)
 		}
+		return vpcID, nil
 	}
 	defaultVPC, err := b.api.GetDefaultVPC(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/ecs/pkg/amazon/sdk/sdk.go b/ecs/pkg/amazon/sdk/sdk.go
index 3ccb668c..7b5af748 100644
--- a/ecs/pkg/amazon/sdk/sdk.go
+++ b/ecs/pkg/amazon/sdk/sdk.go
@@ -125,10 +125,6 @@ func (s sdk) GetSubNets(ctx context.Context, vpcID string) ([]string, error) {
 				Name:   aws.String("vpc-id"),
 				Values: []*string{aws.String(vpcID)},
 			},
-			{
-				Name:   aws.String("default-for-az"),
-				Values: []*string{aws.String("true")},
-			},
 		},
 	})
 	if err != nil {