diff --git a/ci/testnet-deploy.sh b/ci/testnet-deploy.sh
index c0542dbde8..0aba7cfd86 100755
--- a/ci/testnet-deploy.sh
+++ b/ci/testnet-deploy.sh
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ enableGpu=false
 bootDiskType=""
 leaderRotation=true
 useTarReleaseChannel=false
+apiNode=false
 
 usage() {
   exitcode=0
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ Deploys a CD testnet
                                  (default: $tarChannelOrTag)
    -n [number]          - Number of additional full nodes (default: $additionalFullNodeCount)
    -c [number]          - Number of client bencher nodes (default: $clientNodeCount)
+   -u                   - Include an API node (default: $apiNode)
    -P                   - Use public network IP addresses (default: $publicNetwork)
    -G                   - Enable GPU, and set count/type of GPUs to use (e.g n1-standard-16 --accelerator count=4,type=nvidia-tesla-k80)
    -g                   - Enable GPU (default: $enableGpu)
@@ -67,7 +69,7 @@ zone=$3
 [[ -n $zone ]] || usage "Zone not specified"
 shift 3
 
-while getopts "h?p:Pn:c:s:t:gG:a:Dbd:r" opt; do
+while getopts "h?p:Pn:c:s:t:gG:a:Dbd:ru" opt; do
   case $opt in
   h | \?)
     usage
@@ -124,6 +126,9 @@ while getopts "h?p:Pn:c:s:t:gG:a:Dbd:r" opt; do
   r)
     skipSetup=true
     ;;
+  u)
+    apiNode=true
+    ;;
   *)
     usage "Error: unhandled option: $opt"
     ;;
@@ -166,6 +171,10 @@ if ! $skipSetup; then
     -n "$additionalFullNodeCount"
   )
 
+  if $apiNode; then
+    create_args+=(-u)
+  fi
+
   if [[ -n $bootDiskType ]]; then
     create_args+=(-d "$bootDiskType")
   fi