diff --git a/awx/main/models/inventory.py b/awx/main/models/inventory.py
index 9f466964e2..b7e3e59ea5 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/inventory.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/inventory.py
@@ -2339,6 +2339,8 @@ class gce(PluginFileInjector):
             'gce_tags': 'tags.get("items", [])',
             'gce_zone': 'zone',
             'gce_metadata': 'metadata.get("items", []) | items2dict(key_name="key", value_name="value")',
+            # NOTE: image hostvar is enabled via retrieve_image_info option
+            'gce_image': 'image',
             # We need this as long as hostnames is non-default, otherwise hosts
             # will not be addressed correctly, was returned in script
             'ansible_ssh_host': 'networkInterfaces[0].accessConfigs[0].natIP'
@@ -2367,7 +2369,9 @@ class gce(PluginFileInjector):
             {'prefix': '', 'separator': '', 'key': 'machineType'},
             {'prefix': '', 'separator': '', 'key': 'zone'},
             {'prefix': 'tag', 'key': 'gce_tags'},  # composed var
-            {'prefix': 'status', 'key': 'status | lower'}
+            {'prefix': 'status', 'key': 'status | lower'},
+            # NOTE: image hostvar is enabled via retrieve_image_info option
+            {'prefix': '', 'separator': '', 'key': 'image'},
         ]
         # This will be used as the gce instance_id, must be universal, non-compat
         compose_dict = {'gce_id': 'id'}
@@ -2376,6 +2380,8 @@ class gce(PluginFileInjector):
         # TODO: proper group_by and instance_filters support, irrelevant of compat mode
         # The gce.py script never sanitized any names in any way
         ret['use_contrib_script_compatible_sanitization'] = True
+        # Perform extra API query to get the image hostvar
+        ret['retrieve_image_info'] = True
         # Add in old hostvars aliases
         compose_dict.update(self._compat_compose_vars())
         # Non-default names to match script
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/data/inventory/plugins/gce/files/gcp_compute.yml b/awx/main/tests/data/inventory/plugins/gce/files/gcp_compute.yml
index 5015fb38a2..7192bf8647 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/data/inventory/plugins/gce/files/gcp_compute.yml
+++ b/awx/main/tests/data/inventory/plugins/gce/files/gcp_compute.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ compose:
   ansible_ssh_host: networkInterfaces[0].accessConfigs[0].natIP
   gce_description: description if description else None
   gce_id: id
+  gce_image: image
   gce_machine_type: machineType
   gce_metadata: metadata.get("items", []) | items2dict(key_name="key", value_name="value")
   gce_name: name
@@ -36,9 +37,13 @@ keyed_groups:
   prefix: tag
 - key: status | lower
   prefix: status
+- key: image
+  prefix: ''
+  separator: ''
 plugin: gcp_compute
 projects:
 - fooo
+retrieve_image_info: true
 service_account_file: {{ file_reference }}
 use_contrib_script_compatible_sanitization: true
 zones: