diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 7dfabf6980..a4e3a83df6 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -47,3 +47,6 @@ logs/*
 
 # Ignore social cards cache
 userdocs/.cache/*
+
+# Visual Studio Code
+.vscode/
diff --git a/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha5/addon.go b/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha5/addon.go
index 984c1861c5..40995c0f3d 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha5/addon.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha5/addon.go
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ func (a Addon) Validate() error {
 
 	if a.HasPodIDsSet() {
 		if a.CanonicalName() == PodIdentityAgentAddon {
-			return invalidAddonConfigErr(fmt.Sprintf("cannot set pod identity associtations for %q addon", PodIdentityAgentAddon))
+			return invalidAddonConfigErr(fmt.Sprintf("cannot set pod identity associations for %q addon", PodIdentityAgentAddon))
 		}
 
 		for i, pia := range *a.PodIdentityAssociations {
diff --git a/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha5/addon_test.go b/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha5/addon_test.go
index ca04420825..762c46f0e3 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha5/addon_test.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha5/addon_test.go
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Addon", func() {
 					Name:                    api.PodIdentityAgentAddon,
 					PodIdentityAssociations: &[]api.PodIdentityAssociation{{}},
 				},
-				expectedErr: "cannot set pod identity associtations for \"eks-pod-identity-agent\" addon",
+				expectedErr: "cannot set pod identity associations for \"eks-pod-identity-agent\" addon",
 			}),
 			Entry("namespace is not set", addonWithPodIDEntry{
 				addon: api.Addon{
diff --git a/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha5/validation.go b/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha5/validation.go
index 078eada6bc..27698dd7e4 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha5/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha5/validation.go
@@ -535,6 +535,15 @@ func (c *ClusterConfig) addonContainsManagedAddons(addons []string) []string {
 	return missing
 }
 
+func (c *ClusterConfig) getAddon(name string) *Addon {
+	for _, addon := range c.Addons {
+		if addon.Name == name {
+			return addon
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // ValidateClusterEndpointConfig checks the endpoint configuration for potential issues
 func (c *ClusterConfig) ValidateClusterEndpointConfig() error {
 	if c.VPC.ClusterEndpoints != nil {
@@ -607,8 +616,26 @@ func (c *ClusterConfig) validateKubernetesNetworkConfig() error {
 			if missing := c.addonContainsManagedAddons([]string{VPCCNIAddon, CoreDNSAddon, KubeProxyAddon}); len(missing) != 0 {
 				return fmt.Errorf("the default core addons must be defined for IPv6; missing addon(s): %s; either define them or use EKS Auto Mode", strings.Join(missing, ", "))
 			}
-			if c.IAM == nil || c.IAM != nil && IsDisabled(c.IAM.WithOIDC) {
-				return fmt.Errorf("oidc needs to be enabled if IPv6 is set; either set it or use EKS Auto Mode")
+
+			// Check if at least one credential provider (Pod identity or IRSA) is configured
+			if len(c.addonContainsManagedAddons([]string{PodIdentityAgentAddon})) != 0 && (c.IAM == nil || c.IAM != nil && IsDisabled(c.IAM.WithOIDC)) {
+				return errors.New("either pod identity or oidc needs to be enabled if IPv6 is set; set either one or use EKS Auto Mode")
+			}
+
+			// If the pod identity addon is present, verify it is correctly configured for use by the VPC CNI addon
+			// Assuming user intends to use pod identities if the pod identity agent addon is added.
+			if len(c.addonContainsManagedAddons([]string{PodIdentityAgentAddon})) == 0 && !c.AddonsConfig.AutoApplyPodIdentityAssociations {
+				vpcCNIAddonEntry := c.getAddon(VPCCNIAddon)
+
+				if vpcCNIAddonEntry == nil {
+					// should be unreachable
+					return errors.New("the vpc-cni addon must be defined for IPv6; either define it or use EKS Auto Mode")
+				}
+
+				if !vpcCNIAddonEntry.UseDefaultPodIdentityAssociations &&
+					(vpcCNIAddonEntry.PodIdentityAssociations == nil || len(*vpcCNIAddonEntry.PodIdentityAssociations) == 0) {
+					return fmt.Errorf("Set one of: addonsConfig.autoApplyPodIdentityAssociations, useDefaultPodIdentityAssociations on the vpc-cni addon, apply a custom pod identity on the vpc-cni addon")
+				}
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha5/validation_test.go b/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha5/validation_test.go
index ff12b876f8..afff46923f 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha5/validation_test.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha5/validation_test.go
@@ -1181,6 +1181,71 @@ var _ = Describe("ClusterConfig validation", func() {
 					})
 				})
 
+				When("ipFamily is set to IPV6, OIDC is disabled", func() {
+					JustBeforeEach(func() {
+						cfg.VPC.NAT = nil
+						cfg.IAM = &api.ClusterIAM{
+							WithOIDC: api.Disabled(),
+						}
+						cfg.Addons = append(cfg.Addons, &api.Addon{Name: api.KubeProxyAddon}, &api.Addon{Name: api.CoreDNSAddon})
+					})
+					When("Pod identity addon is missing", func() {
+						It("returns an error", func() {
+							cfg.Addons = append(cfg.Addons, &api.Addon{Name: api.VPCCNIAddon})
+							err = api.ValidateClusterConfig(cfg)
+							Expect(err).To(MatchError(ContainSubstring("either pod identity or oidc needs to be enabled if IPv6 is set; set either one or use EKS Auto Mode")))
+						})
+					})
+
+					When("Pod identity addon is present", func() {
+						JustBeforeEach(func() {
+							cfg.Addons = append(cfg.Addons,
+								&api.Addon{Name: api.PodIdentityAgentAddon})
+						})
+
+						When("Use default pod identity associations is set", func() {
+							It("accepts the setting", func() {
+								cfg.Addons = append(cfg.Addons, &api.Addon{Name: api.VPCCNIAddon})
+								cfg.AddonsConfig.AutoApplyPodIdentityAssociations = true
+
+								err = api.ValidateClusterConfig(cfg)
+								Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+							})
+						})
+
+						When("Use default pod identity association is set on the vpc-cni addon", func() {
+							It("accepts the setting", func() {
+								cfg.Addons = append(cfg.Addons, &api.Addon{Name: api.VPCCNIAddon, UseDefaultPodIdentityAssociations: true})
+
+								err = api.ValidateClusterConfig(cfg)
+								Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+							})
+						})
+
+						When("The vpc-cni addon has a pod identity association configured", func() {
+							It("accepts the setting", func() {
+								cfg.Addons = append(cfg.Addons, &api.Addon{Name: api.VPCCNIAddon,
+									PodIdentityAssociations: &[]api.PodIdentityAssociation{{
+										Namespace:          "test-namespace",
+										ServiceAccountName: "fakeserviceaccount",
+										RoleARN:            "fakerolearn",
+									}}})
+
+								err = api.ValidateClusterConfig(cfg)
+								Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+							})
+						})
+
+						When("The vpc-cni addon is missing a pod identity configuration", func() {
+							It("returns an error", func() {
+								cfg.Addons = append(cfg.Addons, &api.Addon{Name: api.VPCCNIAddon})
+								err = api.ValidateClusterConfig(cfg)
+								Expect(err).To(MatchError(ContainSubstring("Set one of: addonsConfig.autoApplyPodIdentityAssociations, useDefaultPodIdentityAssociations on the vpc-cni addon, apply a custom pod identity on the vpc-cni addon")))
+							})
+						})
+					})
+				})
+
 				When("ipFamily is set to IPv6, no managed addons are provided, but auto-mode is used", func() {
 					It("accepts the setting", func() {
 						cfg.VPC.NAT = nil