diff --git a/cmd/create/network/cmd.go b/cmd/create/network/cmd.go
index 479fa7d77..611ebc637 100644
--- a/cmd/create/network/cmd.go
+++ b/cmd/create/network/cmd.go
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@ func NetworkRunner(userOptions *opts.NetworkUserOptions) rosa.CommandRunner {
 		var err error
 		templateCommand := "rosa-quickstart-default-vpc"
 		options := NewNetworkOptions()
-		options.args = userOptions
+		userOptions.CleanTemplateDir()
+		options.Bind(userOptions)
 
 		defer r.Cleanup()
 
diff --git a/cmd/create/network/options.go b/cmd/create/network/options.go
index b5c995494..2f9f31ed2 100644
--- a/cmd/create/network/options.go
+++ b/cmd/create/network/options.go
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ type Options struct {
 	args *opts.NetworkUserOptions
 }
 
+func (o *Options) Bind(userOptions *opts.NetworkUserOptions) {
+	o.args = userOptions
+}
+
 func NewNetworkUserOptions() *opts.NetworkUserOptions {
 	return &opts.NetworkUserOptions{
 		Params: []string{},
diff --git a/pkg/options/network/create.go b/pkg/options/network/create.go
index e1577c211..7898862aa 100644
--- a/pkg/options/network/create.go
+++ b/pkg/options/network/create.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"github.com/openshift/rosa/pkg/constants"
-	"github.com/openshift/rosa/pkg/helper"
 	"github.com/openshift/rosa/pkg/reporter"
 )
 
@@ -38,8 +37,11 @@ func NewNetworkUserOptions() *NetworkUserOptions {
 	options := &NetworkUserOptions{}
 
 	// Set template directory from environment variable or use default
-	templateDir := os.Getenv(constants.OcmTemplateDir)
-	if helper.HandleEscapedEmptyString(templateDir) != "" {
+	templateDir, isSet := os.LookupEnv(constants.OcmTemplateDir)
+	if isSet {
+		if templateDir == "\"\"" {
+			templateDir = ""
+		}
 		options.TemplateDir = templateDir
 	} else {
 		options.TemplateDir = defaultTemplateDir
@@ -48,6 +50,13 @@ func NewNetworkUserOptions() *NetworkUserOptions {
 	return options
 }
 
+func (n *NetworkUserOptions) CleanTemplateDir() {
+	// Clean up trailing '/' to work with filepath logic later
+	if len(n.TemplateDir) > 0 && n.TemplateDir[len(n.TemplateDir)-1] == '/' {
+		n.TemplateDir = n.TemplateDir[:len(n.TemplateDir)-1]
+	}
+}
+
 func NewNetworkOptions() *NetworkOptions {
 	return &NetworkOptions{
 		reporter: reporter.CreateReporter(),
@@ -72,9 +81,18 @@ func BuildNetworkCommandWithOptions() (*cobra.Command, *NetworkUserOptions) {
 	}
 
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
-	flags.StringVar(&options.TemplateDir, "template-dir", defaultTemplateDir, "Use a specific template directory,"+
-		" overriding the OCM_TEMPLATE_DIR environment variable.")
-	flags.StringArrayVar(&options.Params, "param", []string{}, "List of parameters")
+	flags.StringVar(
+		&options.TemplateDir,
+		"template-dir",
+		options.TemplateDir,
+		"Use a specific template directory, overriding the OCM_TEMPLATE_DIR environment variable.",
+	)
+	flags.StringArrayVar(
+		&options.Params,
+		"param",
+		[]string{},
+		"List of parameters",
+	)
 
 	return cmd, options
 }
diff --git a/pkg/options/network/create_test.go b/pkg/options/network/create_test.go
index cc02d1deb..d6ca8668c 100644
--- a/pkg/options/network/create_test.go
+++ b/pkg/options/network/create_test.go
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 package network
 
 import (
+	"os"
+
 	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
+	"github.com/openshift/rosa/pkg/constants"
 	"github.com/openshift/rosa/pkg/reporter"
 )
 
@@ -32,6 +35,40 @@ var _ = Describe("BuildMachinePoolCreateCommandWithOptions", func() {
 		})
 	})
 
+	Context("NewNetworkUserOptions", func() {
+		It("should create default network options with env var", func() {
+			testDir := "test/1"
+			Expect(os.Setenv(constants.OcmTemplateDir, testDir)).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+			options := NewNetworkUserOptions()
+			options.CleanTemplateDir()
+			Expect(options.TemplateDir).To(Equal(testDir))
+		})
+		It("should create default network options with env var which has trailing '/' and remove it", func() {
+			testDir := "/test/1/"
+			finalTestDir := "/test/1"
+			Expect(os.Setenv(constants.OcmTemplateDir, testDir)).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+			options := NewNetworkUserOptions()
+			options.CleanTemplateDir()
+			Expect(options.TemplateDir).To(Equal(finalTestDir))
+		})
+		It("should create default network options with env var which has trailing '/' and remove it", func() {
+			testDir := "/"
+			finalTestDir := ""
+			Expect(os.Setenv(constants.OcmTemplateDir, testDir)).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+			options := NewNetworkUserOptions()
+			options.CleanTemplateDir()
+			Expect(options.TemplateDir).To(Equal(finalTestDir))
+		})
+		It("should create default network options with empty dir and not fail", func() {
+			testDir := ""
+			finalTestDir := ""
+			Expect(os.Setenv(constants.OcmTemplateDir, testDir)).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+			options := NewNetworkUserOptions()
+			options.CleanTemplateDir()
+			Expect(options.TemplateDir).To(Equal(finalTestDir))
+		})
+	})
+
 	Context("NetworkOptions.Network", func() {
 		It("should return the args field", func() {
 			options := NewNetworkOptions()