diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/google/gce.py b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/google/gce.py
index 1eb9baae6ff..9aab4cf6ca0 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/google/gce.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/google/gce.py
@@ -28,6 +28,20 @@ options:
         stable debian image)
     required: false
     default: "debian-8"
+  image_family:
+    description:
+      - image family from which to select the image.  The most recent
+        non-deprecated image in the family will be used.
+    required: false
+    default: null
+    version_added: "2.4"
+  external_projects:
+    description:
+      - A list of other projects (accessible with the provisioning credentials)
+        to be searched for the image.
+    required: false
+    default: null
+    version_added: "2.4"
   instance_names:
     description:
       - a comma-separated list of instance names to create or destroy
@@ -197,6 +211,22 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
       project_id: "your-project-name"
       disk_size: 32
 
+# Create a single instance of an image from the "my-base-image" image family
+# in the us-central1-a Zone of the n1-standard-1 machine type.
+# This image family is in the "my-other-project" GCP project.
+    gce:
+      instance_names: my-test-instance1
+      zone: us-central1-a
+      machine_type: n1-standard-1
+      image_family: my-base-image
+      external_projects:
+        - my-other-project
+      state: present
+      service_account_email: "your-sa@your-project-name.iam.gserviceaccount.com"
+      credentials_file: "/path/to/your-key.json"
+      project_id: "your-project-name"
+      disk_size: 32
+
 # Create a single Debian 8 instance in the us-central1-a Zone
 # Use existing disks, custom network/subnetwork, set service account permissions
 # add tags and metadata.
@@ -291,6 +321,7 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 '''
 
 import socket
+import logging
 
 try:
     from ast import literal_eval
@@ -379,6 +410,8 @@ def create_instances(module, gce, instance_names, number, lc_zone):
 
     """
     image = module.params.get('image')
+    image_family = module.params.get('image_family')
+    external_projects = module.params.get('external_projects')
     machine_type = module.params.get('machine_type')
     metadata = module.params.get('metadata')
     network = module.params.get('network')
@@ -452,7 +485,7 @@ def create_instances(module, gce, instance_names, number, lc_zone):
         else:
             metadata = md
 
-    lc_image = LazyDiskImage(module, gce, image, lc_disks)
+    lc_image = LazyDiskImage(module, gce, image, lc_disks, family=image_family, projects=external_projects)
     ex_sa_perms = []
     bad_perms = []
     if service_account_permissions:
@@ -615,6 +648,8 @@ def main():
     module = AnsibleModule(
         argument_spec = dict(
             image = dict(default='debian-8'),
+            image_family = dict(),
+            external_projects = dict(type='list'),
             instance_names = dict(),
             machine_type = dict(default='n1-standard-1'),
             metadata = dict(),
@@ -650,6 +685,9 @@ def main():
 
     gce = gce_connect(module)
 
+    image = module.params.get('image')
+    image_family = module.params.get('image_family')
+    external_projects = module.params.get('external_projects')
     instance_names = module.params.get('instance_names')
     name = module.params.get('name')
     number = module.params.get('num_instances')
@@ -713,19 +751,24 @@ class LazyDiskImage:
     Object for lazy instantiation of disk image
     gce.ex_get_image is a very expensive call, so we want to avoid calling it as much as possible.
     """
-    def __init__(self, module, gce, name, has_pd):
+    def __init__(self, module, gce, name, has_pd, family=None, projects=None):
         self.image = None
         self.was_called = False
         self.gce = gce
         self.name = name
         self.has_pd = has_pd
         self.module = module
+        self.family = family
+        self.projects = projects
 
     def __call__(self):
         if not self.was_called:
             self.was_called = True
             if not self.has_pd:
-                self.image = self.gce.ex_get_image(self.name)
+                if self.family:
+                    self.image = self.gce.ex_get_image_from_family(self.family, ex_project_list=self.projects)
+                else:
+                    self.image = self.gce.ex_get_image(self.name, ex_project_list=self.projects)
                 if not self.image:
                     self.module.fail_json(msg='image or disks missing for create instance', changed=False)
         return self.image
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/google/gce_pd.py b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/google/gce_pd.py
index 6eadebac601..f69d447c1cb 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/google/gce_pd.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/google/gce_pd.py
@@ -166,6 +166,8 @@ def main():
             size_gb = dict(default=10),
             disk_type = dict(default='pd-standard'),
             image = dict(),
+            image_family = dict(),
+            external_projects = dict(type='list'),
             snapshot = dict(),
             state = dict(default='present'),
             zone = dict(default='us-central1-b'),
@@ -188,6 +190,8 @@ def main():
     size_gb = module.params.get('size_gb')
     disk_type = module.params.get('disk_type')
     image = module.params.get('image')
+    image_family = module.params.get('image_family')
+    external_projects = module.params.get('external_projects')
     snapshot = module.params.get('snapshot')
     state = module.params.get('state')
     zone = module.params.get('zone')
@@ -257,8 +261,10 @@ def main():
                         image, snapshot), changed=False)
             lc_image = None
             lc_snapshot = None
-            if image is not None:
-                lc_image = gce.ex_get_image(image)
+            if image_family is not None:
+                lc_image = gce.ex_get_image_from_family(image_family, ex_project_list=external_projects)
+            elif image is not None:
+                lc_image = gce.ex_get_image(image, ex_project_list=external_projects)
             elif snapshot is not None:
                 lc_snapshot = gce.ex_get_snapshot(snapshot)
             try: