diff --git a/cmd/kops/delete_instance.go b/cmd/kops/delete_instance.go
index 2fce38abb0..13227f6f16 100644
--- a/cmd/kops/delete_instance.go
+++ b/cmd/kops/delete_instance.go
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ func RunDeleteInstance(ctx context.Context, f *util.Factory, out io.Writer, opti
 
 	var clusterValidator validation.ClusterValidator
 	if !options.CloudOnly {
-		clusterValidator, err = validation.NewClusterValidator(cluster, cloud, list, config, k8sClient)
+		clusterValidator, err = validation.NewClusterValidator(cluster, cloud, list, config.Host, k8sClient)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("cannot create cluster validator: %v", err)
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/kops/rollingupdatecluster.go b/cmd/kops/rollingupdatecluster.go
index b48d7f7f79..7d3c078374 100644
--- a/cmd/kops/rollingupdatecluster.go
+++ b/cmd/kops/rollingupdatecluster.go
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ func RunRollingUpdateCluster(ctx context.Context, f *util.Factory, out io.Writer
 
 	var clusterValidator validation.ClusterValidator
 	if !options.CloudOnly {
-		clusterValidator, err = validation.NewClusterValidator(cluster, cloud, list, config, k8sClient)
+		clusterValidator, err = validation.NewClusterValidator(cluster, cloud, list, config.Host, k8sClient)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("cannot create cluster validator: %v", err)
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/kops/validate_cluster.go b/cmd/kops/validate_cluster.go
index 1323988047..724db9d366 100644
--- a/cmd/kops/validate_cluster.go
+++ b/cmd/kops/validate_cluster.go
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ func RunValidateCluster(ctx context.Context, f *util.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command
 	timeout := time.Now().Add(options.wait)
 	pollInterval := 10 * time.Second
 
-	validator, err := validation.NewClusterValidator(cluster, cloud, list, config, k8sClient)
+	validator, err := validation.NewClusterValidator(cluster, cloud, list, config.Host, k8sClient)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected error creating validatior: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/validation/BUILD.bazel b/pkg/validation/BUILD.bazel
index c15e57134f..1aaeded4f1 100644
--- a/pkg/validation/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pkg/validation/BUILD.bazel
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ go_library(
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes:go_default_library",
-        "//vendor/k8s.io/client-go/rest:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/client-go/tools/pager:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/klog/v2:go_default_library",
     ],
diff --git a/pkg/validation/validate_cluster.go b/pkg/validation/validate_cluster.go
index 95629331d5..5bb932d699 100644
--- a/pkg/validation/validate_cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/validation/validate_cluster.go
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
-	"k8s.io/client-go/rest"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/pager"
 	"k8s.io/kops/upup/pkg/fi"
 
@@ -60,7 +59,7 @@ type clusterValidatorImpl struct {
 	cluster        *kops.Cluster
 	cloud          fi.Cloud
 	instanceGroups []*kops.InstanceGroup
-	config         *rest.Config
+	host           string
 	k8sClient      kubernetes.Interface
 }
 
@@ -78,8 +77,8 @@ type ValidationNode struct {
 }
 
 // hasPlaceHolderIP checks if the API DNS has been updated.
-func hasPlaceHolderIP(config *rest.Config) (bool, error) {
-	apiAddr, err := url.Parse(config.Host)
+func hasPlaceHolderIP(host string) (bool, error) {
+	apiAddr, err := url.Parse(host)
 	if err != nil {
 		return true, fmt.Errorf("unable to parse Kubernetes cluster API URL: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -97,7 +96,7 @@ func hasPlaceHolderIP(config *rest.Config) (bool, error) {
 	return false, nil
 }
 
-func NewClusterValidator(cluster *kops.Cluster, cloud fi.Cloud, instanceGroupList *kops.InstanceGroupList, config *rest.Config, k8sClient kubernetes.Interface) (ClusterValidator, error) {
+func NewClusterValidator(cluster *kops.Cluster, cloud fi.Cloud, instanceGroupList *kops.InstanceGroupList, host string, k8sClient kubernetes.Interface) (ClusterValidator, error) {
 	var instanceGroups []*kops.InstanceGroup
 
 	for i := range instanceGroupList.Items {
@@ -113,7 +112,7 @@ func NewClusterValidator(cluster *kops.Cluster, cloud fi.Cloud, instanceGroupLis
 		cluster:        cluster,
 		cloud:          cloud,
 		instanceGroups: instanceGroups,
-		config:         config,
+		host:           host,
 		k8sClient:      k8sClient,
 	}, nil
 }
@@ -127,7 +126,7 @@ func (v *clusterValidatorImpl) Validate() (*ValidationCluster, error) {
 
 	// Do not use if we are running gossip
 	if !dns.IsGossipHostname(clusterName) {
-		hasPlaceHolderIPAddress, err := hasPlaceHolderIP(v.config)
+		hasPlaceHolderIPAddress, err := hasPlaceHolderIP(v.host)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/validation/validate_cluster_test.go b/pkg/validation/validate_cluster_test.go
index 8764b215c2..d54cc6e5ca 100644
--- a/pkg/validation/validate_cluster_test.go
+++ b/pkg/validation/validate_cluster_test.go
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ func testValidate(t *testing.T, groups map[string]*cloudinstances.CloudInstanceG
 
 	mockcloud := BuildMockCloud(t, groups, cluster, instanceGroups)
 
-	validator, err := NewClusterValidator(cluster, mockcloud, &kopsapi.InstanceGroupList{Items: instanceGroups}, nil, fake.NewSimpleClientset(objects...))
+	validator, err := NewClusterValidator(cluster, mockcloud, &kopsapi.InstanceGroupList{Items: instanceGroups}, "https://api.testcluster.k8s.local", fake.NewSimpleClientset(objects...))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ func Test_ValidateCloudGroupMissing(t *testing.T) {
 
 	mockcloud := BuildMockCloud(t, nil, cluster, instanceGroups)
 
-	validator, err := NewClusterValidator(cluster, mockcloud, &kopsapi.InstanceGroupList{Items: instanceGroups}, nil, fake.NewSimpleClientset())
+	validator, err := NewClusterValidator(cluster, mockcloud, &kopsapi.InstanceGroupList{Items: instanceGroups}, "https://api.testcluster.k8s.local", fake.NewSimpleClientset())
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	v, err := validator.Validate()
 	require.NoError(t, err)