diff --git a/pkg/apis/kops/cluster.go b/pkg/apis/kops/cluster.go
index 299751b915..c8c628aecd 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/kops/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/kops/cluster.go
@@ -552,10 +552,6 @@ const (
 	EtcdProviderTypeManager EtcdProviderType = "Manager"
 )
 
-var SupportedEtcdProviderTypes = []string{
-	string(EtcdProviderTypeManager),
-}
-
 // EtcdClusterSpec is the etcd cluster specification
 type EtcdClusterSpec struct {
 	// Name is the name of the etcd cluster (main, events etc)
diff --git a/pkg/apis/kops/validation/validation.go b/pkg/apis/kops/validation/validation.go
index d92b3db1be..adce54a0d1 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/kops/validation/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/kops/validation/validation.go
@@ -1004,7 +1004,7 @@ func validateEtcdClusterSpec(spec kops.EtcdClusterSpec, c *kops.Cluster, fieldPa
 	}
 	if spec.Provider != "" {
 		value := string(spec.Provider)
-		allErrs = append(allErrs, IsValidValue(fieldPath.Child("provider"), &value, kops.SupportedEtcdProviderTypes)...)
+		allErrs = append(allErrs, IsValidValue(fieldPath.Child("provider"), &value, []string{string(kops.EtcdProviderTypeManager)})...)
 	}
 	if len(spec.Members) == 0 {
 		allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Required(fieldPath.Child("etcdMembers"), "No members defined in etcd cluster"))
diff --git a/pkg/model/components/etcd.go b/pkg/model/components/etcd.go
index 2a4db3b09a..f49e05b4dd 100644
--- a/pkg/model/components/etcd.go
+++ b/pkg/model/components/etcd.go
@@ -17,9 +17,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 package components
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-	"strings"
-
 	"k8s.io/kops/pkg/apis/kops"
 	"k8s.io/kops/upup/pkg/fi/loader"
 )
@@ -43,10 +40,6 @@ func (b *EtcdOptionsBuilder) BuildOptions(o interface{}) error {
 
 	for i := range spec.EtcdClusters {
 		c := &spec.EtcdClusters[i]
-		if c.Provider == "" {
-			c.Provider = kops.EtcdProviderTypeManager
-		}
-
 		// Ensure the version is set
 		if c.Version == "" {
 			// We run the k8s-recommended versions of etcd
@@ -58,12 +51,6 @@ func (b *EtcdOptionsBuilder) BuildOptions(o interface{}) error {
 				c.Version = DefaultEtcd3Version_1_17
 			}
 		}
-
-		// We make sure that etcd v3 is used
-		version := strings.TrimPrefix(c.Version, "v")
-		if !strings.HasPrefix(version, "3.") {
-			return fmt.Errorf("unexpected etcd version %q", c.Version)
-		}
 	}
 
 	return nil