diff --git a/pkg/apis/kops/validation/aws.go b/pkg/apis/kops/validation/aws.go
index bb63048a4c..385ef7f86d 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/kops/validation/aws.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/kops/validation/aws.go
@@ -94,15 +94,16 @@ func awsValidateAMIforNVMe(fieldPath *field.Path, ig *kops.InstanceGroup) field.
 	allErrs := field.ErrorList{}
 
 	for _, prefix := range NVMe_INSTANCE_PREFIXES {
-		if strings.Contains(strings.ToUpper(ig.Spec.MachineType), strings.ToUpper(prefix)) {
-			glog.V(2).Infof("machineType %s requires an image based on stretch to operate. Trying to check compatibility", ig.Spec.MachineType)
-			if strings.Contains(ig.Spec.Image, "jessie") {
-				errString := fmt.Sprintf("%s cannot use machineType %s with image based on Debian jessie.", ig.Name, ig.Spec.MachineType)
-				allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Forbidden(fieldPath, errString))
-				continue
+		for _, machineType := range strings.Split(ig.Spec.MachineType, ",") {
+			if strings.Contains(strings.ToUpper(machineType), strings.ToUpper(prefix)) {
+				glog.V(2).Infof("machineType %s requires an image based on stretch to operate. Trying to check compatibility", machineType)
+				if strings.Contains(ig.Spec.Image, "jessie") {
+					errString := fmt.Sprintf("%s cannot use machineType %s with image based on Debian jessie.", ig.Name, machineType)
+					allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Forbidden(fieldPath, errString))
+					continue
+				}
 			}
 		}
-
 	}
 	return allErrs
 }
diff --git a/pkg/model/awsmodel/autoscalinggroup.go b/pkg/model/awsmodel/autoscalinggroup.go
index 90ea27d2b2..aa50828cd1 100644
--- a/pkg/model/awsmodel/autoscalinggroup.go
+++ b/pkg/model/awsmodel/autoscalinggroup.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package awsmodel
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
 
@@ -98,7 +99,7 @@ func (b *AutoscalingGroupModelBuilder) Build(c *fi.ModelBuilderContext) error {
 				},
 				IAMInstanceProfile: link,
 				ImageID:            s(ig.Spec.Image),
-				InstanceType:       s(ig.Spec.MachineType),
+				InstanceType:       s(strings.Split(ig.Spec.MachineType, ",")[0]),
 				InstanceMonitoring: ig.Spec.DetailedInstanceMonitoring,
 
 				RootVolumeSize:         i64(int64(volumeSize)),