diff --git a/protokube/pkg/protokube/aws_volume.go b/protokube/pkg/protokube/aws_volume.go
index 7f2aaa760e..c24bb72815 100644
--- a/protokube/pkg/protokube/aws_volume.go
+++ b/protokube/pkg/protokube/aws_volume.go
@@ -58,7 +58,10 @@ func NewAWSVolumes() (*AWSVolumes, error) {
 		deviceMap: make(map[string]string),
 	}
 
-	s := session.New()
+	s, err := session.NewSession()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error starting new AWS session: %v", err)
+	}
 	s.Handlers.Send.PushFront(func(r *request.Request) {
 		// Log requests
 		glog.V(4).Infof("AWS API Request: %s/%s", r.ClientInfo.ServiceName, r.Operation.Name)
diff --git a/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/awsup/aws_cloud.go b/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/awsup/aws_cloud.go
index ef7618e7b8..ba4fcd90d7 100644
--- a/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/awsup/aws_cloud.go
+++ b/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/awsup/aws_cloud.go
@@ -168,22 +168,46 @@ func NewAWSCloud(region string, tags map[string]string) (AWSCloud, error) {
 
 		requestLogger := newRequestLogger(2)
 
-		c.cf = cloudformation.New(session.New(), config)
+		sess, err := session.NewSession()
+		if err != nil {
+			return c, err
+		}
+		c.cf = cloudformation.New(sess, config)
 		c.cf.Handlers.Send.PushFront(requestLogger)
 
-		c.ec2 = ec2.New(session.New(), config)
+		sess, err = session.NewSession()
+		if err != nil {
+			return c, err
+		}
+		c.ec2 = ec2.New(sess, config)
 		c.ec2.Handlers.Send.PushFront(requestLogger)
 
-		c.iam = iam.New(session.New(), config)
+		sess, err = session.NewSession()
+		if err != nil {
+			return c, err
+		}
+		c.iam = iam.New(sess, config)
 		c.iam.Handlers.Send.PushFront(requestLogger)
 
-		c.elb = elb.New(session.New(), config)
+		sess, err = session.NewSession()
+		if err != nil {
+			return c, err
+		}
+		c.elb = elb.New(sess, config)
 		c.elb.Handlers.Send.PushFront(requestLogger)
 
-		c.autoscaling = autoscaling.New(session.New(), config)
+		sess, err = session.NewSession()
+		if err != nil {
+			return c, err
+		}
+		c.autoscaling = autoscaling.New(sess, config)
 		c.autoscaling.Handlers.Send.PushFront(requestLogger)
 
-		c.route53 = route53.New(session.New(), config)
+		sess, err = session.NewSession()
+		if err != nil {
+			return c, err
+		}
+		c.route53 = route53.New(sess, config)
 		c.route53.Handlers.Send.PushFront(requestLogger)
 
 		awsCloudInstances[region] = c
diff --git a/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/awsup/aws_utils.go b/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/awsup/aws_utils.go
index ae4520be7f..61cd12da67 100644
--- a/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/awsup/aws_utils.go
+++ b/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/awsup/aws_utils.go
@@ -45,7 +45,12 @@ func ValidateRegion(region string) error {
 		config := aws.NewConfig().WithRegion(awsRegion)
 		config = config.WithCredentialsChainVerboseErrors(true)
 
-		client := ec2.New(session.New(), config)
+		sess, err := session.NewSession()
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Error starting a new AWS session: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		client := ec2.New(sess, config)
 
 		response, err := client.DescribeRegions(request)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/util/pkg/vfs/s3context.go b/util/pkg/vfs/s3context.go
index b65f0a9077..8495b1e01a 100644
--- a/util/pkg/vfs/s3context.go
+++ b/util/pkg/vfs/s3context.go
@@ -65,8 +65,11 @@ func (s *S3Context) getClient(region string) (*s3.S3, error) {
 			}
 		}
 
-		session := session.New()
-		s3Client = s3.New(session, config)
+		sess, err := session.NewSession()
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("error starting new AWS session:%v", err)
+		}
+		s3Client = s3.New(sess, config)
 		s.clients[region] = s3Client
 	}