diff --git a/pkg/api/validation/validation.go b/pkg/api/validation/validation.go
index 3328c46fb11..b9bc64f6577 100644
--- a/pkg/api/validation/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/api/validation/validation.go
@@ -484,6 +484,12 @@ func ValidatePersistentVolume(pv *api.PersistentVolume) errs.ValidationErrorList
 		allErrs = append(allErrs, errs.NewFieldRequired("persistentVolume.AccessModes"))
 	}
 
+	for _, mode := range pv.Spec.AccessModes {
+		if mode != api.ReadWriteOnce && mode != api.ReadOnlyMany && mode != api.ReadWriteMany {
+			allErrs = append(allErrs, errs.NewFieldInvalid("persistentVolume.Spec.AccessModes", mode, fmt.Sprintf("only %s, %s, and %s are valid", api.ReadWriteOnce, api.ReadOnlyMany, api.ReadWriteMany)))
+		}
+	}
+
 	if len(pv.Spec.Capacity) == 0 {
 		allErrs = append(allErrs, errs.NewFieldRequired("persistentVolume.Capacity"))
 	}
@@ -557,6 +563,11 @@ func ValidatePersistentVolumeClaim(pvc *api.PersistentVolumeClaim) errs.Validati
 	if len(pvc.Spec.AccessModes) == 0 {
 		allErrs = append(allErrs, errs.NewFieldInvalid("persistentVolumeClaim.Spec.AccessModes", pvc.Spec.AccessModes, "at least 1 PersistentVolumeAccessMode is required"))
 	}
+	for _, mode := range pvc.Spec.AccessModes {
+		if mode != api.ReadWriteOnce && mode != api.ReadOnlyMany && mode != api.ReadWriteMany {
+			allErrs = append(allErrs, errs.NewFieldInvalid("persistentVolumeClaim.Spec.AccessModes", mode, fmt.Sprintf("only %s, %s, and %s are valid", api.ReadWriteOnce, api.ReadOnlyMany, api.ReadWriteMany)))
+		}
+	}
 	if _, ok := pvc.Spec.Resources.Requests[api.ResourceStorage]; !ok {
 		allErrs = append(allErrs, errs.NewFieldInvalid("persistentVolumeClaim.Spec.Resources.Requests", pvc.Spec.Resources.Requests, "No Storage size specified"))
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/api/validation/validation_test.go b/pkg/api/validation/validation_test.go
index cad441b91cf..1f1b7a5dd89 100644
--- a/pkg/api/validation/validation_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/validation/validation_test.go
@@ -264,6 +264,18 @@ func TestValidatePersistentVolumes(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			}),
 		},
+		"invalid-accessmode": {
+			isExpectedFailure: true,
+			volume: testVolume("foo", "", api.PersistentVolumeSpec{
+				Capacity: api.ResourceList{
+					api.ResourceName(api.ResourceStorage): resource.MustParse("10G"),
+				},
+				AccessModes: []api.PersistentVolumeAccessMode{"fakemode"},
+				PersistentVolumeSource: api.PersistentVolumeSource{
+					HostPath: &api.HostPathVolumeSource{Path: "/foo"},
+				},
+			}),
+		},
 		"unexpected-namespace": {
 			isExpectedFailure: true,
 			volume: testVolume("foo", "unexpected-namespace", api.PersistentVolumeSpec{
@@ -365,6 +377,17 @@ func TestValidatePersistentVolumeClaim(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			}),
 		},
+		"invalid-accessmode": {
+			isExpectedFailure: true,
+			claim: testVolumeClaim("foo", "ns", api.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec{
+				AccessModes: []api.PersistentVolumeAccessMode{"fakemode"},
+				Resources: api.ResourceRequirements{
+					Requests: api.ResourceList{
+						api.ResourceName(api.ResourceStorage): resource.MustParse("10G"),
+					},
+				},
+			}),
+		},
 		"missing-namespace": {
 			isExpectedFailure: true,
 			claim: testVolumeClaim("foo", "", api.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec{