diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/master/manifests.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/master/manifests.go
index 1779fa72781..d384eb724eb 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/master/manifests.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/master/manifests.go
@@ -325,6 +325,7 @@ func getAPIServerCommand(cfg *kubeadmapi.MasterConfiguration, selfHosted bool) [
 		"--token-auth-file="+kubeadmapi.GlobalEnvParams.HostPKIPath+"/tokens.csv",
 		fmt.Sprintf("--secure-port=%d", cfg.API.Port),
 		"--allow-privileged",
+		"--storage-backend=etcd3",
 	)
 
 	if cfg.AuthorizationMode != "" {
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/master/manifests_test.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/master/manifests_test.go
index 67fd1094288..85bbecfb3e7 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/master/manifests_test.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/master/manifests_test.go
@@ -379,6 +379,7 @@ func TestGetAPIServerCommand(t *testing.T) {
 				"--token-auth-file=" + kubeadmapi.GlobalEnvParams.HostPKIPath + "/tokens.csv",
 				fmt.Sprintf("--secure-port=%d", 123),
 				"--allow-privileged",
+				"--storage-backend=etcd3",
 				"--etcd-servers=http://127.0.0.1:2379",
 			},
 		},
@@ -399,6 +400,7 @@ func TestGetAPIServerCommand(t *testing.T) {
 				"--token-auth-file=" + kubeadmapi.GlobalEnvParams.HostPKIPath + "/tokens.csv",
 				fmt.Sprintf("--secure-port=%d", 123),
 				"--allow-privileged",
+				"--storage-backend=etcd3",
 				"--advertise-address=foo",
 				"--etcd-servers=http://127.0.0.1:2379",
 			},
@@ -421,6 +423,7 @@ func TestGetAPIServerCommand(t *testing.T) {
 				"--token-auth-file=" + kubeadmapi.GlobalEnvParams.HostPKIPath + "/tokens.csv",
 				fmt.Sprintf("--secure-port=%d", 123),
 				"--allow-privileged",
+				"--storage-backend=etcd3",
 				"--etcd-servers=http://127.0.0.1:2379",
 				"--etcd-certfile=fiz",
 				"--etcd-keyfile=faz",
@@ -445,6 +448,7 @@ func TestGetAPIServerCommand(t *testing.T) {
 				"--token-auth-file=" + kubeadmapi.GlobalEnvParams.HostPKIPath + "/tokens.csv",
 				fmt.Sprintf("--secure-port=%d", 123),
 				"--allow-privileged",
+				"--storage-backend=etcd3",
 				"--advertise-address=foo",
 				"--kubelet-preferred-address-types=InternalIP,ExternalIP,Hostname",
 				"--anonymous-auth=false",