diff --git a/pkg/api/types.go b/pkg/api/types.go
index 9bac8e1cfb1..7eb90d1784d 100644
--- a/pkg/api/types.go
+++ b/pkg/api/types.go
@@ -116,11 +116,10 @@ type HTTPGetProbe struct {
 
 // LivenessProbe describes a liveness probe to be examined to the container.
 type LivenessProbe struct {
-	Enabled bool `yaml:"enabled,omitempty" json:"enabled,omitempty"`
 	// Type of liveness probe.  Current legal values "http"
 	Type string `yaml:"type,omitempty" json:"type,omitempty"`
 	// HTTPGetProbe parameters, required if Type == 'http'
-	HTTPGet HTTPGetProbe `yaml:"httpGet,omitempty" json:"httpGet,omitempty"`
+	HTTPGet *HTTPGetProbe `yaml:"httpGet,omitempty" json:"httpGet,omitempty"`
 	// Length of time before health checking is activated.  In seconds.
 	InitialDelaySeconds int64 `yaml:"initialDelaySeconds,omitempty" json:"initialDelaySeconds,omitempty"`
 }
@@ -141,9 +140,9 @@ type Container struct {
 	// Optional: Defaults to unlimited.
 	Memory int `yaml:"memory,omitempty" json:"memory,omitempty"`
 	// Optional: Defaults to unlimited.
-	CPU           int           `yaml:"cpu,omitempty" json:"cpu,omitempty"`
-	VolumeMounts  []VolumeMount `yaml:"volumeMounts,omitempty" json:"volumeMounts,omitempty"`
-	LivenessProbe LivenessProbe `yaml:"livenessProbe,omitempty" json:"livenessProbe,omitempty"`
+	CPU           int            `yaml:"cpu,omitempty" json:"cpu,omitempty"`
+	VolumeMounts  []VolumeMount  `yaml:"volumeMounts,omitempty" json:"volumeMounts,omitempty"`
+	LivenessProbe *LivenessProbe `yaml:"livenessProbe,omitempty" json:"livenessProbe,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // Percentile represents a pair which contains a percentage from 0 to 100 and
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/health_check.go b/pkg/kubelet/health_check.go
index 7bf9933edf0..d05774dc4a3 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/health_check.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/health_check.go
@@ -79,6 +79,9 @@ func (h *HTTPHealthChecker) findPort(container api.Container, portName string) i
 // IsHealthy checks if the container is healthy by trying sending HTTP Get requests to the container.
 func (h *HTTPHealthChecker) IsHealthy(container api.Container) (bool, error) {
 	params := container.LivenessProbe.HTTPGet
+	if params == nil {
+		return true, fmt.Errorf("Error, no HTTP parameters specified: %v", container)
+	}
 	port := h.findPort(container, params.Port)
 	if port == -1 {
 		var err error
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/health_check_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/health_check_test.go
index 6aa18dc0425..3c6a6a88d60 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/health_check_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/health_check_test.go
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ func TestHttpHealth(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	container := api.Container{
-		LivenessProbe: api.LivenessProbe{
-			HTTPGet: api.HTTPGetProbe{
+		LivenessProbe: &api.LivenessProbe{
+			HTTPGet: &api.HTTPGetProbe{
 				Port: "8080",
 				Path: "/foo/bar",
 			},
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
index 7167de30d50..bae98141467 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
@@ -991,7 +991,7 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) GetMachineStats() (*api.ContainerStats, error) {
 
 func (kl *Kubelet) healthy(container api.Container, dockerContainer *docker.APIContainers) (bool, error) {
 	// Give the container 60 seconds to start up.
-	if !container.LivenessProbe.Enabled {
+	if container.LivenessProbe == nil {
 		return true, nil
 	}
 	if time.Now().Unix()-dockerContainer.Created < container.LivenessProbe.InitialDelaySeconds {
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
index ce071451074..1a73c43a3c7 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
@@ -448,8 +448,7 @@ func TestSyncManifestsUnhealthy(t *testing.T) {
 			ID: "foo",
 			Containers: []api.Container{
 				{Name: "bar",
-					LivenessProbe: api.LivenessProbe{
-						Enabled: true,
+					LivenessProbe: &api.LivenessProbe{
 						// Always returns healthy == false
 						Type: "false",
 					},