diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/apis/kubeadm/v1beta1/bootstraptokenstring.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/apis/kubeadm/v1beta1/bootstraptokenstring.go
index 97edd445407..a287a377927 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/apis/kubeadm/v1beta1/bootstraptokenstring.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/apis/kubeadm/v1beta1/bootstraptokenstring.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	bootstraputil "k8s.io/cluster-bootstrap/token/util"
 )
 
+// DEPRECATED - This group version of BootstrapTokenString is deprecated by apis/kubeadm/v1beta2/BootstrapTokenString.
 // BootstrapTokenString is a token of the format abcdef.abcdef0123456789 that is used
 // for both validation of the practically of the API server from a joining node's point
 // of view and as an authentication method for the node in the bootstrap phase of
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/apis/kubeadm/v1beta1/doc.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/apis/kubeadm/v1beta1/doc.go
index 02a2a8777ec..cfc851a747e 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/apis/kubeadm/v1beta1/doc.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/apis/kubeadm/v1beta1/doc.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 // +k8s:deepcopy-gen=package
 // +k8s:conversion-gen=k8s.io/kubernetes/cmd/kubeadm/app/apis/kubeadm
 
+// Package v1beta1 has been deprecated by v1beta2
 // Package v1beta1 defines the v1beta1 version of the kubeadm configuration file format.
 // This version graduates the configuration format to BETA and is a big step towards GA.
 //
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/apis/kubeadm/v1beta1/types.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/apis/kubeadm/v1beta1/types.go
index 14d4ee2fc87..c33941fea07 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/apis/kubeadm/v1beta1/types.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/apis/kubeadm/v1beta1/types.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 
 // +k8s:deepcopy-gen:interfaces=k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime.Object
 
+// DEPRECATED - This group version of InitConfiguration is deprecated by apis/kubeadm/v1beta2/InitConfiguration.
 // InitConfiguration contains a list of elements that is specific "kubeadm init"-only runtime
 // information.
 type InitConfiguration struct {
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ type InitConfiguration struct {
 
 // +k8s:deepcopy-gen:interfaces=k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime.Object
 
+// DEPRECATED - This group version of ClusterConfiguration is deprecated by apis/kubeadm/v1beta2/ClusterConfiguration.
 // ClusterConfiguration contains cluster-wide configuration for a kubeadm cluster
 type ClusterConfiguration struct {
 	metav1.TypeMeta `json:",inline"`
@@ -297,6 +299,7 @@ type ExternalEtcd struct {
 
 // +k8s:deepcopy-gen:interfaces=k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime.Object
 
+// DEPRECATED - This group version of JoinConfiguration is deprecated by apis/kubeadm/v1beta2/JoinConfiguration.
 // JoinConfiguration contains elements describing a particular node.
 type JoinConfiguration struct {
 	metav1.TypeMeta `json:",inline"`
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/common.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/common.go
index 7a0650ea37c..1c01e6eeafd 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/common.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/common.go
@@ -63,7 +63,9 @@ func validateSupportedVersion(gv schema.GroupVersion, allowDeprecated bool) erro
 	}
 
 	// Deprecated API versions are supported by us, but can only be used for migration.
-	deprecatedAPIVersions := map[string]struct{}{}
+	deprecatedAPIVersions := map[string]struct{}{
+		"kubeadm.k8s.io/v1beta1": {},
+	}
 
 	gvString := gv.String()
 
@@ -72,7 +74,7 @@ func validateSupportedVersion(gv schema.GroupVersion, allowDeprecated bool) erro
 	}
 
 	if _, present := deprecatedAPIVersions[gvString]; present && !allowDeprecated {
-		return errors.Errorf("your configuration file uses a deprecated API spec: %q. Please use 'kubeadm config migrate --old-config old.yaml --new-config new.yaml', which will write the new, similar spec using a newer API version.", gv.String())
+		klog.Warningf("your configuration file uses a deprecated API spec: %q. Please use 'kubeadm config migrate --old-config old.yaml --new-config new.yaml', which will write the new, similar spec using a newer API version.", gv)
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/common_test.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/common_test.go
index c0d7c0893fe..327f396baaa 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/common_test.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/common_test.go
@@ -65,6 +65,13 @@ func TestValidateSupportedVersion(t *testing.T) {
 			allowDeprecated: true,
 			expectedErr:     true,
 		},
+		{
+			gv: schema.GroupVersion{
+				Group:   KubeadmGroupName,
+				Version: "v1beta1",
+			},
+			allowDeprecated: true,
+		},
 		{
 			gv: schema.GroupVersion{
 				Group:   KubeadmGroupName,
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/joinconfiguration_test.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/joinconfiguration_test.go
index 067bf503533..cd9649ccbcd 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/joinconfiguration_test.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/joinconfiguration_test.go
@@ -94,6 +94,8 @@ func TestLoadJoinConfigurationFromFile(t *testing.T) {
 					return
 				}
 				t2.Fatalf("couldn't unmarshal test data: %v", err)
+			} else if rt.expectedErr {
+				t2.Fatalf("expected error, but no error returned")
 			}
 
 			actual, err := kubeadmutil.MarshalToYamlForCodecs(internalcfg, rt.groupVersion, scheme.Codecs)