diff --git a/pkg/apis/core/types.go b/pkg/apis/core/types.go
index f861925cc74..e74469d9bb8 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/core/types.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/core/types.go
@@ -1530,7 +1530,9 @@ type VolumeMount struct {
 	// Optional: Defaults to false (read-write).
 	// +optional
 	ReadOnly bool
-	// Required. Must not contain ':'.
+	// Required. If the path is not an absolute path (e.g. some/path) it
+	// will be prepended with the appropriate root prefix for the operating
+	// system.  On Linux this is '/', on Windows this is 'C:\'.
 	MountPath string
 	// Path within the volume from which the container's volume should be mounted.
 	// Defaults to "" (volume's root).
diff --git a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go
index 8fe283ddfeb..1dd944f10e7 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go
@@ -1965,13 +1965,6 @@ func ValidateVolumeMounts(mounts []core.VolumeMount, volumes sets.String, contai
 		if mountpoints.Has(mnt.MountPath) {
 			allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(idxPath.Child("mountPath"), mnt.MountPath, "must be unique"))
 		}
-		if !path.IsAbs(mnt.MountPath) {
-			// also allow windows absolute path
-			p := mnt.MountPath
-			if len(p) < 2 || ((p[0] < 'A' || p[0] > 'Z') && (p[0] < 'a' || p[0] > 'z')) || p[1] != ':' {
-				allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(idxPath.Child("mountPath"), mnt.MountPath, "must be an absolute path"))
-			}
-		}
 		mountpoints.Insert(mnt.MountPath)
 		if len(mnt.SubPath) > 0 {
 			allErrs = append(allErrs, validateLocalDescendingPath(mnt.SubPath, fldPath.Child("subPath"))...)
diff --git a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go
index 3a6121715ce..43cdd8a3ead 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go
@@ -3849,10 +3849,8 @@ func TestValidateVolumeMounts(t *testing.T) {
 		"empty name":                             {{Name: "", MountPath: "/foo"}},
 		"name not found":                         {{Name: "", MountPath: "/foo"}},
 		"empty mountpath":                        {{Name: "abc", MountPath: ""}},
-		"relative mountpath":                     {{Name: "abc", MountPath: "bar"}},
 		"mountpath collision":                    {{Name: "foo", MountPath: "/path/a"}, {Name: "bar", MountPath: "/path/a"}},
 		"absolute subpath":                       {{Name: "abc", MountPath: "/bar", SubPath: "/baz"}},
-		"windows absolute subpath":               {{Name: "abc", MountPath: "D", SubPath: ""}},
 		"subpath in ..":                          {{Name: "abc", MountPath: "/bar", SubPath: "../baz"}},
 		"subpath contains ..":                    {{Name: "abc", MountPath: "/bar", SubPath: "baz/../bat"}},
 		"subpath ends in ..":                     {{Name: "abc", MountPath: "/bar", SubPath: "./.."}},