diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/master/manifests.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/master/manifests.go
index 8a2be0a9c19..cf4a42291ac 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/master/manifests.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/master/manifests.go
@@ -341,7 +341,6 @@ func getAPIServerCommand(cfg *kubeadmapi.MasterConfiguration, selfHosted bool, k
 		"secure-port":                       fmt.Sprintf("%d", cfg.API.BindPort),
 		"allow-privileged":                  "true",
 		"experimental-bootstrap-token-auth": "true",
-		"storage-backend":                   "etcd3",
 		"kubelet-preferred-address-types":   "InternalIP,ExternalIP,Hostname",
 		// add options to configure the front proxy.  Without the generated client cert, this will never be useable
 		// so add it unconditionally with recommended values
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/master/manifests_test.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/master/manifests_test.go
index d803722548b..e392e5eab35 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/master/manifests_test.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/master/manifests_test.go
@@ -529,7 +529,6 @@ func TestGetAPIServerCommand(t *testing.T) {
 				"--kubelet-client-key=" + testCertsDir + "/apiserver-kubelet-client.key",
 				fmt.Sprintf("--secure-port=%d", 123),
 				"--allow-privileged=true",
-				"--storage-backend=etcd3",
 				"--kubelet-preferred-address-types=InternalIP,ExternalIP,Hostname",
 				"--experimental-bootstrap-token-auth=true",
 				"--requestheader-username-headers=X-Remote-User",
@@ -562,7 +561,6 @@ func TestGetAPIServerCommand(t *testing.T) {
 				"--kubelet-client-key=" + testCertsDir + "/apiserver-kubelet-client.key",
 				fmt.Sprintf("--secure-port=%d", 123),
 				"--allow-privileged=true",
-				"--storage-backend=etcd3",
 				"--kubelet-preferred-address-types=InternalIP,ExternalIP,Hostname",
 				"--experimental-bootstrap-token-auth=true",
 				"--requestheader-username-headers=X-Remote-User",
@@ -596,7 +594,6 @@ func TestGetAPIServerCommand(t *testing.T) {
 				"--kubelet-client-key=" + testCertsDir + "/apiserver-kubelet-client.key",
 				fmt.Sprintf("--secure-port=%d", 123),
 				"--allow-privileged=true",
-				"--storage-backend=etcd3",
 				"--kubelet-preferred-address-types=InternalIP,ExternalIP,Hostname",
 				"--experimental-bootstrap-token-auth=true",
 				"--requestheader-username-headers=X-Remote-User",
@@ -632,7 +629,6 @@ func TestGetAPIServerCommand(t *testing.T) {
 				"--kubelet-client-key=" + testCertsDir + "/apiserver-kubelet-client.key",
 				fmt.Sprintf("--secure-port=%d", 123),
 				"--allow-privileged=true",
-				"--storage-backend=etcd3",
 				"--kubelet-preferred-address-types=InternalIP,ExternalIP,Hostname",
 				"--experimental-bootstrap-token-auth=true",
 				"--proxy-client-cert-file=/var/lib/certs/front-proxy-client.crt",