diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/constants/constants.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/constants/constants.go
index f316b9db8ce..2f0d30bd488 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/constants/constants.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/constants/constants.go
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ var (
 	MinimumControlPlaneVersion = getSkewedKubernetesVersion(-1)
 
 	// MinimumKubeletVersion specifies the minimum version of kubelet which kubeadm supports
-	MinimumKubeletVersion = getSkewedKubernetesVersion(-1)
+	MinimumKubeletVersion = getSkewedKubernetesVersion(-3)
 
 	// CurrentKubernetesVersion specifies current Kubernetes version supported by kubeadm
 	CurrentKubernetesVersion = getSkewedKubernetesVersion(0)
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/phases/upgrade/policy.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/phases/upgrade/policy.go
index eed1ed5346e..497e03747dd 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/phases/upgrade/policy.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/phases/upgrade/policy.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ const (
 	MaximumAllowedMinorVersionDowngradeSkew = 1
 
 	// MaximumAllowedMinorVersionKubeletSkew describes how many minor versions the control plane version and the kubelet can skew in a kubeadm cluster
-	MaximumAllowedMinorVersionKubeletSkew = 1
+	MaximumAllowedMinorVersionKubeletSkew = 3
 )
 
 // VersionSkewPolicyErrors describes version skew errors that might be seen during the validation process in EnforceVersionPolicies
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/phases/upgrade/policy_test.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/phases/upgrade/policy_test.go
index 5d97eca84a7..a747046a361 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/phases/upgrade/policy_test.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/phases/upgrade/policy_test.go
@@ -90,6 +90,24 @@ func TestEnforceVersionPolicies(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			newK8sVersion:         "v1.13.0",
 			expectedMandatoryErrs: 1, // can't upgrade two minor versions
+		},
+		{
+			name: "upgrading with n-3 kubelet is supported",
+			vg: &fakeVersionGetter{
+				clusterVersion: "v1.14.3",
+				kubeletVersion: "v1.12.3",
+				kubeadmVersion: "v1.15.0",
+			},
+			newK8sVersion: "v1.15.0",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "upgrading with n-4 kubelet is not supported",
+			vg: &fakeVersionGetter{
+				clusterVersion: "v1.14.3",
+				kubeletVersion: "v1.11.3",
+				kubeadmVersion: "v1.15.0",
+			},
+			newK8sVersion:         "v1.15.0",
 			expectedSkippableErrs: 1, // kubelet <-> apiserver skew too large
 		},
 		{
@@ -123,13 +141,22 @@ func TestEnforceVersionPolicies(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedMandatoryErrs: 1,
 		},
 		{
-			name: "the maximum skew between the cluster version and the kubelet versions should be one minor version. This may be forced through though.",
+			name: "the maximum skew between the cluster version and the kubelet versions should be three minor version.",
 			vg: &fakeVersionGetter{
-				clusterVersion: "v1.12.0",
+				clusterVersion: "v1.13.0",
 				kubeletVersion: "v1.10.8",
-				kubeadmVersion: "v1.12.0",
+				kubeadmVersion: "v1.13.0",
 			},
-			newK8sVersion:         "v1.12.0",
+			newK8sVersion: "v1.13.0",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "the maximum skew between the cluster version and the kubelet versions should be three minor version. This may be forced through though.",
+			vg: &fakeVersionGetter{
+				clusterVersion: "v1.14.0",
+				kubeletVersion: "v1.10.8",
+				kubeadmVersion: "v1.14.0",
+			},
+			newK8sVersion:         "v1.14.0",
 			expectedSkippableErrs: 1,
 		},
 		{