diff --git a/pkg/registry/cachesize/cachesize.go b/pkg/registry/cachesize/cachesize.go
index cea62fe5f4d..20a566fbd60 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/cachesize/cachesize.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/cachesize/cachesize.go
@@ -105,6 +105,10 @@ func SetWatchCacheSizes(cacheSizes []string) {
 			glog.Errorf("invalid size of watch cache capabilities: %s", c)
 			continue
 		}
+		if size < 0 {
+			glog.Errorf("watch cache size cannot be negative: %s", c)
+			continue
+		}
 
 		watchCacheSizes[Resource(strings.ToLower(tokens[0]))] = size
 	}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/cmd/server/BUILD b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/cmd/server/BUILD
index b9d59e5a425..0245c78abf5 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/cmd/server/BUILD
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/cmd/server/BUILD
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ go_library(
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apis/apiextensions/v1beta1:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apiserver:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured:go_default_library",
+        "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/errors:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/registry/generic:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/options:go_default_library",
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/cmd/server/start.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/cmd/server/start.go
index a54bcd4c058..38c266e7073 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/cmd/server/start.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/cmd/server/start.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apis/apiextensions/v1beta1"
 	"k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apiserver"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
+	utilerrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/errors"
 	genericregistry "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/registry/generic"
 	genericapiserver "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server"
 	genericoptions "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/options"
@@ -78,7 +79,9 @@ func NewCommandStartCustomResourceDefinitionsServer(out, errOut io.Writer, stopC
 }
 
 func (o CustomResourceDefinitionsServerOptions) Validate(args []string) error {
-	return nil
+	errors := []error{}
+	errors = append(errors, o.RecommendedOptions.Validate()...)
+	return utilerrors.NewAggregate(errors)
 }
 
 func (o *CustomResourceDefinitionsServerOptions) Complete() error {
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/options/recommended.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/options/recommended.go
index 92ec3e8e22f..a0efcb49a52 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/options/recommended.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/options/recommended.go
@@ -77,3 +77,15 @@ func (o *RecommendedOptions) ApplyTo(config *server.Config) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (o *RecommendedOptions) Validate() []error {
+	errors := []error{}
+	errors = append(errors, o.Etcd.Validate()...)
+	errors = append(errors, o.SecureServing.Validate()...)
+	errors = append(errors, o.Authentication.Validate()...)
+	errors = append(errors, o.Authorization.Validate()...)
+	errors = append(errors, o.Audit.Validate()...)
+	errors = append(errors, o.Features.Validate()...)
+
+	return errors
+}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/cmd/server/BUILD b/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/cmd/server/BUILD
index bff6d123f80..aaf8be18f6b 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/cmd/server/BUILD
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/cmd/server/BUILD
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ go_library(
     deps = [
         "//vendor/github.com/spf13/cobra:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/github.com/spf13/pflag:go_default_library",
+        "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/errors:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/filters:go_default_library",
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/cmd/server/start.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/cmd/server/start.go
index c5f39f0a3c9..1db47144b33 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/cmd/server/start.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/cmd/server/start.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 
+	utilerrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/errors"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
 	genericapiserver "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server"
 	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/filters"
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ type AggregatorOptions struct {
 	ProxyClientCertFile string
 	ProxyClientKeyFile  string
 
-	// CoreAPIKubeconfig is a filename for a kubeconfig file to contact the core API server wtih
+	// CoreAPIKubeconfig is a filename for a kubeconfig file to contact the core API server with
 	// If it is not set, the in cluster config is used
 	CoreAPIKubeconfig string
 
@@ -102,7 +103,9 @@ func NewDefaultOptions(out, err io.Writer) *AggregatorOptions {
 }
 
 func (o AggregatorOptions) Validate(args []string) error {
-	return nil
+	errors := []error{}
+	errors = append(errors, o.RecommendedOptions.Validate()...)
+	return utilerrors.NewAggregate(errors)
 }
 
 func (o *AggregatorOptions) Complete() error {
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/sample-apiserver/pkg/cmd/server/BUILD b/staging/src/k8s.io/sample-apiserver/pkg/cmd/server/BUILD
index 4aa1847420d..be615e3596c 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/sample-apiserver/pkg/cmd/server/BUILD
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/sample-apiserver/pkg/cmd/server/BUILD
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ go_library(
     tags = ["automanaged"],
     deps = [
         "//vendor/github.com/spf13/cobra:go_default_library",
+        "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/errors:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/options:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/sample-apiserver/pkg/admission/plugin/banflunder:go_default_library",
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/sample-apiserver/pkg/cmd/server/start.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/sample-apiserver/pkg/cmd/server/start.go
index 3e4075c271f..916ac18f4de 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/sample-apiserver/pkg/cmd/server/start.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/sample-apiserver/pkg/cmd/server/start.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
+	utilerrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/errors"
 	genericapiserver "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server"
 	genericoptions "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/options"
 	"k8s.io/sample-apiserver/pkg/admission/plugin/banflunder"
@@ -84,7 +85,10 @@ func NewCommandStartWardleServer(out, errOut io.Writer, stopCh <-chan struct{})
 }
 
 func (o WardleServerOptions) Validate(args []string) error {
-	return nil
+	errors := []error{}
+	errors = append(errors, o.RecommendedOptions.Validate()...)
+	errors = append(errors, o.Admission.Validate()...)
+	return utilerrors.NewAggregate(errors)
 }
 
 func (o *WardleServerOptions) Complete() error {