diff --git a/build/lib/release.sh b/build/lib/release.sh
index 9a34a8215d3..5515b18f13a 100644
--- a/build/lib/release.sh
+++ b/build/lib/release.sh
@@ -31,50 +31,6 @@ readonly RELEASE_IMAGES="${LOCAL_OUTPUT_ROOT}/release-images"
 KUBE_BUILD_CONFORMANCE=${KUBE_BUILD_CONFORMANCE:-n}
 KUBE_BUILD_PULL_LATEST_IMAGES=${KUBE_BUILD_PULL_LATEST_IMAGES:-y}
 
-# Validate a ci version
-#
-# Globals:
-#   None
-# Arguments:
-#   version
-# Returns:
-#   If version is a valid ci version
-# Sets:                    (e.g. for '1.2.3-alpha.4.56+abcdef12345678')
-#   VERSION_MAJOR          (e.g. '1')
-#   VERSION_MINOR          (e.g. '2')
-#   VERSION_PATCH          (e.g. '3')
-#   VERSION_PRERELEASE     (e.g. 'alpha')
-#   VERSION_PRERELEASE_REV (e.g. '4')
-#   VERSION_BUILD_INFO     (e.g. '.56+abcdef12345678')
-#   VERSION_COMMITS        (e.g. '56')
-function kube::release::parse_and_validate_ci_version() {
-  # Accept things like "v1.2.3-alpha.4.56+abcdef12345678" or "v1.2.3-beta.4"
-  local -r version_regex="^v(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)-([a-zA-Z0-9]+)\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)(\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\+[0-9a-f]{7,40})?$"
-  local -r version="${1-}"
-  [[ "${version}" =~ ${version_regex} ]] || {
-    kube::log::error "Invalid ci version: '${version}', must match regex ${version_regex}"
-    return 1
-  }
-
-  # The VERSION variables are used when this file is sourced, hence
-  # the shellcheck SC2034 'appears unused' warning is to be ignored.
-
-  # shellcheck disable=SC2034
-  VERSION_MAJOR="${BASH_REMATCH[1]}"
-  # shellcheck disable=SC2034
-  VERSION_MINOR="${BASH_REMATCH[2]}"
-  # shellcheck disable=SC2034
-  VERSION_PATCH="${BASH_REMATCH[3]}"
-  # shellcheck disable=SC2034
-  VERSION_PRERELEASE="${BASH_REMATCH[4]}"
-  # shellcheck disable=SC2034
-  VERSION_PRERELEASE_REV="${BASH_REMATCH[5]}"
-  # shellcheck disable=SC2034
-  VERSION_BUILD_INFO="${BASH_REMATCH[6]}"
-  # shellcheck disable=SC2034
-  VERSION_COMMITS="${BASH_REMATCH[7]}"
-}
-
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Build final release artifacts
 function kube::release::clean_cruft() {
diff --git a/cluster/common.sh b/cluster/common.sh
index 1bfabccefca..fe53ba0c02a 100755
--- a/cluster/common.sh
+++ b/cluster/common.sh
@@ -35,15 +35,15 @@ source "${KUBE_ROOT}/hack/lib/util.sh"
 export KUBE_RELEASE_VERSION_REGEX="^v(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)(-([a-zA-Z0-9]+)\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*))?$"
 export KUBE_RELEASE_VERSION_DASHED_REGEX="v(0|[1-9][0-9]*)-(0|[1-9][0-9]*)-(0|[1-9][0-9]*)(-([a-zA-Z0-9]+)-(0|[1-9][0-9]*))?"
 
-# KUBE_CI_VERSION_REGEX matches things like "v1.2.3-alpha.4.56+abcdefg" This
+# KUBE_CI_VERSION_REGEX matches things like "v1.2.3-alpha.4.56+abcdefg" and "v1.2.3-56+abcdefg"
 #
 # NOTE This must match the version_regex in build/common.sh
-# kube::release::parse_and_validate_ci_version()
 #
 # TODO: KUBE_CI_VERSION_REGEX is used in hack/get-build.sh and KUBE_CI_VERSION_DASHED_REGEX is used in cluster/gce/util.sh,
 # make sure to remove these vars when not used anymore
-export KUBE_CI_VERSION_REGEX="^v(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)-([a-zA-Z0-9]+)\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)(\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\+[-0-9a-z]*)?$"
-export KUBE_CI_VERSION_DASHED_REGEX="^v(0|[1-9][0-9]*)-(0|[1-9][0-9]*)-(0|[1-9][0-9]*)-([a-zA-Z0-9]+)-(0|[1-9][0-9]*)(-(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\+[-0-9a-z]*)?"
+#                              v1                .26               .0              -(rc            .0                .)?1              (  +014f      )?
+export KUBE_CI_VERSION_REGEX="^v(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)-([a-zA-Z0-9]+\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\.)?(0|[1-9][0-9]*)(\\+[-0-9a-z]*)?$"
+export KUBE_CI_VERSION_DASHED_REGEX="^v(0|[1-9][0-9]*)-(0|[1-9][0-9]*)-(0|[1-9][0-9]*)-([a-zA-Z0-9]+-(0|[1-9][0-9]*)-)?(0|[1-9][0-9]*)(\\+[-0-9a-z]*)?"
 
 # Generate kubeconfig data for the created cluster.
 # Assumed vars:
diff --git a/cluster/get-kube.sh b/cluster/get-kube.sh
index 15342d26602..15acb7e1a49 100755
--- a/cluster/get-kube.sh
+++ b/cluster/get-kube.sh
@@ -72,10 +72,11 @@ KUBERNETES_CI_RELEASE_URL="${KUBERNETES_CI_RELEASE_URL:-${KUBERNETES_RELEASE_URL
 KUBERNETES_RELEASE_URL="${KUBERNETES_RELEASE_URL:-https://dl.k8s.io}"
 
 KUBE_RELEASE_VERSION_REGEX="^v(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)(-([a-zA-Z0-9]+)\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*))?$"
-KUBE_CI_VERSION_REGEX="^v(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)-([a-zA-Z0-9]+)\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)(\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\+[-0-9a-z]*)?$"
+#                       v1                .26               .0              -(rc            .0                .)?0              (  +014f      )?
+KUBE_CI_VERSION_REGEX="^v(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)-([a-zA-Z0-9]+\\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\\.)?(0|[1-9][0-9]*)(\\+[-0-9a-z]*)?$"
 
 # Sets KUBE_VERSION variable if an explicit version number was provided (e.g. "v1.0.6",
-# "v1.2.0-alpha.1.881+376438b69c7612") or resolves the "published" version
+# "v1.2.0-alpha.1.881+376438b69c7612", or "v1.2.0-881+376438b69c7612") or resolves the "published" version
 # <path>/<version> (e.g. "release/stable",' "ci/latest-1") by reading from GCS.
 #
 # See the docs on getting builds for more information about version
@@ -195,7 +196,7 @@ if [[ -z "${KUBERNETES_SKIP_RELEASE_VALIDATION-}" ]]; then
   elif [[ ${KUBE_VERSION} =~ ${KUBE_CI_VERSION_REGEX} ]]; then
     # Override KUBERNETES_RELEASE_URL to point to the CI bucket;
     # this will be used by get-kube-binaries.sh.
-    # ie. v1.19.0-beta.0.318+b618411f1edb98
+    # ie. v1.19.0-beta.0.318+b618411f1edb98 and v1.19.0-318+b618411f1edb98
     KUBERNETES_RELEASE_URL="${KUBERNETES_CI_RELEASE_URL}"
   else
     echo "Version doesn't match regexp" >&2