diff --git a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go
index 781e9787e8e..d8fb8935ee7 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go
@@ -416,9 +416,12 @@ func IsMatchedVolume(name string, volumes map[string]core.VolumeSource) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-func isMatchedDevice(name string, volumes map[string]core.VolumeSource) (bool, bool) {
+// isMatched checks whether the volume with the given name is used by a
+// container and if so, if it involves a PVC.
+func isMatchedDevice(name string, volumes map[string]core.VolumeSource) (isMatched bool, isPVC bool) {
 	if source, ok := volumes[name]; ok {
-		if source.PersistentVolumeClaim != nil {
+		if source.PersistentVolumeClaim != nil ||
+			source.Ephemeral != nil {
 			return true, true
 		}
 		return true, false
@@ -2609,9 +2612,9 @@ func ValidateVolumeDevices(devices []core.VolumeDevice, volmounts map[string]str
 		if devicename.Has(devName) {
 			allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(idxPath.Child("name"), devName, "must be unique"))
 		}
-		// Must be PersistentVolumeClaim volume source
+		// Must be based on PersistentVolumeClaim (PVC reference or generic ephemeral inline volume)
 		if didMatch && !isPVC {
-			allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(idxPath.Child("name"), devName, "can only use volume source type of PersistentVolumeClaim for block mode"))
+			allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(idxPath.Child("name"), devName, "can only use volume source type of PersistentVolumeClaim or Ephemeral for block mode"))
 		}
 		if !didMatch {
 			allErrs = append(allErrs, field.NotFound(idxPath.Child("name"), devName))
diff --git a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go
index 76c995ed2fb..4943f2defa3 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go
@@ -5532,6 +5532,18 @@ func TestValidateVolumeMounts(t *testing.T) {
 		{Name: "abc", VolumeSource: core.VolumeSource{PersistentVolumeClaim: &core.PersistentVolumeClaimVolumeSource{ClaimName: "testclaim1"}}},
 		{Name: "abc-123", VolumeSource: core.VolumeSource{PersistentVolumeClaim: &core.PersistentVolumeClaimVolumeSource{ClaimName: "testclaim2"}}},
 		{Name: "123", VolumeSource: core.VolumeSource{HostPath: &core.HostPathVolumeSource{Path: "/foo/baz", Type: newHostPathType(string(core.HostPathUnset))}}},
+		{Name: "ephemeral", VolumeSource: core.VolumeSource{Ephemeral: &core.EphemeralVolumeSource{VolumeClaimTemplate: &core.PersistentVolumeClaimTemplate{
+			Spec: core.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec{
+				AccessModes: []core.PersistentVolumeAccessMode{
+					core.ReadWriteOnce,
+				},
+				Resources: core.ResourceRequirements{
+					Requests: core.ResourceList{
+						core.ResourceName(core.ResourceStorage): resource.MustParse("10G"),
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		}}}},
 	}
 	vols, v1err := ValidateVolumes(volumes, nil, field.NewPath("field"), PodValidationOptions{})
 	if len(v1err) > 0 {
@@ -5554,6 +5566,7 @@ func TestValidateVolumeMounts(t *testing.T) {
 		{Name: "abc-123", MountPath: "G:\\mount", SubPath: ""},
 		{Name: "abc-123", MountPath: "/bac", SubPath: ".baz"},
 		{Name: "abc-123", MountPath: "/bad", SubPath: "..baz"},
+		{Name: "ephemeral", MountPath: "/foobar"},
 	}
 	goodVolumeDevices := []core.VolumeDevice{
 		{Name: "xyz", DevicePath: "/foofoo"},
@@ -5851,6 +5864,18 @@ func TestAlphaValidateVolumeDevices(t *testing.T) {
 		{Name: "abc", VolumeSource: core.VolumeSource{PersistentVolumeClaim: &core.PersistentVolumeClaimVolumeSource{ClaimName: "testclaim1"}}},
 		{Name: "abc-123", VolumeSource: core.VolumeSource{PersistentVolumeClaim: &core.PersistentVolumeClaimVolumeSource{ClaimName: "testclaim2"}}},
 		{Name: "def", VolumeSource: core.VolumeSource{HostPath: &core.HostPathVolumeSource{Path: "/foo/baz", Type: newHostPathType(string(core.HostPathUnset))}}},
+		{Name: "ephemeral", VolumeSource: core.VolumeSource{Ephemeral: &core.EphemeralVolumeSource{VolumeClaimTemplate: &core.PersistentVolumeClaimTemplate{
+			Spec: core.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec{
+				AccessModes: []core.PersistentVolumeAccessMode{
+					core.ReadWriteOnce,
+				},
+				Resources: core.ResourceRequirements{
+					Requests: core.ResourceList{
+						core.ResourceName(core.ResourceStorage): resource.MustParse("10G"),
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		}}}},
 	}
 
 	vols, v1err := ValidateVolumes(volumes, nil, field.NewPath("field"), PodValidationOptions{})
@@ -5862,6 +5887,7 @@ func TestAlphaValidateVolumeDevices(t *testing.T) {
 	successCase := []core.VolumeDevice{
 		{Name: "abc", DevicePath: "/foo"},
 		{Name: "abc-123", DevicePath: "/usr/share/test"},
+		{Name: "ephemeral", DevicePath: "/disk"},
 	}
 	goodVolumeMounts := []core.VolumeMount{
 		{Name: "xyz", MountPath: "/foofoo"},
@@ -5887,7 +5913,7 @@ func TestAlphaValidateVolumeDevices(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Success Cases:
-	// Validate normal success cases - only PVC volumeSource
+	// Validate normal success cases - only PVC volumeSource or generic ephemeral volume
 	if errs := ValidateVolumeDevices(successCase, GetVolumeMountMap(goodVolumeMounts), vols, field.NewPath("field")); len(errs) != 0 {
 		t.Errorf("expected success: %v", errs)
 	}