diff --git a/pkg/api/validation.go b/pkg/api/validation.go
index 3da4bdeda5b..2946444795b 100644
--- a/pkg/api/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/api/validation.go
@@ -281,6 +281,16 @@ func ValidateManifest(manifest *ContainerManifest) []error {
 	return []error(allErrs)
 }
 
+// Pod tests if required fields in the pod are set.
+func ValidatePod(pod *Pod) []error {
+	allErrs := errorList{}
+	if pod.ID == "" {
+		allErrs.Append(makeInvalidError("Pod.ID", pod.ID))
+	}
+	allErrs.Append(ValidateManifest(&pod.DesiredState.Manifest)...)
+	return []error(allErrs)
+}
+
 // ValidateService tests if required fields in the service are set.
 func ValidateService(service *Service) []error {
 	allErrs := errorList{}
diff --git a/pkg/registry/pod_registry.go b/pkg/registry/pod_registry.go
index 53849f1956d..59c3df1c887 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/pod_registry.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/pod_registry.go
@@ -213,6 +213,10 @@ func (storage *PodRegistryStorage) Create(obj interface{}) (<-chan interface{},
 	}
 	pod.DesiredState.Manifest.ID = pod.ID
 
+	if errs := api.ValidatePod(&pod); len(errs) > 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Validation errors: %v", errs)
+	}
+
 	return apiserver.MakeAsync(func() (interface{}, error) {
 		err := storage.scheduleAndCreatePod(pod)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -224,10 +228,9 @@ func (storage *PodRegistryStorage) Create(obj interface{}) (<-chan interface{},
 
 func (storage *PodRegistryStorage) Update(obj interface{}) (<-chan interface{}, error) {
 	pod := obj.(api.Pod)
-	if len(pod.ID) == 0 {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("ID should not be empty: %#v", pod)
+	if errs := api.ValidatePod(&pod); len(errs) > 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Validation errors: %v", errs)
 	}
-
 	return apiserver.MakeAsync(func() (interface{}, error) {
 		err := storage.registry.UpdatePod(pod)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/registry/pod_registry_test.go b/pkg/registry/pod_registry_test.go
index 160bc374f5e..65faac7e0bf 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/pod_registry_test.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/pod_registry_test.go
@@ -65,7 +65,12 @@ func TestCreatePodRegistryError(t *testing.T) {
 		scheduler: &MockScheduler{},
 		registry:  mockRegistry,
 	}
-	pod := api.Pod{}
+	desiredState := api.PodState{
+		Manifest: api.ContainerManifest{
+			Version: "v1beta1",
+		},
+	}
+	pod := api.Pod{DesiredState: desiredState}
 	ch, err := storage.Create(pod)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("Expected %#v, Got %#v", nil, err)
@@ -91,7 +96,12 @@ func TestCreatePodSchedulerError(t *testing.T) {
 	storage := PodRegistryStorage{
 		scheduler: &mockScheduler,
 	}
-	pod := api.Pod{}
+	desiredState := api.PodState{
+		Manifest: api.ContainerManifest{
+			Version: "v1beta1",
+		},
+	}
+	pod := api.Pod{DesiredState: desiredState}
 	ch, err := storage.Create(pod)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("Expected %#v, Got %#v", nil, err)
@@ -118,7 +128,12 @@ func TestCreatePodSetsIds(t *testing.T) {
 		scheduler: &MockScheduler{machine: "test"},
 		registry:  mockRegistry,
 	}
-	pod := api.Pod{}
+	desiredState := api.PodState{
+		Manifest: api.ContainerManifest{
+			Version: "v1beta1",
+		},
+	}
+	pod := api.Pod{DesiredState: desiredState}
 	ch, err := storage.Create(pod)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("Expected %#v, Got %#v", nil, err)
@@ -254,6 +269,7 @@ func TestGetPodCloud(t *testing.T) {
 func TestMakePodStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	desiredState := api.PodState{
 		Manifest: api.ContainerManifest{
+			Version: "v1beta1",
 			Containers: []api.Container{
 				{Name: "containerA"},
 				{Name: "containerB"},
@@ -337,6 +353,43 @@ func TestMakePodStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+
+func TestPodStorageValidatesCreate(t *testing.T) {
+	mockRegistry := &MockPodStorageRegistry{
+		MockPodRegistry: MockPodRegistry{err: fmt.Errorf("test error")},
+	}
+	storage := PodRegistryStorage{
+		scheduler: &MockScheduler{machine: "test"},
+		registry:  mockRegistry,
+	}
+	pod := api.Pod{}
+	c, err := storage.Create(pod)
+	if c != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Expected nil channel")
+	}
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Expected to get an error")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPodStorageValidatesUpdate(t *testing.T) {
+	mockRegistry := &MockPodStorageRegistry{
+		MockPodRegistry: MockPodRegistry{err: fmt.Errorf("test error")},
+	}
+	storage := PodRegistryStorage{
+		scheduler: &MockScheduler{machine: "test"},
+		registry:  mockRegistry,
+	}
+	pod := api.Pod{}
+	c, err := storage.Update(pod)
+	if c != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Expected nil channel")
+	}
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Expected to get an error")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestCreatePod(t *testing.T) {
 	mockRegistry := MockPodRegistry{
 		pod: &api.Pod{
@@ -352,8 +405,14 @@ func TestCreatePod(t *testing.T) {
 		scheduler:     scheduler.MakeRoundRobinScheduler(),
 		minionLister:  MakeMinionRegistry([]string{"machine"}),
 	}
+	desiredState := api.PodState{
+		Manifest: api.ContainerManifest{
+			Version: "v1beta1",
+		},
+	}
 	pod := api.Pod{
 		JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "foo"},
+		DesiredState: desiredState,
 	}
 	channel, err := storage.Create(pod)
 	expectNoError(t, err)