diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/phases/certs/certs.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/phases/certs/certs.go
index 7e8a60bce91..738fccf1743 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/phases/certs/certs.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/phases/certs/certs.go
@@ -381,6 +381,38 @@ func UsingExternalFrontProxyCA(cfg *kubeadmapi.ClusterConfiguration) (bool, erro
 	return true, nil
 }
 
+// UsingExternalEtcdCA determines whether the user is relying on an external etcd CA. We currently implicitly determine this is the case
+// when the etcd CA Cert is present but the etcd CA Key is not.
+// In case we are using an external etcd CA, the function validates the certificates signed by etcd CA that should be provided by the user.
+func UsingExternalEtcdCA(cfg *kubeadmapi.ClusterConfiguration) (bool, error) {
+	if err := validateCACert(certKeyLocation{cfg.CertificatesDir, kubeadmconstants.EtcdCACertAndKeyBaseName, "", "etcd CA"}); err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+
+	path := filepath.Join(cfg.CertificatesDir, kubeadmconstants.EtcdCAKeyName)
+	if _, err := os.Stat(path); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+
+	if err := validateSignedCert(certKeyLocation{cfg.CertificatesDir, kubeadmconstants.EtcdCACertAndKeyBaseName, kubeadmconstants.APIServerEtcdClientCertAndKeyBaseName, "apiserver etcd client"}); err != nil {
+		return true, err
+	}
+
+	if err := validateSignedCert(certKeyLocation{cfg.CertificatesDir, kubeadmconstants.EtcdCACertAndKeyBaseName, kubeadmconstants.EtcdServerCertAndKeyBaseName, "etcd server"}); err != nil {
+		return true, err
+	}
+
+	if err := validateSignedCert(certKeyLocation{cfg.CertificatesDir, kubeadmconstants.EtcdCACertAndKeyBaseName, kubeadmconstants.EtcdPeerCertAndKeyBaseName, "etcd peer"}); err != nil {
+		return true, err
+	}
+
+	if err := validateSignedCert(certKeyLocation{cfg.CertificatesDir, kubeadmconstants.EtcdCACertAndKeyBaseName, kubeadmconstants.EtcdHealthcheckClientCertAndKeyBaseName, "etcd health-check client"}); err != nil {
+		return true, err
+	}
+
+	return true, nil
+}
+
 // validateCACert tries to load a x509 certificate from pkiDir and validates that it is a CA
 func validateCACert(l certKeyLocation) error {
 	// Check CA Cert
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/phases/certs/renewal/manager.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/phases/certs/renewal/manager.go
index 09421d7e816..764bcb01a80 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/phases/certs/renewal/manager.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/phases/certs/renewal/manager.go
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ func NewManager(cfg *kubeadmapi.ClusterConfiguration, kubernetesDir string) (*Ma
 			LongName:   kubeConfig.longName,
 			FileName:   kubeConfig.fileName,
 			CABaseName: kubeadmconstants.CACertAndKeyBaseName, // all certificates in kubeConfig files are signed by the Kubernetes CA
+			CAName:     kubeadmconstants.CACertAndKeyBaseName,
 			readwriter: kubeConfigReadWriter,
 		}
 	}
@@ -374,7 +375,11 @@ func (rm *Manager) IsExternallyManaged(caBaseName string) (bool, error) {
 		}
 		return externallyManaged, nil
 	case kubeadmconstants.EtcdCACertAndKeyBaseName:
-		return false, nil
+		externallyManaged, err := certsphase.UsingExternalEtcdCA(rm.cfg)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false, errors.Wrapf(err, "Error checking external CA condition for %s certificate authority", caBaseName)
+		}
+		return externallyManaged, nil
 	default:
 		return false, errors.Errorf("unknown certificate authority %s", caBaseName)
 	}