diff --git a/cluster/cluster.go b/cluster/cluster.go
index ca3ce40b..82f2a909 100644
--- a/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -168,7 +168,10 @@ func InitClusterObject(ctx context.Context, rkeConfig *v3.RancherKubernetesEngin
 	}
 
 	// Setting cluster Defaults
-	c.setClusterDefaults(ctx)
+	err := c.setClusterDefaults(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	// extract cluster network configuration
 	c.setNetworkOptions()
 
diff --git a/cluster/defaults.go b/cluster/defaults.go
index 92ab9fff..338fde04 100644
--- a/cluster/defaults.go
+++ b/cluster/defaults.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/rancher/rke/log"
 	"github.com/rancher/rke/services"
 	"github.com/rancher/rke/templates"
+	"github.com/rancher/rke/util"
 	"github.com/rancher/types/apis/management.cattle.io/v3"
 )
 
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ func setDefaultIfEmpty(varName *string, defaultValue string) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) setClusterDefaults(ctx context.Context) {
+func (c *Cluster) setClusterDefaults(ctx context.Context) error {
 	if len(c.SSHKeyPath) == 0 {
 		c.SSHKeyPath = DefaultClusterSSHKeyPath
 	}
@@ -144,10 +145,15 @@ func (c *Cluster) setClusterDefaults(ctx context.Context) {
 		}
 		c.PrivateRegistriesMap[pr.URL] = pr
 	}
-	c.setClusterImageDefaults()
+	err := c.setClusterImageDefaults()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	c.setClusterServicesDefaults()
 	c.setClusterNetworkDefaults()
 	c.setClusterAuthnDefaults()
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (c *Cluster) setClusterServicesDefaults() {
@@ -200,13 +206,17 @@ func (c *Cluster) setClusterServicesDefaults() {
 	}
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) setClusterImageDefaults() {
+func (c *Cluster) setClusterImageDefaults() error {
 	var privRegURL string
-	imageDefaults, ok := v3.K8sVersionToRKESystemImages[c.Version]
-	if !ok {
-		imageDefaults = v3.K8sVersionToRKESystemImages[DefaultK8sVersion]
+
+	// Version Check
+	err := util.ValidateVersion(c.Version)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
+	imageDefaults := v3.AllK8sVersions[c.Version]
+
 	for _, privReg := range c.PrivateRegistries {
 		if privReg.IsDefault {
 			privRegURL = privReg.URL
@@ -243,6 +253,8 @@ func (c *Cluster) setClusterImageDefaults() {
 	for k, v := range systemImagesDefaultsMap {
 		setDefaultIfEmpty(k, v)
 	}
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (c *Cluster) setClusterNetworkDefaults() {
diff --git a/cmd/config.go b/cmd/config.go
index 1e9bbc59..245d2b11 100644
--- a/cmd/config.go
+++ b/cmd/config.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/rancher/rke/cluster"
 	"github.com/rancher/rke/pki"
 	"github.com/rancher/rke/services"
+	"github.com/rancher/rke/util"
 	"github.com/rancher/types/apis/management.cattle.io/v3"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
@@ -402,11 +403,21 @@ func getAddonManifests(reader *bufio.Reader) ([]string, error) {
 
 func generateSystemImagesList(version string, all bool) error {
 	allVersions := []string{}
+
 	for version := range v3.AllK8sVersions {
+		err := util.ValidateVersion(version)
+		if err != nil {
+			continue
+		}
 		allVersions = append(allVersions, version)
 	}
 	if all {
 		for version, rkeSystemImages := range v3.AllK8sVersions {
+			err := util.ValidateVersion(version)
+			if err != nil {
+				continue
+			}
+
 			logrus.Infof("Generating images list for version [%s]:", version)
 			uniqueImages := getUniqueSystemImageList(rkeSystemImages)
 			for _, image := range uniqueImages {
diff --git a/util/util.go b/util/util.go
index cd054ae7..55795e64 100644
--- a/util/util.go
+++ b/util/util.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/coreos/go-semver/semver"
+	"github.com/rancher/types/apis/management.cattle.io/v3"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -63,3 +64,47 @@ func IsSymlink(file string) (bool, error) {
 	}
 	return false, nil
 }
+
+// ValidateVersion - Return error if version is not valid
+// Is version major.minor >= oldest major.minor supported
+// Is version in the AllK8sVersions list
+// Is version not in the "bad" list
+func ValidateVersion(version string) error {
+	// Create target version and current versions list
+	targetVersion, err := StrToSemVer(version)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s is not valid semver", version)
+	}
+	currentVersionsList := []*semver.Version{}
+	for _, ver := range v3.K8sVersionsCurrent {
+		v, err := StrToSemVer(ver)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("%s in Current Versions list is not valid semver", ver)
+		}
+
+		currentVersionsList = append(currentVersionsList, v)
+	}
+
+	// Make sure Target version is greater than or equal to oldest major.minor supported.
+	semver.Sort(currentVersionsList)
+	if targetVersion.Major < currentVersionsList[0].Major {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s is an unsupported Kubernetes version - see 'rke config --system-images --all' for versions supported with this release", version)
+	}
+	if targetVersion.Major == currentVersionsList[0].Major {
+		if targetVersion.Minor < currentVersionsList[0].Minor {
+			return fmt.Errorf("%s is an unsupported Kubernetes version - see 'rke config --system-images --all' for versions supported with this release", version)
+		}
+	}
+	// Make sure Target version is in the AllK8sVersions list.
+	_, ok := v3.AllK8sVersions[version]
+	if !ok {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s is an unsupported Kubernetes version - see 'rke config --system-images --all' for versions supported with this release", version)
+	}
+	// Make sure Target version is not "bad".
+	_, ok = v3.K8sBadVersions[version]
+	if ok {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s is an unsupported Kubernetes version - see 'rke config --system-images --all' for versions supported with this release", version)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}