diff --git a/cluster/hosts.go b/cluster/hosts.go
index 58847740..24b1cec9 100644
--- a/cluster/hosts.go
+++ b/cluster/hosts.go
@@ -89,8 +89,9 @@ func (c *Cluster) FindHostsLabeledToIgnoreUpgrade(ctx context.Context) {
 		return
 	}
 	for _, node := range nodes.Items {
-		if val, ok := node.Labels[k8s.IgnoreHostDuringUpgradeLabel]; ok && val == "true" {
+		if val, ok := node.Labels[k8s.IgnoreHostDuringUpgradeLabel]; ok && val == k8s.IgnoreLabelValue {
 			host := hosts.Host{RKEConfigNode: v3.RKEConfigNode{Address: node.Annotations[k8s.ExternalAddressAnnotation]}}
+			logrus.Infof("Host %v is labeled to ignore upgrade", host.Address)
 			c.HostsLabeledToIgnoreUpgrade[host.Address] = true
 		}
 	}
@@ -174,7 +175,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) CalculateMaxUnavailable() (int, int, error) {
 	}
 	// maxUnavailable should be calculated against all hosts provided in cluster.yml except the ones labelled to be ignored for upgrade
 	workerHosts += len(inactiveWorkerHosts)
-	maxUnavailableWorker, err := services.CalculateMaxUnavailable(c.UpgradeStrategy.MaxUnavailableWorker, workerHosts)
+	maxUnavailableWorker, err := services.CalculateMaxUnavailable(c.UpgradeStrategy.MaxUnavailableWorker, workerHosts, services.WorkerRole)
 	if err != nil {
 		return maxUnavailableWorker, maxUnavailableControl, err
 	}
@@ -185,7 +186,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) CalculateMaxUnavailable() (int, int, error) {
 		controlHosts++
 	}
 	controlHosts += len(inactiveControlPlaneHosts)
-	maxUnavailableControl, err = services.CalculateMaxUnavailable(c.UpgradeStrategy.MaxUnavailableControlplane, controlHosts)
+	maxUnavailableControl, err = services.CalculateMaxUnavailable(c.UpgradeStrategy.MaxUnavailableControlplane, controlHosts, services.ControlRole)
 	if err != nil {
 		return maxUnavailableWorker, maxUnavailableControl, err
 	}
diff --git a/k8s/node.go b/k8s/node.go
index 2b1b5a5e..186c68d4 100644
--- a/k8s/node.go
+++ b/k8s/node.go
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ const (
 	HostnameLabel                = "kubernetes.io/hostname"
 	InternalAddressAnnotation    = "rke.cattle.io/internal-ip"
 	ExternalAddressAnnotation    = "rke.cattle.io/external-ip"
-	IgnoreHostDuringUpgradeLabel = "rke.cattle.io/ignore-during-upgrade"
+	IgnoreHostDuringUpgradeLabel = "user.cattle.io/upgrade-policy"
+	IgnoreLabelValue             = "prevent"
 	AWSCloudProvider             = "aws"
 	MaxRetries                   = 5
 	RetryInterval                = 5
diff --git a/services/controlplane.go b/services/controlplane.go
index 62adec85..a8b791de 100644
--- a/services/controlplane.go
+++ b/services/controlplane.go
@@ -80,10 +80,8 @@ func UpgradeControlPlaneNodes(ctx context.Context, kubeClient *kubernetes.Client
 		upgradeStrategy, newHosts, inactiveHosts, maxUnavailable, drainHelper)
 	if err != nil {
 		logrus.Errorf("Failed to upgrade hosts: %v with error %v", strings.Join(hostsFailedToUpgrade, ","), err)
-		if len(hostsFailedToUpgrade) >= maxUnavailable {
-			return errMsgMaxUnavailableNotFailed, err
-		}
 		errMsgMaxUnavailableNotFailed = fmt.Sprintf("Failed to upgrade hosts: %v with error %v", strings.Join(hostsFailedToUpgrade, ","), err)
+		return errMsgMaxUnavailableNotFailed, err
 	}
 	log.Infof(ctx, "[%s] Successfully upgraded Controller Plane..", ControlRole)
 	return errMsgMaxUnavailableNotFailed, nil
diff --git a/services/node_util.go b/services/node_util.go
index d468c4a2..6a373050 100644
--- a/services/node_util.go
+++ b/services/node_util.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package services
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ func getNodeListForUpgrade(kubeClient *kubernetes.Clientset, hostsFailed *sync.M
 		if inactiveHosts[node.Labels[k8s.HostnameLabel]] {
 			continue
 		}
-		if val, ok := node.Labels[k8s.IgnoreHostDuringUpgradeLabel]; ok && val == "true" {
+		if val, ok := node.Labels[k8s.IgnoreHostDuringUpgradeLabel]; ok && val == k8s.IgnoreLabelValue {
 			continue
 		}
 		nodeList = append(nodeList, node)
@@ -87,10 +88,19 @@ func getNodeListForUpgrade(kubeClient *kubernetes.Clientset, hostsFailed *sync.M
 	return nodeList, nil
 }
 
-func CalculateMaxUnavailable(maxUnavailableVal string, numHosts int) (int, error) {
+func CalculateMaxUnavailable(maxUnavailableVal string, numHosts int, role string) (int, error) {
 	// if maxUnavailable is given in percent, round down
 	maxUnavailableParsed := k8sutil.Parse(maxUnavailableVal)
 	logrus.Debugf("Provided value for maxUnavailable: %v", maxUnavailableParsed)
+	if maxUnavailableParsed.Type == k8sutil.Int {
+		if maxUnavailableParsed.IntVal <= 0 {
+			return 0, fmt.Errorf("invalid input for max_unavailable_%s: %v, value must be > 0", role, maxUnavailableParsed.IntVal)
+		}
+	} else {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(maxUnavailableParsed.StrVal, "-") || maxUnavailableParsed.StrVal == "0%" {
+			return 0, fmt.Errorf("invalid input for max_unavailable_%s: %v, value must be > 0", role, maxUnavailableParsed.StrVal)
+		}
+	}
 	maxUnavailable, err := k8sutil.GetValueFromIntOrPercent(&maxUnavailableParsed, numHosts, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		logrus.Errorf("Unable to parse max_unavailable, should be a number or percentage of nodes, error: %v", err)
@@ -98,6 +108,7 @@ func CalculateMaxUnavailable(maxUnavailableVal string, numHosts int) (int, error
 	}
 	if maxUnavailable == 0 {
 		// In case there is only one node and rounding down maxUnvailable percentage led to 0
+		logrus.Infof("max_unavailable_%s got rounded down to 0, resetting to 1", role)
 		maxUnavailable = 1
 	}
 	logrus.Debugf("Parsed value of maxUnavailable: %v", maxUnavailable)
@@ -114,11 +125,11 @@ func resetMaxUnavailable(maxUnavailable, lenInactiveHosts int, component string)
 	}
 
 	if lenInactiveHosts > 0 {
-		if maxUnavailable == lenInactiveHosts {
-			return 0, fmt.Errorf("cannot proceed with upgrade of %s since %v host(s) are found to be inactive prior to upgrade", component, lenInactiveHosts)
+		if lenInactiveHosts >= maxUnavailable {
+			return 0, fmt.Errorf("cannot proceed with upgrade of %s since %v host(s) cannot be reached prior to upgrade", component, lenInactiveHosts)
 		}
 		maxUnavailable -= lenInactiveHosts
-		logrus.Infof("Resetting %s to %v since %v host(s) are found to be inactive prior to upgrade", "max_unavailable_"+component, maxUnavailable, lenInactiveHosts)
+		logrus.Infof("Resetting %s to %v since %v host(s) cannot be reached prior to upgrade", "max_unavailable_"+component, maxUnavailable, lenInactiveHosts)
 	}
 	return maxUnavailable, nil
 }