diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/system/docker_validator.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/system/docker_validator.go
index 69b84dc660..b31bacd208 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/system/docker_validator.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/system/docker_validator.go
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ func (d *DockerValidator) Name() string {
 }
 
 const (
-	dockerConfigPrefix        = "DOCKER_"
-	maxDockerValidatedVersion = "18.06"
+	dockerConfigPrefix           = "DOCKER_"
+	latestValidatedDockerVersion = "18.06"
 )
 
 // TODO(random-liu): Add more validating items.
@@ -78,9 +78,9 @@ func (d *DockerValidator) validateDockerInfo(spec *DockerSpec, info types.Info)
 		if r.MatchString(info.ServerVersion) {
 			d.Reporter.Report(dockerConfigPrefix+"VERSION", info.ServerVersion, good)
 			w := fmt.Errorf(
-				"docker version is greater than the most recently validated version. Docker version: %s. Max validated version: %s",
+				"this Docker version is not on the list of validated versions: %s. Latest validated version: %s",
 				info.ServerVersion,
-				maxDockerValidatedVersion,
+				latestValidatedDockerVersion,
 			)
 			return w, nil
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/system/docker_validator_test.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/system/docker_validator_test.go
index 6ab88550d7..058143e567 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/system/docker_validator_test.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/system/docker_validator_test.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ func TestValidateDockerInfo(t *testing.T) {
 		Reporter: DefaultReporter,
 	}
 	spec := &DockerSpec{
-		Version:     []string{`1\.1[1-3]\..*`, `18\.06\..*`}, // Requires [1.11, 18.06].
+		Version:     []string{`1\.1[1-3]\..*`, `17\.0[3,6,9]\..*`, `18\.06\..*`},
 		GraphDriver: []string{"driver_1", "driver_2"},
 	}
 	for _, test := range []struct {
@@ -71,6 +71,11 @@ func TestValidateDockerInfo(t *testing.T) {
 			err:  false,
 			warn: false,
 		},
+		{
+			info: types.Info{Driver: "driver_2", ServerVersion: "17.09.0-ce"},
+			err:  false,
+			warn: false,
+		},
 		{
 			info: types.Info{Driver: "driver_2", ServerVersion: "18.06.0-ce"},
 			err:  false,
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/system/types_unix.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/system/types_unix.go
index f1b6350f7c..71a26c0e6e 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/system/types_unix.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/system/types_unix.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ var DefaultSysSpec = SysSpec{
 	Cgroups: []string{"cpu", "cpuacct", "cpuset", "devices", "freezer", "memory"},
 	RuntimeSpec: RuntimeSpec{
 		DockerSpec: &DockerSpec{
-			Version:     []string{`1\.1[1-3]\..*`, `18\.06\..*`}, // Requires [1.11, 18.06]
+			Version:     []string{`1\.1[1-3]\..*`, `17\.0[3,6,9]\..*`, `18\.06\..*`},
 			GraphDriver: []string{"aufs", "overlay", "overlay2", "devicemapper", "zfs"},
 		},
 	},