diff --git a/pkg/api/validation/validation.go b/pkg/api/validation/validation.go
index 7743cdd4b7..518178c117 100644
--- a/pkg/api/validation/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/api/validation/validation.go
@@ -180,6 +180,45 @@ func checkHostPortConflicts(containers []api.Container) errs.ErrorList {
 	return AccumulateUniquePorts(containers, allPorts, func(p *api.Port) int { return p.HostPort })
 }
 
+func validateExecAction(exec *api.ExecAction) errs.ErrorList {
+	allErrors := errs.ErrorList{}
+	if len(exec.Command) == 0 {
+		allErrors = append(allErrors, errs.NewFieldRequired("command", exec.Command))
+	}
+	return allErrors
+}
+
+func validateHTTPGetAction(http *api.HTTPGetAction) errs.ErrorList {
+	allErrors := errs.ErrorList{}
+	if len(http.Path) == 0 {
+		allErrors = append(allErrors, errs.NewFieldRequired("path", http.Path))
+	}
+	return allErrors
+}
+
+func validateHandler(handler *api.Handler) errs.ErrorList {
+	allErrors := errs.ErrorList{}
+	if handler.Exec != nil {
+		allErrors = append(allErrors, validateExecAction(handler.Exec).Prefix("exec")...)
+	} else if handler.HTTPGet != nil {
+		allErrors = append(allErrors, validateHTTPGetAction(handler.HTTPGet).Prefix("httpGet")...)
+	} else {
+		allErrors = append(allErrors, errs.NewFieldInvalid("", handler))
+	}
+	return allErrors
+}
+
+func validateLifecycle(lifecycle *api.Lifecycle) errs.ErrorList {
+	allErrs := errs.ErrorList{}
+	if lifecycle.PostStart != nil {
+		allErrs = append(allErrs, validateHandler(lifecycle.PostStart).Prefix("postStart")...)
+	}
+	if lifecycle.PreStop != nil {
+		allErrs = append(allErrs, validateHandler(lifecycle.PreStop).Prefix("preStop")...)
+	}
+	return allErrs
+}
+
 func validateContainers(containers []api.Container, volumes util.StringSet) errs.ErrorList {
 	allErrs := errs.ErrorList{}
 
@@ -199,6 +238,9 @@ func validateContainers(containers []api.Container, volumes util.StringSet) errs
 		if len(ctr.Image) == 0 {
 			cErrs = append(cErrs, errs.NewFieldRequired("image", ctr.Image))
 		}
+		if ctr.Lifecycle != nil {
+			cErrs = append(cErrs, validateLifecycle(ctr.Lifecycle).Prefix("lifecycle")...)
+		}
 		cErrs = append(cErrs, validatePorts(ctr.Ports).Prefix("ports")...)
 		cErrs = append(cErrs, validateEnv(ctr.Env).Prefix("env")...)
 		cErrs = append(cErrs, validateVolumeMounts(ctr.VolumeMounts, volumes).Prefix("volumeMounts")...)
diff --git a/pkg/api/validation/validation_test.go b/pkg/api/validation/validation_test.go
index e977fc1a6f..af69853c87 100644
--- a/pkg/api/validation/validation_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/validation/validation_test.go
@@ -184,6 +184,15 @@ func TestValidateContainers(t *testing.T) {
 		{Name: "abc", Image: "image"},
 		{Name: "123", Image: "image"},
 		{Name: "abc-123", Image: "image"},
+		{
+			Name:  "life-123",
+			Image: "image",
+			Lifecycle: &api.Lifecycle{
+				PreStop: &api.Handler{
+					Exec: &api.ExecAction{Command: []string{"ls", "-l"}},
+				},
+			},
+		},
 	}
 	if errs := validateContainers(successCase, volumes); len(errs) != 0 {
 		t.Errorf("expected success: %v", errs)
@@ -208,6 +217,37 @@ func TestValidateContainers(t *testing.T) {
 		"unknown volume name": {
 			{Name: "abc", Image: "image", VolumeMounts: []api.VolumeMount{{Name: "anything", MountPath: "/foo"}}},
 		},
+		"invalid lifecycle, no exec command.": {
+			{
+				Name:  "life-123",
+				Image: "image",
+				Lifecycle: &api.Lifecycle{
+					PreStop: &api.Handler{
+						Exec: &api.ExecAction{},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		"invalid lifecycle, no http path.": {
+			{
+				Name:  "life-123",
+				Image: "image",
+				Lifecycle: &api.Lifecycle{
+					PreStop: &api.Handler{
+						HTTPGet: &api.HTTPGetAction{},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		"invalid lifecycle, no action.": {
+			{
+				Name:  "life-123",
+				Image: "image",
+				Lifecycle: &api.Lifecycle{
+					PreStop: &api.Handler{},
+				},
+			},
+		},
 	}
 	for k, v := range errorCases {
 		if errs := validateContainers(v, volumes); len(errs) == 0 {