diff --git a/cmd/clusterctl/clusterdeployer/clusterdeployer_test.go b/cmd/clusterctl/clusterdeployer/clusterdeployer_test.go
index bf8d8ff2c84f..653719b97e8e 100644
--- a/cmd/clusterctl/clusterdeployer/clusterdeployer_test.go
+++ b/cmd/clusterctl/clusterdeployer/clusterdeployer_test.go
@@ -1193,7 +1193,7 @@ func generateTestMasterMachine(name string) *clusterv1.Machine {
 			Name: name,
 		},
 		Spec: clusterv1.MachineSpec{
-			Versions: clusterv1.MachineVersionInfo{
+			Versions: &clusterv1.MachineVersionInfo{
 				ControlPlane: "1.10.1",
 			},
 		},
diff --git a/pkg/apis/cluster/v1alpha1/machine_types.go b/pkg/apis/cluster/v1alpha1/machine_types.go
index 5a10bba39fb0..60556916410d 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/cluster/v1alpha1/machine_types.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/cluster/v1alpha1/machine_types.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ type MachineSpec struct {
 	// should populate the values it uses when persisting Machine objects.
 	// A Machine spec missing this field at runtime is invalid.
 	// +optional
-	Versions MachineVersionInfo `json:"versions,omitempty"`
+	Versions *MachineVersionInfo `json:"versions,omitempty"`
 
 	// To populate in the associated Node for dynamic kubelet config. This
 	// field already exists in Node, so any updates to it in the Machine
diff --git a/pkg/apis/cluster/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/pkg/apis/cluster/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index 9b0a0352080a..8131d648a058 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/cluster/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/cluster/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -632,7 +632,11 @@ func (in *MachineSpec) DeepCopyInto(out *MachineSpec) {
 		}
 	}
 	in.ProviderSpec.DeepCopyInto(&out.ProviderSpec)
-	out.Versions = in.Versions
+	if in.Versions != nil {
+		in, out := &in.Versions, &out.Versions
+		*out = new(MachineVersionInfo)
+		**out = **in
+	}
 	if in.ConfigSource != nil {
 		in, out := &in.ConfigSource, &out.ConfigSource
 		*out = new(v1.NodeConfigSource)
diff --git a/pkg/controller/machine/machine_controller_test.go b/pkg/controller/machine/machine_controller_test.go
index 8d8b2f88e004..2af5509f1a55 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/machine/machine_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/machine/machine_controller_test.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func TestReconcile(t *testing.T) {
 	instance := &clusterv1alpha1.Machine{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo", Namespace: "default"},
 		Spec: clusterv1alpha1.MachineSpec{
-			Versions: clusterv1alpha1.MachineVersionInfo{Kubelet: "1.10.3"},
+			Versions: &clusterv1alpha1.MachineVersionInfo{Kubelet: "1.10.3"},
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/controller/machinedeployment/machinedeployment_controller_test.go b/pkg/controller/machinedeployment/machinedeployment_controller_test.go
index 3029309313de..d6f56eac350e 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/machinedeployment/machinedeployment_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/machinedeployment/machinedeployment_controller_test.go
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func TestReconcile(t *testing.T) {
 					Labels: labels,
 				},
 				Spec: clusterv1alpha1.MachineSpec{
-					Versions: clusterv1alpha1.MachineVersionInfo{Kubelet: "1.10.3"},
+					Versions: &clusterv1alpha1.MachineVersionInfo{Kubelet: "1.10.3"},
 				},
 			},
 		},
diff --git a/pkg/controller/machineset/machineset_controller_test.go b/pkg/controller/machineset/machineset_controller_test.go
index 153a51e9aa11..3387375c787c 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/machineset/machineset_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/machineset/machineset_controller_test.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func TestReconcile(t *testing.T) {
 			Replicas: &replicas,
 			Template: clusterv1alpha1.MachineTemplateSpec{
 				Spec: clusterv1alpha1.MachineSpec{
-					Versions: clusterv1alpha1.MachineVersionInfo{Kubelet: "1.10.3"},
+					Versions: &clusterv1alpha1.MachineVersionInfo{Kubelet: "1.10.3"},
 				},
 			},
 		},