diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index 7ea61e6b9e..96d5aa5e0d 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -506,10 +506,6 @@ func (c *Config) Validate(force bool) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if err := validate.RegisterTranslation("supported_k8s_version", trans, registerInvalidK8sVersionError, translateInvalidK8sVersionError); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	if err := validate.RegisterValidation("no_placeholders", validateNoPlaceholder); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/config/validation.go b/internal/config/validation.go
index 061af45e82..8ff1c477bb 100644
--- a/internal/config/validation.go
+++ b/internal/config/validation.go
@@ -55,22 +55,33 @@ func translateInvalidK8sVersionError(ut ut.Translator, fe validator.FieldError)
 	validVersionsSorted := semver.ByVersion(validVersions)
 	sort.Sort(validVersionsSorted)
 
-	errorMsg := fmt.Sprintf("Supported versions: %s", strings.Join(validVersionsSorted, " "))
-	configured, ok := fe.Value().(string)
-	if !ok {
-		errorMsg = "The configured version is not a valid string"
+	if len(validVersionsSorted) == 0 {
+		t, _ := ut.T("supported_k8s_version", fe.Field(), "No valid versions available. This should never happen")
+		return t
 	}
-
 	maxVersion := validVersionsSorted[len(validVersionsSorted)-1]
 	minVersion := validVersionsSorted[0]
 
-	if configured < minVersion {
-		errorMsg = fmt.Sprintf("The configured version %s is older than the oldest version supported by this CLI: %s.", configured, minVersion)
+	var errorMsg string
+	configured, ok := fe.Value().(string)
+	if !ok {
+		errorMsg = fmt.Sprintf("The configured version is not a valid string. Supported versions: %s", strings.Join(validVersionsSorted, " "))
+		t, _ := ut.T("supported_k8s_version", fe.Field(), errorMsg)
+		return t
 	}
-	if configured > maxVersion {
-		errorMsg = fmt.Sprintf("The configured version %s is newer than the newest version supported by this CLI: %s.", configured, maxVersion)
+
+	configured = compatibility.EnsurePrefixV(configured)
+	switch {
+	case !semver.IsValid(configured):
+		errorMsg = "The configured version is not a valid semantic version"
+	case semver.Compare(configured, minVersion) == -1:
+		errorMsg = fmt.Sprintf("The configured version %s is older than the oldest version supported by this CLI: %s", configured, minVersion)
+	case semver.Compare(configured, maxVersion) == 1:
+		errorMsg = fmt.Sprintf("The configured version %s is newer than the newest version supported by this CLI: %s", configured, maxVersion)
 	}
 
+	errorMsg = errorMsg + fmt.Sprintf("Supported versions: %s", strings.Join(validVersionsSorted, " "))
+
 	t, _ := ut.T("supported_k8s_version", fe.Field(), errorMsg)
 
 	return t
@@ -299,7 +310,7 @@ func getPlaceholderEntries(m Measurements) []uint32 {
 }
 
 func validateK8sVersion(fl validator.FieldLevel) bool {
-	return versions.IsSupportedK8sVersion(fl.Field().String())
+	return versions.IsSupportedK8sVersion(compatibility.EnsurePrefixV(fl.Field().String()))
 }
 
 func registerVersionCompatibilityError(ut ut.Translator) error {
diff --git a/internal/versions/versions.go b/internal/versions/versions.go
index cbfedb4bcc..d6fa2ed633 100644
--- a/internal/versions/versions.go
+++ b/internal/versions/versions.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/edgelesssys/constellation/v2/internal/compatibility"
 	"github.com/edgelesssys/constellation/v2/internal/constants"
 	"github.com/edgelesssys/constellation/v2/internal/versions/components"
 	"golang.org/x/mod/semver"
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ func SupportedK8sVersions() []string {
 	validVersions := make([]string, len(VersionConfigs))
 	i := 0
 	for _, conf := range VersionConfigs {
-		validVersions[i] = conf.ClusterVersion
+		validVersions[i] = compatibility.EnsurePrefixV(conf.ClusterVersion)
 		i++
 	}
 	validVersionsSorted := semver.ByVersion(validVersions)