diff --git a/cli/internal/cmd/init.go b/cli/internal/cmd/init.go
index 376f46b51..1dcb03382 100644
--- a/cli/internal/cmd/init.go
+++ b/cli/internal/cmd/init.go
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ import (
 	"text/tabwriter"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/edgelesssys/constellation/v2/internal/compatibility"
+
 	"github.com/edgelesssys/constellation/v2/bootstrapper/initproto"
 	"github.com/edgelesssys/constellation/v2/cli/internal/cloudcmd"
 	"github.com/edgelesssys/constellation/v2/cli/internal/clusterid"
@@ -112,7 +114,7 @@ func (i *initCmd) initialize(cmd *cobra.Command, newDialer func(validator *cloud
 		return fmt.Errorf("reading cluster ID file: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	k8sVersion, err := versions.NewValidK8sVersion(conf.KubernetesVersion)
+	k8sVersion, err := versions.NewValidK8sVersion(compatibility.EnsurePrefixV(conf.KubernetesVersion))
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("validating kubernetes version: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/cli/internal/cmd/init_test.go b/cli/internal/cmd/init_test.go
index ccf903956..c909fb0b4 100644
--- a/cli/internal/cmd/init_test.go
+++ b/cli/internal/cmd/init_test.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	kmssetup "github.com/edgelesssys/constellation/v2/internal/kms/setup"
+	"github.com/edgelesssys/constellation/v2/internal/versions"
 
 	"github.com/edgelesssys/constellation/v2/bootstrapper/initproto"
 	"github.com/edgelesssys/constellation/v2/cli/internal/cloudcmd"
@@ -116,6 +117,12 @@ func TestInitialize(t *testing.T) {
 			retriable:     true,
 			wantErr:       true,
 		},
+		"k8s version without v works": {
+			provider:      cloudprovider.Azure,
+			idFile:        &clusterid.File{IP: "192.0.2.1"},
+			initServerAPI: &stubInitServer{initResp: testInitResp},
+			configMutator: func(c *config.Config) { c.KubernetesVersion = strings.TrimPrefix(string(versions.Default), "v") },
+		},
 	}
 
 	for name, tc := range testCases {