diff --git a/pkg/api/validation/validation.go b/pkg/api/validation/validation.go
index 81a9e01904f8d..55830e26f4f1f 100644
--- a/pkg/api/validation/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/api/validation/validation.go
@@ -993,7 +993,7 @@ var supportedHostPathTypes = sets.NewString(
 func validateHostPathType(hostPathType *api.HostPathType, fldPath *field.Path) field.ErrorList {
 	allErrs := field.ErrorList{}
 
-	if !supportedHostPathTypes.Has(string(*hostPathType)) {
+	if hostPathType != nil && !supportedHostPathTypes.Has(string(*hostPathType)) {
 		allErrs = append(allErrs, field.NotSupported(fldPath, hostPathType, supportedHostPathTypes.List()))
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/volume/host_path/host_path.go b/pkg/volume/host_path/host_path.go
index 0b5f4b906a665..0ca43cc858576 100644
--- a/pkg/volume/host_path/host_path.go
+++ b/pkg/volume/host_path/host_path.go
@@ -106,8 +106,14 @@ func (plugin *hostPathPlugin) NewMounter(spec *volume.Spec, pod *v1.Pod, opts vo
 	}
 
 	path := hostPathVolumeSource.Path
+	pathType := new(v1.HostPathType)
+	if hostPathVolumeSource.Type == nil {
+		*pathType = v1.HostPathUnset
+	} else {
+		pathType = hostPathVolumeSource.Type
+	}
 	return &hostPathMounter{
-		hostPath: &hostPath{path: path, pathType: hostPathVolumeSource.Type, containerized: opts.Containerized},
+		hostPath: &hostPath{path: path, pathType: pathType, containerized: opts.Containerized},
 		readOnly: readOnly,
 	}, nil
 }