diff --git a/distributedcloud/dcmanager/api/controllers/v1/subcloud_deploy.py b/distributedcloud/dcmanager/api/controllers/v1/subcloud_deploy.py
index 2fc96e7fc..4f051fad0 100644
--- a/distributedcloud/dcmanager/api/controllers/v1/subcloud_deploy.py
+++ b/distributedcloud/dcmanager/api/controllers/v1/subcloud_deploy.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ from dcmanager.api.controllers import restcomm
 from dcmanager.api.policies import subcloud_deploy as subcloud_deploy_policy
 from dcmanager.api import policy
 from dcmanager.common import consts
+from dcmanager.common import exceptions
 from dcmanager.common.i18n import _
 from dcmanager.common import utils
 
@@ -107,7 +108,15 @@ class SubcloudDeployController(object):
 
         software_version = tsc.SW_VERSION
         if request.POST.get('release'):
-            software_version = request.POST.get('release')
+            try:
+                utils.validate_release_version_supported(request.POST.get('release'))
+                software_version = request.POST.get('release')
+            except exceptions.ValidateFail as e:
+                pecan.abort(httpclient.BAD_REQUEST,
+                            _("Error: invalid release version parameter. %s" % e))
+            except Exception:
+                pecan.abort(httpclient.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+                            _('Error: unable to validate the release version.'))
         deploy_dicts['software_version'] = software_version
 
         dir_path = os.path.join(dccommon_consts.DEPLOY_DIR, software_version)
diff --git a/distributedcloud/dcmanager/common/consts.py b/distributedcloud/dcmanager/common/consts.py
index 64bfdea64..c54685daa 100644
--- a/distributedcloud/dcmanager/common/consts.py
+++ b/distributedcloud/dcmanager/common/consts.py
@@ -416,3 +416,5 @@ HELM_CHART_POSTFIX = 'deployment-manager'
 
 ALTERNATE_DEPLOY_PLAYBOOK_DIR = ALTERNATE_DEPLOY_FILES_DIR + '/playbooks'
 DEPLOY_PLAYBOOK_POSTFIX = 'deployment-manager.yaml'
+
+SUPPORTED_UPGRADES_METADATA_FILE_PATH = '/usr/rootdirs/opt/upgrades/metadata.xml'
diff --git a/distributedcloud/dcmanager/common/utils.py b/distributedcloud/dcmanager/common/utils.py
index 9cf04537c..507670d6d 100644
--- a/distributedcloud/dcmanager/common/utils.py
+++ b/distributedcloud/dcmanager/common/utils.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import six.moves
 import string
 import subprocess
 import tsconfig.tsconfig as tsc
+import xml.etree.ElementTree as ElementTree
 import yaml
 
 from keystoneauth1 import exceptions as keystone_exceptions
@@ -1105,3 +1106,57 @@ def subcloud_is_secondary_state(deploy_state):
 def create_subcloud_rehome_data_template():
     """Create a subcloud rehome data template"""
     return {'saved_payload': {}}
+
+
+def validate_release_version_supported(release_version_to_check):
+    """Given a release version, check whether it's supported by the current active version.
+
+    :param release_version_to_check: version string to validate
+
+    returns True to indicate that the version is valid
+    raise ValidateFail for an invalid/unsupported release version
+    """
+
+    current_version = tsc.SW_VERSION
+
+    if current_version == release_version_to_check:
+        return True
+
+    supported_versions = get_current_supported_upgrade_versions()
+
+    if release_version_to_check not in supported_versions:
+        msg = "%s is not a supported release version" % release_version_to_check
+        raise exceptions.ValidateFail(msg)
+
+    return True
+
+
+def get_current_supported_upgrade_versions():
+    """Parse the upgrades metadata file to build a list of supported versions.
+
+    returns a list of supported upgrade versions
+    raise InternalError exception for a missing/invalid metadata file
+    """
+
+    supported_versions = []
+
+    try:
+        with open(consts.SUPPORTED_UPGRADES_METADATA_FILE_PATH) as file:
+            root = ElementTree.fromstring(file.read())
+    except Exception:
+        LOG.exception("Error reading the supported upgrades metadata file")
+        raise exceptions.InternalError()
+
+    supported_upgrades = root.find('supported_upgrades')
+
+    if not supported_upgrades:
+        LOG.error("Missing supported upgrades information")
+        raise exceptions.InternalError()
+
+    upgrades = supported_upgrades.findall("upgrade")
+
+    for upgrade in upgrades:
+        version = upgrade.findtext("version")
+        supported_versions.append(version.strip())
+
+    return supported_versions
diff --git a/distributedcloud/dcmanager/tests/unit/api/v1/controllers/test_subcloud_deploy.py b/distributedcloud/dcmanager/tests/unit/api/v1/controllers/test_subcloud_deploy.py
index ef616d93c..695ae42eb 100644
--- a/distributedcloud/dcmanager/tests/unit/api/v1/controllers/test_subcloud_deploy.py
+++ b/distributedcloud/dcmanager/tests/unit/api/v1/controllers/test_subcloud_deploy.py
@@ -48,6 +48,12 @@ FAKE_DEPLOY_FILES = {
     FAKE_DEPLOY_CHART_PREFIX: FAKE_DEPLOY_CHART_FILE,
 }
 
+FAKE_UPGRADES_METADATA = '''
+    <build>\n<version>0.2</version>\n<supported_upgrades>
+    \n<upgrade>\n<version>%s</version>\n<required_patches>PATCH_0001</required_patches>
+    \n</upgrade>\n</supported_upgrades>\n</build>
+''' % FAKE_SOFTWARE_VERSION
+
 
 class TestSubcloudDeploy(testroot.DCManagerApiTest):
     def setUp(self):
@@ -65,9 +71,12 @@ class TestSubcloudDeploy(testroot.DCManagerApiTest):
             fields.append((opt, webtest.Upload(fake_name, fake_content)))
         mock_upload_files.return_value = True
         params += fields
-        response = self.app.post(FAKE_URL,
-                                 headers=FAKE_HEADERS,
-                                 params=params)
+
+        with mock.patch('builtins.open', mock.mock_open(read_data=FAKE_UPGRADES_METADATA)):
+            response = self.app.post(FAKE_URL,
+                                     headers=FAKE_HEADERS,
+                                     params=params)
+
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, http_client.OK)
         self.assertEqual(FAKE_SOFTWARE_VERSION, response.json['software_version'])