diff --git a/pacts/replicated-cli-vendor-api.json b/pacts/replicated-cli-vendor-api.json
index 08ac5d29f..0c7fb29c1 100644
--- a/pacts/replicated-cli-vendor-api.json
+++ b/pacts/replicated-cli-vendor-api.json
@@ -28,11 +28,11 @@
           "app": {
             "channels": [
               {
-        },
+              },
               {
-        },
+              },
               {
-        }
+              }
             ],
             "created": "2000-02-01T12:30:00Z",
             "description": "",
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@
             {
               "channels": [
                 {
-        }
+                }
               ],
               "id": "replicated-cli-list-apps-app",
               "name": "Replicated CLI List Apps App",
@@ -223,7 +223,8 @@
             "id": "replicated-cli-get-channel-unstable",
             "name": "Unstable",
             "releases": [
-        ]
+
+            ]
           }
         },
         "matchingRules": {
@@ -773,7 +774,7 @@
                 {
                   "eventType": "release.promoted",
                   "filters": {
-        }
+                  }
                 }
               ],
               "id": "notif-sub-1",
@@ -817,7 +818,7 @@
             {
               "eventType": "release.promoted",
               "filters": {
-        }
+              }
             }
           ],
           "isEnabled": true,
@@ -834,7 +835,7 @@
             {
               "eventType": "release.promoted",
               "filters": {
-        }
+              }
             }
           ],
           "id": "notif-sub-1",
@@ -877,7 +878,7 @@
             {
               "eventType": "release.promoted",
               "filters": {
-        }
+              }
             }
           ],
           "id": "notif-sub-1",
@@ -923,7 +924,7 @@
             {
               "eventType": "release.promoted",
               "filters": {
-        }
+              }
             }
           ],
           "id": "notif-sub-1",
@@ -983,7 +984,8 @@
           "events": [
             {
               "attempts": [
-        ],
+
+              ],
               "eventData": {
                 "releaseId": "rel-1"
               },
@@ -1720,7 +1722,8 @@
         },
         "body": {
           "releases": [
-        ]
+
+          ]
         }
       }
     },
diff --git a/pkg/kotsclient/cluster_create.go b/pkg/kotsclient/cluster_create.go
index ab5302491..4234bb996 100644
--- a/pkg/kotsclient/cluster_create.go
+++ b/pkg/kotsclient/cluster_create.go
@@ -140,9 +140,12 @@ func (c *VendorV3Client) doCreateClusterDryRunRequest(req CreateClusterRequest)
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 
-	if resp.Error.Message != "" {
+	if resp.Error.Message != "" || resp.Error.ValidationError != nil || resp.Error.MaxDiskGiB != 0 || resp.Error.MaxEKS != 0 || resp.Error.MaxGKE != 0 || resp.Error.MaxAKS != 0 {
 		return nil, &resp.Error, nil
 	}
+	if resp.TotalCost == nil || resp.TTL == nil {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("create cluster dry-run response missing total_cost or ttl")
+	}
 	cl := &types.Cluster{
 		EstimatedCost: *resp.TotalCost,
 		TTL:           *resp.TTL,
diff --git a/pkg/kotsclient/create_request_test.go b/pkg/kotsclient/create_request_test.go
index b869f312b..d79df3789 100644
--- a/pkg/kotsclient/create_request_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kotsclient/create_request_test.go
@@ -97,3 +97,49 @@ func TestCreateClusterIncludesNetworkPolicy(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, "test-cluster", requestBody["name"])
 	require.Equal(t, "airgap", requestBody["network_policy"])
 }
+
+func TestCreateClusterDryRunReturnsValidationErrorWithoutMessage(t *testing.T) {
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		require.Equal(t, http.MethodPost, r.Method)
+		require.Equal(t, "/v3/cluster", r.URL.Path)
+		require.Equal(t, "dry-run=true", r.URL.RawQuery)
+
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		_, _ = w.Write([]byte(`{"error":{"validationError":{"errors":["bad version"]}}}`))
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	httpClient := platformclient.NewHTTPClient(server.URL, "fake-api-key")
+	client := &VendorV3Client{HTTPClient: *httpClient}
+
+	cluster, ve, err := client.CreateCluster(CreateClusterOpts{DryRun: true})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Nil(t, cluster)
+	require.NotNil(t, ve)
+	require.NotNil(t, ve.ValidationError)
+	require.Equal(t, []string{"bad version"}, ve.ValidationError.Errors)
+}
+
+func TestCreateVMDryRunReturnsValidationErrorWithoutMessage(t *testing.T) {
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		require.Equal(t, http.MethodPost, r.Method)
+		require.Equal(t, "/v3/vm", r.URL.Path)
+		require.Equal(t, "dry-run=true", r.URL.RawQuery)
+
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		_, _ = w.Write([]byte(`{"error":{"validationError":{"errors":["bad version"]}}}`))
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	httpClient := platformclient.NewHTTPClient(server.URL, "fake-api-key")
+	client := &VendorV3Client{HTTPClient: *httpClient}
+
+	vms, ve, err := client.CreateVM(CreateVMOpts{DryRun: true})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Nil(t, vms)
+	require.NotNil(t, ve)
+	require.NotNil(t, ve.ValidationError)
+	require.Equal(t, []string{"bad version"}, ve.ValidationError.Errors)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/kotsclient/vm_create.go b/pkg/kotsclient/vm_create.go
index fcf9d9c5d..9acdc523e 100644
--- a/pkg/kotsclient/vm_create.go
+++ b/pkg/kotsclient/vm_create.go
@@ -125,9 +125,12 @@ func (c *VendorV3Client) doCreateVMDryRunRequest(req CreateVMRequest) ([]*types.
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 
-	if resp.Error.Message != "" {
+	if resp.Error.Message != "" || resp.Error.ValidationError != nil || resp.Error.MaxDiskGiB != 0 {
 		return nil, &resp.Error, nil
 	}
+	if resp.TotalCost == nil || resp.TTL == nil {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("create vm dry-run response missing total_cost or ttl")
+	}
 	vms := []*types.VM{
 		{
 			EstimatedCost: *resp.TotalCost,