diff --git a/pkg/lint/lint_test.go b/pkg/lint/lint_test.go
index e4fc67152..962a9ca41 100644
--- a/pkg/lint/lint_test.go
+++ b/pkg/lint/lint_test.go
@@ -35,12 +35,12 @@ const goodChartDir = "rules/testdata/goodone"
 
 func TestBadChart(t *testing.T) {
 	m := All(badChartDir, values, namespace, strict).Messages
-	if len(m) != 5 {
+	if len(m) != 6 {
 		t.Errorf("Number of errors %v", len(m))
 		t.Errorf("All didn't fail with expected errors, got %#v", m)
 	}
 	// There should be one INFO, 2 WARNINGs and one ERROR messages, check for them
-	var i, w, e, e2, e3 bool
+	var i, w, e, e2, e3, e4 bool
 	for _, msg := range m {
 		if msg.Severity == support.InfoSev {
 			if strings.Contains(msg.Err.Error(), "icon is recommended") {
@@ -62,9 +62,13 @@ func TestBadChart(t *testing.T) {
 			if strings.Contains(msg.Err.Error(), "directory name (badchartfile) and chart name () must be the same") {
 				e3 = true
 			}
+
+			if strings.Contains(msg.Err.Error(), "apiVersion is required. The value must be either \"v1\" or \"v2\"") {
+				e4 = true
+			}
 		}
 	}
-	if !e || !e2 || !e3 || !w || !i {
+	if !e || !e2 || !e3 || !e4 || !w || !i {
 		t.Errorf("Didn't find all the expected errors, got %#v", m)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/lint/rules/chartfile.go b/pkg/lint/rules/chartfile.go
index f1abf55d4..da0675868 100644
--- a/pkg/lint/rules/chartfile.go
+++ b/pkg/lint/rules/chartfile.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package rules // import "helm.sh/helm/pkg/lint/rules"
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ func Chartfile(linter *support.Linter) {
 	linter.RunLinterRule(support.ErrorSev, chartFileName, validateChartNameDirMatch(linter.ChartDir, chartFile))
 
 	// Chart metadata
+	linter.RunLinterRule(support.ErrorSev, chartFileName, validateChartAPIVersion(chartFile))
 	linter.RunLinterRule(support.ErrorSev, chartFileName, validateChartVersion(chartFile))
 	linter.RunLinterRule(support.ErrorSev, chartFileName, validateChartMaintainer(chartFile))
 	linter.RunLinterRule(support.ErrorSev, chartFileName, validateChartSources(chartFile))
@@ -85,6 +87,18 @@ func validateChartNameDirMatch(chartDir string, cf *chart.Metadata) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func validateChartAPIVersion(cf *chart.Metadata) error {
+	if cf.APIVersion == "" {
+		return errors.New("apiVersion is required. The value must be either \"v1\" or \"v2\"")
+	}
+
+	if cf.APIVersion != "v1" && cf.APIVersion != "v2" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("apiVersion '%s' is not valid. The value must be either \"v1\" or \"v2\"", cf.APIVersion)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func validateChartVersion(cf *chart.Metadata) error {
 	if cf.Version == "" {
 		return errors.New("version is required")
diff --git a/pkg/lint/rules/chartfile_test.go b/pkg/lint/rules/chartfile_test.go
index e9ef3a29d..4e71b860a 100644
--- a/pkg/lint/rules/chartfile_test.go
+++ b/pkg/lint/rules/chartfile_test.go
@@ -209,8 +209,8 @@ func TestChartfile(t *testing.T) {
 	Chartfile(&linter)
 	msgs := linter.Messages
 
-	if len(msgs) != 4 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected 3 errors, got %d", len(msgs))
+	if len(msgs) != 5 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected 4 errors, got %d", len(msgs))
 	}
 
 	if !strings.Contains(msgs[0].Err.Error(), "name is required") {
@@ -221,12 +221,16 @@ func TestChartfile(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Unexpected message 1: %s", msgs[1].Err)
 	}
 
-	if !strings.Contains(msgs[2].Err.Error(), "version 0.0.0 is less than or equal to 0") {
+	if !strings.Contains(msgs[2].Err.Error(), "apiVersion is required. The value must be either \"v1\" or \"v2\"") {
 		t.Errorf("Unexpected message 2: %s", msgs[2].Err)
 	}
 
-	if !strings.Contains(msgs[3].Err.Error(), "icon is recommended") {
-		t.Errorf("Unexpected message 3: %s", msgs[3].Err)
+	if !strings.Contains(msgs[3].Err.Error(), "version 0.0.0 is less than or equal to 0") {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected message 3: %s", msgs[2].Err)
+	}
+
+	if !strings.Contains(msgs[4].Err.Error(), "icon is recommended") {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected message 4: %s", msgs[3].Err)
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/pkg/lint/rules/testdata/badchartfile/Chart.yaml b/pkg/lint/rules/testdata/badchartfile/Chart.yaml
index b64052eb9..dbb4a1501 100644
--- a/pkg/lint/rules/testdata/badchartfile/Chart.yaml
+++ b/pkg/lint/rules/testdata/badchartfile/Chart.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-apiVersion: v1
 description: A Helm chart for Kubernetes
 version: 0.0.0
 home: ""