---
slug: "azure-aks-kubernetes-1-36-platform-initiated-upgrade-breaking-change"
title: "Azure Kubernetes Service: Kubernetes 1.36 platform-initiated upgrade"
summary: "Microsoft lists Sep 2027 as the planned rollout month, a planning estimate, of the platform-initiated upgrade for clusters still running Kubernetes 1.36 on Azure Kubernetes Service. Clusters enrolled in long-term support (LTS) follow the month in the LTS versions table."
cloud: "azure"
service: "Azure Kubernetes Service"
service_slug: "aks"
category: "kubernetes"
type: "breaking_change"
announced_date: null
effective_date: "2027-09-01"
effective_precision: "month"
replacement: null
affected_versions: ["1.36"]
source_url: "https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/aks/supported-kubernetes-versions"
extra_source_urls: []
vendor_ref: "azure-kubernetes-service@1.36"
last_checked_at: "2026-11-12T09:55:33.220Z"
created_at: "2026-11-13T13:36:44.208Z"
updated_at: "2026-11-13T13:36:44.208Z"
url: "https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-aks-kubernetes-1-36-platform-initiated-upgrade-breaking-change"
short_url: "https://eolwatch.dev/i/7j"
markdown_url: "https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-aks-kubernetes-1-36-platform-initiated-upgrade-breaking-change.md"
json_url: "https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-aks-kubernetes-1-36-platform-initiated-upgrade-breaking-change.json"
source_note: null
---

# Azure Kubernetes Service: Kubernetes 1.36 platform-initiated upgrade

Microsoft lists Sep 2027 as the planned rollout month, a planning estimate, of the platform-initiated upgrade for clusters still running Kubernetes 1.36 on Azure Kubernetes Service. Clusters enrolled in long-term support (LTS) follow the month in the LTS versions table.

- Effective date: Sep 2027 (month precision: the vendor gives no day)
- Cloud: [Azure](https://eolwatch.dev/cloud/azure.md)
- Service: [Azure Kubernetes Service](https://eolwatch.dev/services/azure/aks.md)
- Type: Breaking change
- Category: [Kubernetes](https://eolwatch.dev/categories/kubernetes.md)
- Affected versions: 1.36
- Replacement: Not stated by vendor
- Announced: Not stated by vendor
- Official source: [learn.microsoft.com](https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/aks/supported-kubernetes-versions)
- Last checked: 12 Nov 2026

## What breaks

From June 1, 2027, AKS automatically upgrades any cluster that stays on an unsupported Kubernetes version after its 60-day platform support grace period ends. It applies to AKS in the Azure public cloud. Upgrades can occur during or after the listed month. Clusters enrolled in long-term support (LTS) follow the month in the LTS versions table. A platform-initiated upgrade:

- does not follow the maintenance window
- does not stop for deprecated API usage
- can override a Pod Disruption Budget if a node drain times out or fails
- cannot be canceled once started, and cannot be rolled back
- moves the cluster to the lowest supported version within its current support tier

## Who is affected

### Affected versions

- `1.36`

### Matching resource types

- `microsoft.containerservice/managedclusters`
- `azurerm_kubernetes_cluster`

### Fields the check reads

- `k8sversion`
- `kubernetes_version`
- `support_plan`

### Detected by the estate check from

- Azure Resource Graph export (CSV or JSON)
- Terraform state or plan (JSON)
- ARM template

## What to do

1. Find clusters that are out of support or approaching end of life with the Azure Resource Graph query and the [release calendar](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/supported-kubernetes-versions#aks-kubernetes-release-calendar-and-upcoming-versions).
2. Remove dependencies on deprecated APIs: update workloads, manifests, clients, controllers and self-managed add-ons that use APIs removed from the target Kubernetes version.
3. Check the Kubernetes version compatibility of each self-managed add-on, and upgrade or replace an incompatible add-on.
4. Review [VM family quota, regional SKU availability, and subnet IP capacity](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/quotas-skus-regions), and test that Pod Disruption Budgets allow a node drain to complete.
5. Upgrade the cluster to a supported version on your own schedule, before the platform-initiated upgrade month. See [Upgrade an AKS cluster control plane](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/upgrade-aks-control-plane).
6. If a specific minor version must stay supported for longer, evaluate [AKS long-term support](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/long-term-support), an opt-in that requires the Premium tier. LTS clusters get a platform-initiated upgrade after the LTS end-of-life date and its 60-day grace period.

## Replacement

Not stated by vendor.

## Sources

- [Official source](https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/aks/supported-kubernetes-versions) (learn.microsoft.com, Official)

Last checked against this source on 12 Nov 2026.

Page: https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-aks-kubernetes-1-36-platform-initiated-upgrade-breaking-change | JSON: https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-aks-kubernetes-1-36-platform-initiated-upgrade-breaking-change.json

The text on this page is drafted with AI assistance from the vendor's text, checked against the official source and approved by a person before it is published.