diff --git a/deploy/rbd/kubernetes/rbd-storage-class.yaml b/deploy/rbd/kubernetes/rbd-storage-class.yaml
index eb9afeef7..e1b07e56b 100644
--- a/deploy/rbd/kubernetes/rbd-storage-class.yaml
+++ b/deploy/rbd/kubernetes/rbd-storage-class.yaml
@@ -8,4 +8,6 @@ parameters:
     pool: kubernetes
     csiProvisionerSecretName: csi-ceph-secret 
     csiProvisionerSecretNamespace: default 
+    imageFormat: "2"
+    imageFeatures: layering
 reclaimPolicy: Delete 
diff --git a/pkg/rbd/rbd_util.go b/pkg/rbd/rbd_util.go
index 58a68916d..afdcd21e5 100644
--- a/pkg/rbd/rbd_util.go
+++ b/pkg/rbd/rbd_util.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/keymutex"
 )
@@ -46,17 +47,19 @@ const (
 )
 
 type rbdVolume struct {
-	VolName     string `json:"volName"`
-	VolID       string `json:"volID"`
-	Monitors    string `json:"monitors"`
-	Pool        string `json:"pool"`
-	ImageFormat string `json:"imageFormat"`
-	// TODO (sbezverk) check if it is used and how
-	ImageFeatures []string `json:"imageFeatures"`
-	VolSize       int64    `json:"volSize"`
+	VolName       string `json:"volName"`
+	VolID         string `json:"volID"`
+	Monitors      string `json:"monitors"`
+	Pool          string `json:"pool"`
+	ImageFormat   string `json:"imageFormat"`
+	ImageFeatures string `json:"imageFeatures"`
+	VolSize       int64  `json:"volSize"`
 }
 
-var attachdetachMutex = keymutex.NewKeyMutex()
+var (
+	attachdetachMutex = keymutex.NewKeyMutex()
+	supportedFeatures = sets.NewString("layering")
+)
 
 func getRBDKey(id string, credentials map[string]string) (string, error) {
 
@@ -87,10 +90,7 @@ func createRBDImage(pOpts *rbdVolume, volSz int, credentials map[string]string)
 	}
 	args := []string{"create", image, "--size", volSzGB, "--pool", pOpts.Pool, "--id", RBDUserID, "-m", mon, "--key=" + key, "--image-format", pOpts.ImageFormat}
 	if pOpts.ImageFormat == rbdImageFormat2 {
-		// if no image features is provided, it results in empty string
-		// which disable all RBD image format 2 features as we expected
-		features := strings.Join(pOpts.ImageFeatures, ",")
-		args = append(args, "--image-feature", features)
+		args = append(args, "--image-feature", pOpts.ImageFeatures)
 	}
 	output, err = execCommand("rbd", args)
 
@@ -187,7 +187,22 @@ func getRBDVolumeOptions(volOptions map[string]string) (*rbdVolume, error) {
 	}
 	rbdVol.ImageFormat, ok = volOptions["imageFormat"]
 	if !ok {
-		rbdVol.ImageFormat = "2"
+		rbdVol.ImageFormat = rbdImageFormat2
+	}
+	if rbdVol.ImageFormat == rbdImageFormat2 {
+		// if no image features is provided, it results in empty string
+		// which disable all RBD image format 2 features as we expected
+		imageFeatures, ok := volOptions["imageFeatures"]
+		if ok {
+			arr := strings.Split(imageFeatures, ",")
+			for _, f := range arr {
+				if !supportedFeatures.Has(f) {
+					return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid feature %q for volume csi-rbdplugin, supported features are: %v", f, supportedFeatures)
+				}
+			}
+			rbdVol.ImageFeatures = imageFeatures
+		}
+
 	}
 
 	return rbdVol, nil