diff --git a/cmd/api-errors.go b/cmd/api-errors.go
index 35a34eea5..57d839067 100644
--- a/cmd/api-errors.go
+++ b/cmd/api-errors.go
@@ -1814,6 +1814,8 @@ func toAPIErrorCode(ctx context.Context, err error) (apiErr APIErrorCode) {
 		apiErr = ErrAdminInvalidAccessKey
 	case auth.ErrInvalidSecretKeyLength:
 		apiErr = ErrAdminInvalidSecretKey
+	case errInvalidStorageClass:
+		apiErr = ErrInvalidStorageClass
 	// SSE errors
 	case errInvalidEncryptionParameters:
 		apiErr = ErrInvalidEncryptionParameters
diff --git a/cmd/bucket-lifecycle-handlers.go b/cmd/bucket-lifecycle-handlers.go
index ef7f78ef3..76888f357 100644
--- a/cmd/bucket-lifecycle-handlers.go
+++ b/cmd/bucket-lifecycle-handlers.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func (api objectAPIHandlers) PutBucketLifecycleHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r
 	}
 
 	// Validate the transition storage ARNs
-	if err = validateLifecycleTransition(ctx, bucket, bucketLifecycle); err != nil {
+	if err = validateTransitionTier(ctx, bucketLifecycle); err != nil {
 		writeErrorResponse(ctx, w, toAPIError(ctx, err), r.URL, guessIsBrowserReq(r))
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/bucket-lifecycle.go b/cmd/bucket-lifecycle.go
index bdfa3d208..bac908e3e 100644
--- a/cmd/bucket-lifecycle.go
+++ b/cmd/bucket-lifecycle.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/xml"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
@@ -175,28 +176,16 @@ func initBackgroundTransition(ctx context.Context, objectAPI ObjectLayer) {
 	}
 }
 
-func validateLifecycleTransition(ctx context.Context, bucket string, lfc *lifecycle.Lifecycle) error {
-	for _, rule := range lfc.Rules {
-		if rule.Transition.StorageClass != "" {
-			err := validateTransitionDestination(rule.Transition.StorageClass)
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
-}
+var errInvalidStorageClass = errors.New("invalid storage class")
 
-// validateTransitionDestination returns error if transition destination bucket missing or not configured
-// It also returns true if transition destination is same as this server.
-func validateTransitionDestination(sc string) error {
-	backend, err := globalTierConfigMgr.getDriver(sc)
-	if err != nil {
-		return TransitionStorageClassNotFound{}
-	}
-	_, err = backend.Get(context.Background(), "probeobject", WarmBackendGetOpts{})
-	if !isErrObjectNotFound(err) {
-		return err
+func validateTransitionTier(ctx context.Context, lfc *lifecycle.Lifecycle) error {
+	for _, rule := range lfc.Rules {
+		if rule.Transition.StorageClass == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+		if valid := globalTierConfigMgr.IsTierValid(rule.Transition.StorageClass); !valid {
+			return errInvalidStorageClass
+		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/cmd/bucket-lifecycle_test.go b/cmd/bucket-lifecycle_test.go
index b466afded..52b0bc641 100644
--- a/cmd/bucket-lifecycle_test.go
+++ b/cmd/bucket-lifecycle_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 package cmd
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"net/http"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -214,3 +216,33 @@ func TestObjectIsRemote(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("Expected object not to be remote but got %v", got)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestValidateTransitionTier(t *testing.T) {
+	globalTierConfigMgr = NewTierConfigMgr()
+	testCases := []struct {
+		xml         []byte
+		expectedErr error
+	}{
+		{
+			// non-existent storage-class
+			xml:         []byte(`<LifecycleConfiguration xmlns="http://s3.amazonaws.com/doc/2006-03-01/"><Rule><ID>rule</ID><Prefix /><Status>Enabled</Status><Transition><Days>1</Days><StorageClass>"NONEXISTENT"</StorageClass></Transition></Rule></LifecycleConfiguration>`),
+			expectedErr: errInvalidStorageClass,
+		},
+		{
+			// no transition rule
+			xml:         []byte(`<LifecycleConfiguration xmlns="http://s3.amazonaws.com/doc/2006-03-01/"><Rule><ID>rule</ID><Prefix /><Status>Enabled</Status><Expiration><Days>1</Days></Expiration></Rule></LifecycleConfiguration>`),
+			expectedErr: nil,
+		},
+	}
+	for i, tc := range testCases {
+		lc, err := lifecycle.ParseLifecycleConfig(bytes.NewReader(tc.xml))
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Test %d: Failed to parse lifecycle config %v", i+1, err)
+		}
+
+		err = validateTransitionTier(context.Background(), lc)
+		if err != tc.expectedErr {
+			t.Fatalf("Test %d: Expected %v but got %v", i+1, tc.expectedErr, err)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/bucket/lifecycle/transition.go b/pkg/bucket/lifecycle/transition.go
index 96494caec..db61e13fb 100644
--- a/pkg/bucket/lifecycle/transition.go
+++ b/pkg/bucket/lifecycle/transition.go
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ func (t *Transition) UnmarshalXML(d *xml.Decoder, startElement xml.StartElement)
 	return nil
 }
 
-// Validate - validates the "Expiration" element
+// Validate - validates the "Transition" element
 func (t Transition) Validate() error {
 	if !t.set {
 		return nil