diff --git a/lib/update/cluster/builder_test.go b/lib/update/cluster/builder_test.go
index 9d7a0c0e16..d8b427595e 100644
--- a/lib/update/cluster/builder_test.go
+++ b/lib/update/cluster/builder_test.go
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ func (s *PlanSuite) TestPlanWithRuntimeAppsUpdate(c *check.C) {
 			params.coreDNS("/bootstrap"),
 			params.masters(leadMaster, updates[0:1], gravityPackage, "id", "/coredns"),
 			params.nodes(updates[2:], leadMaster.Server, gravityPackage, "id", "/masters"),
-			params.etcd(leadMaster.Server, updates[0:1], updates[2:], *params.targetStep.etcd),
+			params.etcd(leadMaster.Server, updates[0:1], *params.targetStep.etcd),
 			params.config("/etcd"),
 			params.runtime(runtimeUpdates, "/config"),
 			params.migration("/runtime"),
@@ -393,7 +393,6 @@ func (s *PlanSuite) TestPlanWithIntermediateRuntimeUpdate(c *check.C) {
 				params.nodes(intermediateNodes, intermediateLeadMaster.Server, intermediateGravityPackage, "id2", "/masters"),
 				params.etcd(intermediateLeadMaster.Server,
 					intermediateOtherMasters,
-					intermediateNodes,
 					*params.steps[0].etcd),
 				params.config("/etcd"),
 				params.runtime(intermediateRuntimeUpdates, "/config"),
@@ -403,7 +402,7 @@ func (s *PlanSuite) TestPlanWithIntermediateRuntimeUpdate(c *check.C) {
 				params.coreDNS("/bootstrap"),
 				params.masters(leadMaster, otherMasters, gravityPackage, "id", "/coredns"),
 				params.nodes(nodes, leadMaster.Server, gravityPackage, "id", "/masters"),
-				params.etcd(leadMaster.Server, otherMasters, nodes, *params.targetStep.etcd),
+				params.etcd(leadMaster.Server, otherMasters, *params.targetStep.etcd),
 				params.config("/etcd"),
 				params.runtime(runtimeUpdates, "/config"),
 			),
@@ -1126,7 +1125,7 @@ func (r *params) bootstrapNodeVersioned(server storage.UpdateServer, version str
 	}
 }
 
-func (r params) etcd(leadMaster storage.Server, otherMasters, nodes []storage.UpdateServer, etcd etcdVersion) storage.OperationPhase {
+func (r params) etcd(leadMaster storage.Server, otherMasters []storage.UpdateServer, etcd etcdVersion) storage.OperationPhase {
 	return storage.OperationPhase{
 		ID:          "/etcd",
 		Description: fmt.Sprintf("Upgrade etcd %v to %v", etcd.installed, etcd.update),
@@ -1147,7 +1146,6 @@ func (r params) etcd(leadMaster storage.Server, otherMasters, nodes []storage.Up
 					r.etcdShutdownNode(leadMaster, true),
 					// FIXME: assumes len(otherMasters) == 1
 					r.etcdShutdownNode(otherMasters[0].Server, false),
-					r.etcdShutdownWorkerNode(nodes[0].Server),
 				},
 			},
 			{
@@ -1157,8 +1155,6 @@ func (r params) etcd(leadMaster storage.Server, otherMasters, nodes []storage.Up
 					r.etcdUpgradeNode(leadMaster),
 					// FIXME: assumes len(otherMasters) == 1
 					r.etcdUpgradeNode(otherMasters[0].Server),
-					// upgrade regular nodes
-					r.etcdUpgradeNode(nodes[0].Server),
 				},
 			},
 			{
@@ -1177,8 +1173,6 @@ func (r params) etcd(leadMaster storage.Server, otherMasters, nodes []storage.Up
 					r.etcdRestartLeaderNode(leadMaster),
 					// FIXME: assumes len(otherMasters) == 1
 					r.etcdRestartNode(otherMasters[0].Server),
-					// upgrade regular nodes
-					r.etcdRestartNode(nodes[0].Server),
 					r.etcdRestartGravity(leadMaster),
 				},
 			},
diff --git a/lib/update/cluster/steps.go b/lib/update/cluster/steps.go
index bafd9956d2..a715218d68 100644
--- a/lib/update/cluster/steps.go
+++ b/lib/update/cluster/steps.go
@@ -531,8 +531,7 @@ func (r updateStep) addTo(root *builder.Phase, masters, nodes []storage.UpdateSe
 		root.AddParallel(r.etcdPhase(
 			leadMaster.Server,
 			serversToStorage(masters[1:]...),
-			serversToStorage(nodes...)),
-		)
+		))
 	}
 	// The "config" phase pulls new teleport master config packages used
 	// by gravity-sites on master nodes: it needs to run *after* system
@@ -584,7 +583,7 @@ func (r updateStep) configPhase(nodes []storage.Server) *builder.Phase {
 	return root
 }
 
-func (r updateStep) etcdPhase(leadMaster storage.Server, otherMasters []storage.Server, workers []storage.Server) *builder.Phase {
+func (r updateStep) etcdPhase(leadMaster storage.Server, otherMasters []storage.Server) *builder.Phase {
 	description := fmt.Sprintf("Upgrade etcd %v to %v", r.etcd.installed, r.etcd.update)
 	if r.etcd.installed == "" {
 		description = fmt.Sprintf("Upgrade etcd to %v", r.etcd.update)
@@ -623,10 +622,6 @@ func (r updateStep) etcdPhase(leadMaster storage.Server, otherMasters []storage.
 		p := r.etcdShutdownNodePhase(server, false)
 		shutdownEtcd.AddWithDependency(builder.DependencyForServer(backupEtcd, server), p)
 	}
-	for _, server := range workers {
-		p := r.etcdShutdownNodePhase(server, false)
-		shutdownEtcd.AddParallel(p)
-	}
 
 	root.AddParallel(shutdownEtcd)
 
@@ -645,10 +640,6 @@ func (r updateStep) etcdPhase(leadMaster storage.Server, otherMasters []storage.
 		p := r.etcdUpgradePhase(server)
 		upgradeServers.AddWithDependency(builder.DependencyForServer(shutdownEtcd, server), p)
 	}
-	for _, server := range workers {
-		p := r.etcdUpgradePhase(server)
-		upgradeServers.AddWithDependency(builder.DependencyForServer(shutdownEtcd, server), p)
-	}
 	root.AddParallel(upgradeServers)
 
 	// Restore kubernetes data
@@ -676,10 +667,6 @@ func (r updateStep) etcdPhase(leadMaster storage.Server, otherMasters []storage.
 		p := r.etcdRestartPhase(server)
 		restartMasters.AddWithDependency(builder.DependencyForServer(upgradeServers, server), p)
 	}
-	for _, server := range workers {
-		p := r.etcdRestartPhase(server)
-		restartMasters.AddWithDependency(builder.DependencyForServer(upgradeServers, server), p)
-	}
 
 	// also restart gravity-site, so that elections get unbroken
 	restartMasters.AddParallelRaw(storage.OperationPhase{