diff --git a/pkg/controller/restore_controller.go b/pkg/controller/restore_controller.go
index e912ee09e..7487f2b84 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/restore_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/restore_controller.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 
 	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/cache"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/util/workqueue"
@@ -44,6 +45,10 @@ import (
 	kubeutil "github.com/heptio/ark/pkg/util/kube"
 )
 
+// nonRestorableResources is a blacklist for the restoration process. Any resources
+// included here are explicitly excluded from the restoration process.
+var nonRestorableResources = []string{"nodes"}
+
 type restoreController struct {
 	restoreClient       arkv1client.RestoresGetter
 	backupClient        arkv1client.BackupsGetter
@@ -234,6 +239,13 @@ func (controller *restoreController) processRestore(key string) error {
 		restore.Spec.IncludedResources = []string{"*"}
 	}
 
+	excludedResources := sets.NewString(restore.Spec.ExcludedResources...)
+	for _, nonrestorable := range nonRestorableResources {
+		if !excludedResources.Has(nonrestorable) {
+			restore.Spec.ExcludedResources = append(restore.Spec.ExcludedResources, nonrestorable)
+		}
+	}
+
 	// validation
 	if restore.Status.ValidationErrors = controller.getValidationErrors(restore); len(restore.Status.ValidationErrors) > 0 {
 		restore.Status.Phase = api.RestorePhaseFailedValidation
@@ -288,6 +300,13 @@ func (controller *restoreController) getValidationErrors(itm *api.Restore) []str
 		validationErrors = append(validationErrors, "BackupName must be non-empty and correspond to the name of a backup in object storage.")
 	}
 
+	includedResources := sets.NewString(itm.Spec.IncludedResources...)
+	for _, nonRestorableResource := range nonRestorableResources {
+		if includedResources.Has(nonRestorableResource) {
+			validationErrors = append(validationErrors, fmt.Sprintf("%v are a non-restorable resource", nonRestorableResource))
+		}
+	}
+
 	for _, err := range collections.ValidateIncludesExcludes(itm.Spec.IncludedNamespaces, itm.Spec.ExcludedNamespaces) {
 		validationErrors = append(validationErrors, fmt.Sprintf("Invalid included/excluded namespace lists: %v", err))
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/controller/restore_controller_test.go b/pkg/controller/restore_controller_test.go
index 96dddef88..d7068a491 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/restore_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/restore_controller_test.go
@@ -259,6 +259,18 @@ func TestProcessRestore(t *testing.T) {
 					Restore,
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name:        "restoration of nodes is not supported",
+			restore:     NewRestore("foo", "bar", "backup-1", "ns-1", "nodes", api.RestorePhaseNew).Restore,
+			backup:      NewTestBackup().WithName("backup-1").Backup,
+			expectedErr: false,
+			expectedRestoreUpdates: []*api.Restore{
+				NewRestore("foo", "bar", "backup-1", "ns-1", "nodes", api.RestorePhaseFailedValidation).
+					WithValidationError("nodes are a non-restorable resource").
+					WithValidationError("Invalid included/excluded resource lists: excludes list cannot contain an item in the includes list: nodes").
+					Restore,
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, test := range tests {
@@ -382,6 +394,10 @@ func NewRestore(ns, name, backup, includeNS, includeResource string, phase api.R
 		restore = restore.WithIncludedResource(includeResource)
 	}
 
+	for _, n := range nonRestorableResources {
+		restore.WithExcludedResource(n)
+	}
+
 	return restore
 }