diff --git a/pkg/apis/ark/v1/restore.go b/pkg/apis/ark/v1/restore.go
index 2e4aa8fd1..43b649db9 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/ark/v1/restore.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/ark/v1/restore.go
@@ -24,11 +24,6 @@ type RestoreSpec struct {
 	// from.
 	BackupName string `json:"backupName"`
 
-	// NOTE: This is deprecated.  IncludedNamespaces and ExcludedNamespaces
-	// should be used instead
-	// Namespaces is a slice of namespaces in the Ark backup to restore.
-	Namespaces []string `json:"namespaces"`
-
 	// IncludedNamespaces is a slice of namespace names to include objects
 	// from. If empty, all namespaces are included.
 	IncludedNamespaces []string `json:"includedNamespaces"`
diff --git a/pkg/controller/backup_controller.go b/pkg/controller/backup_controller.go
index 3d7303202..1cfa36355 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/backup_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/backup_controller.go
@@ -292,11 +292,11 @@ func cloneBackup(in interface{}) (*api.Backup, error) {
 func (controller *backupController) getValidationErrors(itm *api.Backup) []string {
 	var validationErrors []string
 
-	for err := range collections.ValidateIncludesExcludes(itm.Spec.IncludedResources, itm.Spec.ExcludedResources) {
+	for _, err := range collections.ValidateIncludesExcludes(itm.Spec.IncludedResources, itm.Spec.ExcludedResources) {
 		validationErrors = append(validationErrors, fmt.Sprintf("Invalid included/excluded resource lists: %v", err))
 	}
 
-	for err := range collections.ValidateIncludesExcludes(itm.Spec.IncludedNamespaces, itm.Spec.ExcludedNamespaces) {
+	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.go b/pkg/controller/restore_controller.go
index 73f089db3..76a2d52df 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/restore_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/restore_controller.go
@@ -220,22 +220,15 @@ func (controller *restoreController) processRestore(key string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if len(restore.Spec.IncludedNamespaces) == 0 {
+		restore.Spec.IncludedNamespaces = []string{"*"}
+	}
+
 	// validation
 	if restore.Status.ValidationErrors = controller.getValidationErrors(restore); len(restore.Status.ValidationErrors) > 0 {
 		restore.Status.Phase = api.RestorePhaseFailedValidation
 	} else {
 		restore.Status.Phase = api.RestorePhaseInProgress
-
-		if len(restore.Spec.Namespaces) != 0 {
-			glog.V(4).Info("the restore.Spec.Namespaces field has been deprecated. Please use the IncludedNamespaces and ExcludedNamespaces feature instead")
-
-			restore.Spec.IncludedNamespaces = restore.Spec.Namespaces
-			restore.Spec.Namespaces = nil
-		}
-
-		if len(restore.Spec.IncludedNamespaces) == 0 {
-			restore.Spec.IncludedNamespaces = []string{"*"}
-		}
 	}
 
 	// update status
@@ -286,11 +279,7 @@ 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.")
 	}
 
-	if len(itm.Spec.Namespaces) > 0 && len(itm.Spec.IncludedNamespaces) > 0 {
-		validationErrors = append(validationErrors, "Namespaces and IncludedNamespaces can not both be defined on the backup spec.")
-	}
-
-	for err := range collections.ValidateIncludesExcludes(itm.Spec.IncludedNamespaces, itm.Spec.ExcludedNamespaces) {
+	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 648d90d54..73f12b0c9 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/restore_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/restore_controller_test.go
@@ -73,16 +73,16 @@ func TestProcessRestore(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedErr: false,
 		},
 		{
-			name:        "restore with both namespaces and includedNamespaces fails validation",
-			restore:     NewTestRestore("foo", "bar", api.RestorePhaseNew).WithBackup("backup-1").WithNamespace("ns-1").WithIncludedNamespace("another-1").Restore,
+			name:        "restore with both namespace in both includedNamespaces and excludedNamespaces fails validation",
+			restore:     NewTestRestore("foo", "bar", api.RestorePhaseNew).WithBackup("backup-1").WithIncludedNamespace("another-1").WithExcludedNamespace("another-1").Restore,
 			backup:      NewTestBackup().WithName("backup-1").Backup,
 			expectedErr: false,
 			expectedRestoreUpdates: []*api.Restore{
 				NewTestRestore("foo", "bar", api.RestorePhaseFailedValidation).
 					WithBackup("backup-1").
-					WithNamespace("ns-1").
 					WithIncludedNamespace("another-1").
-					WithValidationError("Namespace and ItemNamespaces can not both be defined on the backup spec.").Restore,
+					WithExcludedNamespace("another-1").
+					WithValidationError("Invalid included/excluded namespace lists: excludes list cannot contain an item in the includes list: another-1").Restore,
 			},
 		},
 		{
diff --git a/pkg/util/test/test_restore.go b/pkg/util/test/test_restore.go
index d560db15b..57ca9a094 100644
--- a/pkg/util/test/test_restore.go
+++ b/pkg/util/test/test_restore.go
@@ -45,12 +45,6 @@ func NewDefaultTestRestore() *TestRestore {
 	return NewTestRestore(api.DefaultNamespace, "", api.RestorePhase(""))
 }
 
-
-func (r *TestRestore) WithNamespace(name string) *TestRestore {
-	r.Spec.Namespaces = append(r.Spec.Namespaces, name)
-	return r
-}
-
 func (r *TestRestore) WithIncludedNamespace(name string) *TestRestore {
 	r.Spec.IncludedNamespaces = append(r.Spec.IncludedNamespaces, name)
 	return r