diff --git a/awx/api/serializers.py b/awx/api/serializers.py
index 26af92a549..f17d5af1b0 100644
--- a/awx/api/serializers.py
+++ b/awx/api/serializers.py
@@ -4881,7 +4881,7 @@ class InstanceSerializer(BaseSerializer):
 
     class Meta:
         model = Instance
-        read_only_fields = ('ip_address', 'uuid', 'version', 'node_state')
+        read_only_fields = ('ip_address', 'uuid', 'version')
         fields = (
             'id',
             'type',
@@ -4959,6 +4959,21 @@ class InstanceSerializer(BaseSerializer):
 
         return value
 
+    def validate_node_state(self, value):
+        if self.instance:
+            if value != self.instance.node_state:
+                if not settings.IS_K8S:
+                    raise serializers.ValidationError("Can only change the state on Kubernetes or OpenShift.")
+                if value != Instance.States.DEPROVISIONING:
+                    raise serializers.ValidationError("Can only change instances to the 'deprovisioning' state.")
+                if self.instance.node_type not in (Instance.Types.EXECUTION,):
+                    raise serializers.ValidationError("Can only deprovision execution nodes.")
+        else:
+            if value and value != Instance.States.INSTALLED:
+                raise serializers.ValidationError("Can only create instances in the 'installed' state.")
+
+        return value
+
 
 class InstanceHealthCheckSerializer(BaseSerializer):
     class Meta:
diff --git a/awx/api/views/__init__.py b/awx/api/views/__init__.py
index 7c8b6aaffc..7865527a2b 100644
--- a/awx/api/views/__init__.py
+++ b/awx/api/views/__init__.py
@@ -384,6 +384,9 @@ class InstanceDetail(RetrieveUpdateAPIView):
         r = super(InstanceDetail, self).update(request, *args, **kwargs)
         if status.is_success(r.status_code):
             obj = self.get_object()
+            if obj.node_state == models.Instance.States.DEPROVISIONING:
+                models.InstanceLink.objects.filter(target=obj).update(link_state=models.InstanceLink.States.REMOVING)
+                models.InstanceLink.objects.filter(source=obj).update(link_state=models.InstanceLink.States.REMOVING)
             obj.set_capacity_value()
             obj.save(update_fields=['capacity'])
             r.data = serializers.InstanceSerializer(obj, context=self.get_serializer_context()).to_representation(obj)