diff --git a/hack/golangci-hints.yaml b/hack/golangci-hints.yaml
index 68a56bbc9fc..022417c7887 100644
--- a/hack/golangci-hints.yaml
+++ b/hack/golangci-hints.yaml
@@ -161,7 +161,22 @@ linters:
         path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/events/(v1|v1beta1)/types.go"
       - text: 'notimestamp: naming convention "notimestamp": field AllocationResult.AllocationTimestamp: prefer use of the term ''time'' over ''timestamp'''
         path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/resource/(v1|v1beta1|v1beta2)/types.go"
-      
+      # optionalfields - Ignore optionalfields issues for existing API group
+      # TODO: For each existing API group, we aim to remove it over time.
+      - text: "optionalfields: field .* should (?:be a pointer|have the omitempty tag)\\."
+        path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/(admission|admissionregistration|apps|authentication|authorization|autoscaling|batch|certificates|coordination|core|discovery|events|extensions|flowcontrol|imagepolicy|networking|node|policy|rbac|resource|scheduling|storage|storagemigration)"
+      - text: "optionalfields: field StorageVersionCondition.ObservedGeneration should be a pointer."
+        path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/apiserverinternal/v1alpha1/types.go"
+      - text: "optionalfields: field StorageVersion.Spec should be a pointer."
+        path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/apiserverinternal/v1alpha1/types.go"
+      - text: "optionalfields: field StorageVersion.Status should be a pointer."
+        path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/apiserverinternal/v1alpha1/types.go"
+      - text: "optionalfields: field StorageVersionCondition.LastTransitionTime should be a pointer."
+        path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/apiserverinternal/v1alpha1/types.go"
+      - text: "optionalfields: field StorageVersion.Spec should have the omitempty tag."
+        path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/apiserverinternal/v1alpha1/types.go"
+      - text: "optionalfields: field StorageVersion.Status should have the omitempty tag."
+        path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/apiserverinternal/v1alpha1/types.go"
       # Pre-existing issues from the conflictmarkers linter
       # The Error field in some older API types is marked as both optional and required.
       # This is incorrect, but cannot be changed without breaking changes.
@@ -417,7 +432,7 @@ linters:
               - "nonullable" # Ensure fields are not marked as nullable.
               # - "nophase" # Ensure field names do not have the word "phase" in them.
               - "notimestamp" # Ensure fields are not named "timestamp", prefer "time".
-              # - "optionalfields" # Ensure fields marked optional have omitempty and pointers.
+              - "optionalfields" # Ensure fields marked optional have omitempty and pointers.
               - "optionalorrequired" # Every field should be marked as `+optional` xor `+required`.
               # - "requiredfields" # Required fields should only be pointers when required based on the validity of the zero value, they should always have `omitempty`.
               - "ssatags" # Ensure lists have a listType tag.
diff --git a/hack/golangci.yaml b/hack/golangci.yaml
index 4f44df20cc1..29166908c59 100644
--- a/hack/golangci.yaml
+++ b/hack/golangci.yaml
@@ -176,7 +176,22 @@ linters:
         path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/events/(v1|v1beta1)/types.go"
       - text: 'notimestamp: naming convention "notimestamp": field AllocationResult.AllocationTimestamp: prefer use of the term ''time'' over ''timestamp'''
         path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/resource/(v1|v1beta1|v1beta2)/types.go"
-      
+      # optionalfields - Ignore optionalfields issues for existing API group
+      # TODO: For each existing API group, we aim to remove it over time.
+      - text: "optionalfields: field .* should (?:be a pointer|have the omitempty tag)\\."
+        path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/(admission|admissionregistration|apps|authentication|authorization|autoscaling|batch|certificates|coordination|core|discovery|events|extensions|flowcontrol|imagepolicy|networking|node|policy|rbac|resource|scheduling|storage|storagemigration)"
+      - text: "optionalfields: field StorageVersionCondition.ObservedGeneration should be a pointer."
+        path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/apiserverinternal/v1alpha1/types.go"
+      - text: "optionalfields: field StorageVersion.Spec should be a pointer."
+        path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/apiserverinternal/v1alpha1/types.go"
+      - text: "optionalfields: field StorageVersion.Status should be a pointer."
+        path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/apiserverinternal/v1alpha1/types.go"
+      - text: "optionalfields: field StorageVersionCondition.LastTransitionTime should be a pointer."
+        path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/apiserverinternal/v1alpha1/types.go"
+      - text: "optionalfields: field StorageVersion.Spec should have the omitempty tag."
+        path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/apiserverinternal/v1alpha1/types.go"
+      - text: "optionalfields: field StorageVersion.Status should have the omitempty tag."
+        path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/apiserverinternal/v1alpha1/types.go"
       # Pre-existing issues from the conflictmarkers linter
       # The Error field in some older API types is marked as both optional and required.
       # This is incorrect, but cannot be changed without breaking changes.
@@ -430,7 +445,7 @@ linters:
               - "nonullable" # Ensure fields are not marked as nullable.
               # - "nophase" # Ensure field names do not have the word "phase" in them.
               - "notimestamp" # Ensure fields are not named "timestamp", prefer "time".
-              # - "optionalfields" # Ensure fields marked optional have omitempty and pointers.
+              - "optionalfields" # Ensure fields marked optional have omitempty and pointers.
               - "optionalorrequired" # Every field should be marked as `+optional` xor `+required`.
               # - "requiredfields" # Required fields should only be pointers when required based on the validity of the zero value, they should always have `omitempty`.
               - "ssatags" # Ensure lists have a listType tag.
diff --git a/hack/kube-api-linter/exceptions.yaml b/hack/kube-api-linter/exceptions.yaml
index fe2705e5e93..0bed59d7c63 100644
--- a/hack/kube-api-linter/exceptions.yaml
+++ b/hack/kube-api-linter/exceptions.yaml
@@ -37,7 +37,22 @@
   path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/events/(v1|v1beta1)/types.go"
 - text: 'notimestamp: naming convention "notimestamp": field AllocationResult.AllocationTimestamp: prefer use of the term ''time'' over ''timestamp'''
   path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/resource/(v1|v1beta1|v1beta2)/types.go"
-
+# optionalfields - Ignore optionalfields issues for existing API group
+# TODO: For each existing API group, we aim to remove it over time.
+- text: "optionalfields: field .* should (?:be a pointer|have the omitempty tag)\\."
+  path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/(admission|admissionregistration|apps|authentication|authorization|autoscaling|batch|certificates|coordination|core|discovery|events|extensions|flowcontrol|imagepolicy|networking|node|policy|rbac|resource|scheduling|storage|storagemigration)"
+- text: "optionalfields: field StorageVersionCondition.ObservedGeneration should be a pointer."
+  path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/apiserverinternal/v1alpha1/types.go"
+- text: "optionalfields: field StorageVersion.Spec should be a pointer."
+  path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/apiserverinternal/v1alpha1/types.go"
+- text: "optionalfields: field StorageVersion.Status should be a pointer."
+  path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/apiserverinternal/v1alpha1/types.go"
+- text: "optionalfields: field StorageVersionCondition.LastTransitionTime should be a pointer."
+  path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/apiserverinternal/v1alpha1/types.go"
+- text: "optionalfields: field StorageVersion.Spec should have the omitempty tag."
+  path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/apiserverinternal/v1alpha1/types.go"
+- text: "optionalfields: field StorageVersion.Status should have the omitempty tag."
+  path: "staging/src/k8s.io/api/apiserverinternal/v1alpha1/types.go"
 # Pre-existing issues from the conflictmarkers linter
 # The Error field in some older API types is marked as both optional and required.
 # This is incorrect, but cannot be changed without breaking changes.
diff --git a/hack/kube-api-linter/kube-api-linter.yaml b/hack/kube-api-linter/kube-api-linter.yaml
index 2ce454912be..fe60a59f59b 100644
--- a/hack/kube-api-linter/kube-api-linter.yaml
+++ b/hack/kube-api-linter/kube-api-linter.yaml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ linters:
     - "nonullable" # Ensure fields are not marked as nullable.
     # - "nophase" # Ensure field names do not have the word "phase" in them.
     - "notimestamp" # Ensure fields are not named "timestamp", prefer "time".
-    # - "optionalfields" # Ensure fields marked optional have omitempty and pointers.
+    - "optionalfields" # Ensure fields marked optional have omitempty and pointers.
     - "optionalorrequired" # Every field should be marked as `+optional` xor `+required`.
     # - "requiredfields" # Required fields should only be pointers when required based on the validity of the zero value, they should always have `omitempty`.
     - "ssatags" # Ensure lists have a listType tag.