diff --git a/pkg/features/kube_features.go b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
index 35a90a1ac25..7033678cc69 100644
--- a/pkg/features/kube_features.go
+++ b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ var defaultKubernetesFeatureGates = map[utilfeature.Feature]utilfeature.FeatureS
 	genericfeatures.AdvancedAuditing:        {Default: true, PreRelease: utilfeature.Beta},
 	genericfeatures.APIResponseCompression:  {Default: false, PreRelease: utilfeature.Alpha},
 	genericfeatures.Initializers:            {Default: false, PreRelease: utilfeature.Alpha},
-	genericfeatures.APIListChunking:         {Default: false, PreRelease: utilfeature.Alpha},
+	genericfeatures.APIListChunking:         {Default: true, PreRelease: utilfeature.Beta},
 
 	// inherited features from apiextensions-apiserver, relisted here to get a conflict if it is changed
 	// unintentionally on either side:
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/features/kube_features.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/features/kube_features.go
index d5b52fd8758..57bab8b0024 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/features/kube_features.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/features/kube_features.go
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ const (
 
 	// owner: @smarterclayton
 	// alpha: v1.8
+	// beta: v1.9
 	//
 	// Allow API clients to retrieve resource lists in chunks rather than
 	// all at once.
@@ -76,5 +77,5 @@ var defaultKubernetesFeatureGates = map[utilfeature.Feature]utilfeature.FeatureS
 	AdvancedAuditing:        {Default: true, PreRelease: utilfeature.Beta},
 	APIResponseCompression:  {Default: false, PreRelease: utilfeature.Alpha},
 	Initializers:            {Default: false, PreRelease: utilfeature.Alpha},
-	APIListChunking:         {Default: false, PreRelease: utilfeature.Alpha},
+	APIListChunking:         {Default: true, PreRelease: utilfeature.Beta},
 }
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/cache/listwatch.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/cache/listwatch.go
index 55a90b631d6..454d50aadc6 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/cache/listwatch.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/cache/listwatch.go
@@ -51,8 +51,7 @@ type WatchFunc func(options metav1.ListOptions) (watch.Interface, error)
 type ListWatch struct {
 	ListFunc  ListFunc
 	WatchFunc WatchFunc
-	// DisableChunking requests no chunking for this list watcher. It has no effect in Kubernetes 1.8, but in
-	// 1.9 will allow a controller to opt out of chunking.
+	// DisableChunking requests no chunking for this list watcher.
 	DisableChunking bool
 }
 
@@ -93,9 +92,7 @@ func timeoutFromListOptions(options metav1.ListOptions) time.Duration {
 
 // List a set of apiserver resources
 func (lw *ListWatch) List(options metav1.ListOptions) (runtime.Object, error) {
-	// chunking will become the default for list watchers starting in Kubernetes 1.9, unless
-	// otherwise disabled.
-	if false && !lw.DisableChunking {
+	if !lw.DisableChunking {
 		return pager.New(pager.SimplePageFunc(lw.ListFunc)).List(context.TODO(), options)
 	}
 	return lw.ListFunc(options)