diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_test.go
index 795aea2e636..5b368202eff 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_test.go
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ func TestList(t *testing.T) {
 			featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.ConsistentListFromCache, consistentRead)
 			ctx, cacher, server, terminate := testSetupWithEtcdServer(t)
 			t.Cleanup(terminate)
-			storagetesting.RunTestList(ctx, t, cacher, compactStorage(cacher, server.V3Client.Client), true)
+			storagetesting.RunTestList(ctx, t, cacher, increaseRV(server.V3Client.Client), true)
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ func TestConsistentList(t *testing.T) {
 			featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.ConsistentListFromCache, consistentRead)
 			ctx, cacher, server, terminate := testSetupWithEtcdServer(t)
 			t.Cleanup(terminate)
-			storagetesting.RunTestConsistentList(ctx, t, cacher, compactStorage(cacher, server.V3Client.Client), true, consistentRead)
+			storagetesting.RunTestConsistentList(ctx, t, cacher, increaseRV(server.V3Client.Client), true, consistentRead)
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ func TestGetListNonRecursive(t *testing.T) {
 			featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.ConsistentListFromCache, consistentRead)
 			ctx, cacher, server, terminate := testSetupWithEtcdServer(t)
 			t.Cleanup(terminate)
-			storagetesting.RunTestGetListNonRecursive(ctx, t, compactStorage(cacher, server.V3Client.Client), cacher)
+			storagetesting.RunTestGetListNonRecursive(ctx, t, increaseRV(server.V3Client.Client), cacher)
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ func TestWatch(t *testing.T) {
 func TestWatchFromZero(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx, cacher, server, terminate := testSetupWithEtcdServer(t)
 	t.Cleanup(terminate)
-	storagetesting.RunTestWatchFromZero(ctx, t, cacher, compactStorage(cacher, server.V3Client.Client))
+	storagetesting.RunTestWatchFromZero(ctx, t, cacher, compactWatchCache(cacher, server.V3Client.Client))
 }
 
 func TestDeleteTriggerWatch(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_testing_utils_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_testing_utils_test.go
index bd574ab132e..cf83231016b 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_testing_utils_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_testing_utils_test.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func computePodKey(obj *example.Pod) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("/pods/%s/%s", obj.Namespace, obj.Name)
 }
 
-func compactStorage(c *CacheDelegator, client *clientv3.Client) storagetesting.Compaction {
+func compactWatchCache(c *CacheDelegator, client *clientv3.Client) storagetesting.Compaction {
 	return func(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, resourceVersion string) {
 		versioner := storage.APIObjectVersioner{}
 		rv, err := versioner.ParseResourceVersion(resourceVersion)
@@ -117,12 +117,16 @@ func compactStorage(c *CacheDelegator, client *clientv3.Client) storagetesting.C
 			c.cacher.watchCache.startIndex++
 		}
 		c.cacher.watchCache.listResourceVersion = rv
-
-		if _, err = client.KV.Put(ctx, "compact_rev_key", resourceVersion); err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("Could not update compact_rev_key: %v", err)
-		}
-		if _, err = client.Compact(ctx, int64(rv)); err != nil {
+		if _, err := client.Compact(ctx, int64(rv)); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Could not compact: %v", err)
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func increaseRV(client *clientv3.Client) storagetesting.IncreaseRVFunc {
+	return func(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T) {
+		if _, err := client.KV.Put(ctx, "increaseRV", "ok"); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Could not update increaseRV: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/etcd3/store_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/etcd3/store_test.go
index c7238c17f58..8fcee6f4950 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/etcd3/store_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/etcd3/store_test.go
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ func TestListPaging(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestGetListNonRecursive(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx, store, client := testSetup(t)
-	storagetesting.RunTestGetListNonRecursive(ctx, t, compactStorage(client.Client), store)
+	storagetesting.RunTestGetListNonRecursive(ctx, t, increaseRV(client.Client), store)
 }
 
 func TestGetListRecursivePrefix(t *testing.T) {
@@ -249,12 +249,12 @@ func TestTransformationFailure(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestList(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx, store, client := testSetup(t)
-	storagetesting.RunTestList(ctx, t, store, compactStorage(client.Client), false)
+	storagetesting.RunTestList(ctx, t, store, increaseRV(client.Client), false)
 }
 
 func TestConsistentList(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx, store, client := testSetup(t)
-	storagetesting.RunTestConsistentList(ctx, t, store, compactStorage(client.Client), false, true)
+	storagetesting.RunTestConsistentList(ctx, t, store, increaseRV(client.Client), false, true)
 }
 
 func checkStorageCallsInvariants(transformer *storagetesting.PrefixTransformer, recorder *clientRecorder) storagetesting.CallsValidation {
@@ -313,19 +313,27 @@ func TestNamespaceScopedList(t *testing.T) {
 	storagetesting.RunTestNamespaceScopedList(ctx, t, store)
 }
 
-func compactStorage(etcdClient *clientv3.Client) storagetesting.Compaction {
+func compactStorage(client *clientv3.Client) storagetesting.Compaction {
 	return func(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, resourceVersion string) {
 		versioner := storage.APIObjectVersioner{}
 		rv, err := versioner.ParseResourceVersion(resourceVersion)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
-		if _, _, err = compact(ctx, etcdClient, 0, int64(rv)); err != nil {
+		if _, err = client.Compact(ctx, int64(rv)); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Unable to compact, %v", err)
 		}
 	}
 }
 
+func increaseRV(client *clientv3.Client) storagetesting.IncreaseRVFunc {
+	return func(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T) {
+		if _, err := client.KV.Put(ctx, "increaseRV", "ok"); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Could not update increaseRV: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestListInconsistentContinuation(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx, store, client := testSetup(t)
 	storagetesting.RunTestListInconsistentContinuation(ctx, t, store, compactStorage(client.Client))
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/testing/store_tests.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/testing/store_tests.go
index f8ed2a60870..bba452676c7 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/testing/store_tests.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/testing/store_tests.go
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ func RunTestPreconditionalDeleteWithOnlySuggestionPass(ctx context.Context, t *t
 	expectNoDiff(t, "incorrect pod:", updatedPod, out)
 }
 
-func RunTestList(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, store storage.Interface, compaction Compaction, ignoreWatchCacheTests bool) {
+func RunTestList(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, store storage.Interface, increaseRV IncreaseRVFunc, ignoreWatchCacheTests bool) {
 	initialRV, createdPods, updatedPod, err := seedMultiLevelData(ctx, store)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -648,10 +648,8 @@ func RunTestList(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, store storage.Interface, com
 		pod := obj.(*example.Pod)
 		return nil, fields.Set{"metadata.name": pod.Name, "spec.nodeName": pod.Spec.NodeName}, nil
 	}
-	// Use compact to increase etcd global revision without changes to any resources.
-	// The increase in resources version comes from Kubernetes compaction updating hidden key.
-	// Used to test consistent List to confirm it returns latest etcd revision.
-	compaction(ctx, t, initialRV)
+	// Increase RV to test consistent List.
+	increaseRV(ctx, t)
 	currentRV := fmt.Sprintf("%d", continueRV+1)
 
 	tests := []struct {
@@ -1591,7 +1589,7 @@ func ExpectContinueMatches(t *testing.T, expect, got string) {
 	t.Errorf("expected continue token: %s, got: %s", expectDecoded, gotDecoded)
 }
 
-func RunTestConsistentList(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, store storage.Interface, compaction Compaction, cacheEnabled, consistentReadsSupported bool) {
+func RunTestConsistentList(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, store storage.Interface, increaseRV IncreaseRVFunc, cacheEnabled, consistentReadsSupported bool) {
 	outPod := &example.Pod{}
 	inPod := &example.Pod{ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Namespace: "default", Name: "foo"}}
 	err := store.Create(ctx, computePodKey(inPod), inPod, outPod, 0)
@@ -1599,7 +1597,7 @@ func RunTestConsistentList(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, store storage.Inte
 		t.Errorf("Unexpected error: %v", err)
 	}
 	lastObjecRV := outPod.ResourceVersion
-	compaction(ctx, t, outPod.ResourceVersion)
+	increaseRV(ctx, t)
 	parsedRV, _ := strconv.Atoi(outPod.ResourceVersion)
 	currentRV := fmt.Sprintf("%d", parsedRV+1)
 
@@ -1609,7 +1607,7 @@ func RunTestConsistentList(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, store storage.Inte
 	}
 
 	secondNonConsistentReadRV := lastObjecRV
-	if consistentReadsSupported {
+	if !cacheEnabled || consistentReadsSupported {
 		secondNonConsistentReadRV = currentRV
 	}
 
@@ -1749,7 +1747,7 @@ func seedMultiLevelData(ctx context.Context, store storage.Interface) (initialRV
 	return initialRV, created, updated, nil
 }
 
-func RunTestGetListNonRecursive(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, compaction Compaction, store storage.Interface) {
+func RunTestGetListNonRecursive(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, increaseRV IncreaseRVFunc, store storage.Interface) {
 	key, prevStoredObj := testPropagateStore(ctx, t, store, &example.Pod{ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo", Namespace: "test-ns"}})
 	prevRV, _ := strconv.Atoi(prevStoredObj.ResourceVersion)
 
@@ -1763,10 +1761,8 @@ func RunTestGetListNonRecursive(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, compaction Co
 		t.Fatalf("update failed: %v", err)
 	}
 	objRV, _ := strconv.Atoi(storedObj.ResourceVersion)
-	// Use compact to increase etcd global revision without changes to any resources.
-	// The increase in resources version comes from Kubernetes compaction updating hidden key.
-	// Used to test consistent List to confirm it returns latest etcd revision.
-	compaction(ctx, t, prevStoredObj.ResourceVersion)
+	// Increase RV to test consistent List.
+	increaseRV(ctx, t)
 
 	tests := []struct {
 		name                 string
@@ -2320,6 +2316,7 @@ func RunTestListContinuationWithFilter(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, store
 }
 
 type Compaction func(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, resourceVersion string)
+type IncreaseRVFunc func(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T)
 
 func RunTestListInconsistentContinuation(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, store storage.Interface, compaction Compaction) {
 	if compaction == nil {