diff --git a/api/openapi-spec/swagger.json b/api/openapi-spec/swagger.json
index c5d57305c66..7fa6b9173c7 100644
--- a/api/openapi-spec/swagger.json
+++ b/api/openapi-spec/swagger.json
@@ -15792,6 +15792,9 @@
           "description": "If StructuredData is set, then it needs to be used instead of Data."
         }
       },
+      "required": [
+        "driverName"
+      ],
       "type": "object"
     },
     "io.k8s.api.resource.v1alpha2.ResourceRequest": {
diff --git a/api/openapi-spec/v3/apis__resource.k8s.io__v1alpha2_openapi.json b/api/openapi-spec/v3/apis__resource.k8s.io__v1alpha2_openapi.json
index 6ad77830054..ac93252ae8a 100644
--- a/api/openapi-spec/v3/apis__resource.k8s.io__v1alpha2_openapi.json
+++ b/api/openapi-spec/v3/apis__resource.k8s.io__v1alpha2_openapi.json
@@ -1205,6 +1205,7 @@
             "type": "string"
           },
           "driverName": {
+            "default": "",
             "description": "DriverName specifies the name of the resource driver whose kubelet plugin should be invoked to process this ResourceHandle's data once it lands on a node. This may differ from the DriverName set in ResourceClaimStatus this ResourceHandle is embedded in.",
             "type": "string"
           },
@@ -1217,6 +1218,9 @@
             "description": "If StructuredData is set, then it needs to be used instead of Data."
           }
         },
+        "required": [
+          "driverName"
+        ],
         "type": "object"
       },
       "io.k8s.api.resource.v1alpha2.ResourceRequest": {
diff --git a/pkg/generated/openapi/zz_generated.openapi.go b/pkg/generated/openapi/zz_generated.openapi.go
index 1fc94fee217..ed1a245d287 100644
--- a/pkg/generated/openapi/zz_generated.openapi.go
+++ b/pkg/generated/openapi/zz_generated.openapi.go
@@ -46488,6 +46488,7 @@ func schema_k8sio_api_resource_v1alpha2_ResourceHandle(ref common.ReferenceCallb
 					"driverName": {
 						SchemaProps: spec.SchemaProps{
 							Description: "DriverName specifies the name of the resource driver whose kubelet plugin should be invoked to process this ResourceHandle's data once it lands on a node. This may differ from the DriverName set in ResourceClaimStatus this ResourceHandle is embedded in.",
+							Default:     "",
 							Type:        []string{"string"},
 							Format:      "",
 						},
@@ -46506,6 +46507,7 @@ func schema_k8sio_api_resource_v1alpha2_ResourceHandle(ref common.ReferenceCallb
 						},
 					},
 				},
+				Required: []string{"driverName"},
 			},
 		},
 		Dependencies: []string{
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/api/resource/v1alpha2/types.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/api/resource/v1alpha2/types.go
index 2441f17eca4..fa0f2cd707f 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/api/resource/v1alpha2/types.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/api/resource/v1alpha2/types.go
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ type ResourceHandle struct {
 	// plugin should be invoked to process this ResourceHandle's data once it
 	// lands on a node. This may differ from the DriverName set in
 	// ResourceClaimStatus this ResourceHandle is embedded in.
-	DriverName string `json:"driverName,omitempty" protobuf:"bytes,1,opt,name=driverName"`
+	DriverName string `json:"driverName" protobuf:"bytes,1,name=driverName"`
 
 	// Data contains the opaque data associated with this ResourceHandle. It is
 	// set by the controller component of the resource driver whose name
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/applyconfigurations/internal/internal.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/applyconfigurations/internal/internal.go
index 0d753b07b15..f3314a39ee2 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/applyconfigurations/internal/internal.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/applyconfigurations/internal/internal.go
@@ -12413,6 +12413,7 @@ var schemaYAML = typed.YAMLObject(`types:
     - name: driverName
       type:
         scalar: string
+      default: ""
     - name: structuredData
       type:
         namedType: io.k8s.api.resource.v1alpha2.StructuredResourceHandle