diff --git a/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go b/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go
index 4f6b5c80e4a..acb6305a02e 100644
--- a/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go
@@ -4114,12 +4114,14 @@ func TestValidateAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue(t *testing.T) {
 	testCases := []struct {
 		name                                        string
 		podSpec                                     *api.PodSpec
+		featureEnabled                              bool
 		expectAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue bool
 	}{
 		{
-			name:    "no lifecycle hooks",
-			podSpec: &api.PodSpec{},
-			expectAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue: false,
+			name:           "no lifecycle hooks",
+			podSpec:        &api.PodSpec{},
+			featureEnabled: true,
+			expectAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue: true,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Prestop with non-zero second duration",
@@ -4136,7 +4138,8 @@ func TestValidateAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				},
 			},
-			expectAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue: false,
+			featureEnabled: true,
+			expectAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue: true,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "PostStart with non-zero second duration",
@@ -4153,7 +4156,8 @@ func TestValidateAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				},
 			},
-			expectAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue: false,
+			featureEnabled: true,
+			expectAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue: true,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "PreStop with zero seconds",
@@ -4170,6 +4174,7 @@ func TestValidateAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				},
 			},
+			featureEnabled: true,
 			expectAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue: true,
 		},
 		{
@@ -4187,12 +4192,93 @@ func TestValidateAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				},
 			},
+			featureEnabled: true,
+			expectAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "no lifecycle hooks with feature gate disabled",
+			podSpec:        &api.PodSpec{},
+			featureEnabled: false,
+			expectAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Prestop with non-zero second duration with feature gate disabled",
+			podSpec: &api.PodSpec{
+				Containers: []api.Container{
+					{
+						Lifecycle: &api.Lifecycle{
+							PreStop: &api.LifecycleHandler{
+								Sleep: &api.SleepAction{
+									Seconds: 1,
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			featureEnabled: false,
+			expectAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "PostStart with non-zero second duration with feature gate disabled",
+			podSpec: &api.PodSpec{
+				Containers: []api.Container{
+					{
+						Lifecycle: &api.Lifecycle{
+							PostStart: &api.LifecycleHandler{
+								Sleep: &api.SleepAction{
+									Seconds: 1,
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			featureEnabled: false,
+			expectAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "PreStop with zero seconds with feature gate disabled",
+			podSpec: &api.PodSpec{
+				Containers: []api.Container{
+					{
+						Lifecycle: &api.Lifecycle{
+							PreStop: &api.LifecycleHandler{
+								Sleep: &api.SleepAction{
+									Seconds: 0,
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			featureEnabled: false,
+			expectAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "PostStart with zero seconds with feature gate disabled",
+			podSpec: &api.PodSpec{
+				Containers: []api.Container{
+					{
+						Lifecycle: &api.Lifecycle{
+							PostStart: &api.LifecycleHandler{
+								Sleep: &api.SleepAction{
+									Seconds: 0,
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			featureEnabled: false,
 			expectAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue: true,
 		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.PodLifecycleSleepActionAllowZero, tc.featureEnabled)
+
 			gotOptions := GetValidationOptionsFromPodSpecAndMeta(&api.PodSpec{}, tc.podSpec, nil, nil)
 			assert.Equal(t, tc.expectAllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue, gotOptions.AllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue, "AllowPodLifecycleSleepActionZeroValue")
 		})
diff --git a/pkg/features/kube_features.go b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
index e871a53c1d3..ec9a8d2fd68 100644
--- a/pkg/features/kube_features.go
+++ b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
@@ -1558,6 +1558,7 @@ var defaultVersionedKubernetesFeatureGates = map[featuregate.Feature]featuregate
 
 	PodLifecycleSleepActionAllowZero: {
 		{Version: version.MustParse("1.32"), Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
+		{Version: version.MustParse("1.33"), Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},
 	},
 
 	PodObservedGenerationTracking: {
diff --git a/test/compatibility_lifecycle/reference/versioned_feature_list.yaml b/test/compatibility_lifecycle/reference/versioned_feature_list.yaml
index 8b5a0456f10..dd0ad06e1fc 100644
--- a/test/compatibility_lifecycle/reference/versioned_feature_list.yaml
+++ b/test/compatibility_lifecycle/reference/versioned_feature_list.yaml
@@ -1035,6 +1035,10 @@
     lockToDefault: false
     preRelease: Alpha
     version: "1.32"
+  - default: true
+    lockToDefault: false
+    preRelease: Beta
+    version: "1.33"
 - name: PodLogsQuerySplitStreams
   versionedSpecs:
   - default: false