diff --git a/pkg/controller/job/job_controller.go b/pkg/controller/job/job_controller.go
index 2dce2d773f7..68eb105c97d 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/job/job_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/job/job_controller.go
@@ -1875,7 +1875,10 @@ func countReadyPods(pods []*v1.Pod) int32 {
 // PodReplacementPolicy controls when we recreate pods if they are marked as terminating
 // Failed means that we recreate only once the pod has terminated.
 func onlyReplaceFailedPods(job *batch.Job) bool {
-	if feature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.JobPodReplacementPolicy) && *job.Spec.PodReplacementPolicy == batch.Failed {
+	// We check both PodReplacementPolicy for nil and failed
+	// because it is possible that  `PodReplacementPolicy` is not defaulted,
+	// when the `JobPodReplacementPolicy` feature gate is disabled for API server.
+	if feature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.JobPodReplacementPolicy) && job.Spec.PodReplacementPolicy != nil && *job.Spec.PodReplacementPolicy == batch.Failed {
 		return true
 	}
 	return feature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.JobPodFailurePolicy) && job.Spec.PodFailurePolicy != nil
diff --git a/pkg/controller/job/job_controller_test.go b/pkg/controller/job/job_controller_test.go
index 01b9222ad31..0d8dded06da 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/job/job_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/job/job_controller_test.go
@@ -366,6 +366,19 @@ func TestControllerSyncJob(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedDeletions:       1,
 			expectedFailed:          1,
 		},
+		"WQ job: turn on PodReplacementPolicy but not set PodReplacementPolicy": {
+			parallelism:             1,
+			completions:             1,
+			backoffLimit:            6,
+			activePods:              1,
+			failedPods:              1,
+			jobPodReplacementPolicy: true,
+			expectedTerminating:     ptr.To[int32](1),
+			terminatingPods:         1,
+			expectedActive:          1,
+			expectedPodPatches:      2,
+			expectedFailed:          2,
+		},
 		"WQ job: recreate pods when terminating or failed": {
 			parallelism:             1,
 			completions:             -1,