diff --git a/pkg/api/pod/util.go b/pkg/api/pod/util.go
index 0d12ea511d2..07c42323d9f 100644
--- a/pkg/api/pod/util.go
+++ b/pkg/api/pod/util.go
@@ -396,8 +396,8 @@ func dropDisabledFields(
 		podSpec.EphemeralContainers = nil
 	}
 
-	if (!utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.VolumeSubpath) || !utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.VolumeSubpathEnvExpansion)) && !subpathExprInUse(oldPodSpec) {
-		// drop subpath env expansion from the pod if either of the subpath features is disabled and the old spec did not specify subpath env expansion
+	if !utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.VolumeSubpath) && !subpathExprInUse(oldPodSpec) {
+		// drop subpath env expansion from the pod if subpath feature is disabled and the old spec did not specify subpath env expansion
 		VisitContainers(podSpec, AllContainers, func(c *api.Container, containerType ContainerType) bool {
 			for i := range c.VolumeMounts {
 				c.VolumeMounts[i].SubPathExpr = ""
diff --git a/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go b/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go
index 4e103706364..decf72d0347 100644
--- a/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go
@@ -1512,7 +1512,6 @@ func TestDropSubPathExpr(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("feature enabled=%v, old pod %v, new pod %v", enabled, oldPodInfo.description, newPodInfo.description), func(t *testing.T) {
-				defer featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.VolumeSubpathEnvExpansion, enabled)()
 
 				var oldPodSpec *api.PodSpec
 				if oldPod != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go
index 8e23a7e93f5..a4e1b8928e2 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go
@@ -5053,8 +5053,7 @@ func TestValidateDisabledSubpath(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestValidateSubpathMutuallyExclusive(t *testing.T) {
-	// Enable feature VolumeSubpathEnvExpansion and VolumeSubpath
-	defer featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.VolumeSubpathEnvExpansion, true)()
+	// Enable feature VolumeSubpath
 	defer featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.VolumeSubpath, true)()
 
 	volumes := []core.Volume{
@@ -5137,8 +5136,6 @@ func TestValidateSubpathMutuallyExclusive(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestValidateDisabledSubpathExpr(t *testing.T) {
-	// Enable feature VolumeSubpathEnvExpansion
-	defer featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.VolumeSubpathEnvExpansion, true)()
 
 	volumes := []core.Volume{
 		{Name: "abc", VolumeSource: core.VolumeSource{PersistentVolumeClaim: &core.PersistentVolumeClaimVolumeSource{ClaimName: "testclaim1"}}},
diff --git a/pkg/features/kube_features.go b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
index da3286011ef..0e54cefb097 100644
--- a/pkg/features/kube_features.go
+++ b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
@@ -288,15 +288,6 @@ const (
 	// while making decisions.
 	BalanceAttachedNodeVolumes featuregate.Feature = "BalanceAttachedNodeVolumes"
 
-	// owner: @kevtaylor
-	// alpha: v1.14
-	// beta: v1.15
-	// ga: v1.17
-	//
-	// Allow subpath environment variable substitution
-	// Only applicable if the VolumeSubpath feature is also enabled
-	VolumeSubpathEnvExpansion featuregate.Feature = "VolumeSubpathEnvExpansion"
-
 	// owner: @vladimirvivien
 	// alpha: v1.11
 	// beta:  v1.14
@@ -646,7 +637,6 @@ var defaultKubernetesFeatureGates = map[featuregate.Feature]featuregate.FeatureS
 	VolumeSubpath:                  {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.GA},
 	ConfigurableFSGroupPolicy:      {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
 	BalanceAttachedNodeVolumes:     {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
-	VolumeSubpathEnvExpansion:      {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.GA, LockToDefault: true}, // remove in 1.19,
 	CSIBlockVolume:                 {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.GA, LockToDefault: true}, // remove in 1.20
 	CSIInlineVolume:                {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},
 	RuntimeClass:                   {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_pods.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_pods.go
index 9d45549bf64..345566d1026 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_pods.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_pods.go
@@ -167,10 +167,6 @@ func makeMounts(pod *v1.Pod, podDir string, container *v1.Container, hostName, h
 				return nil, cleanupAction, fmt.Errorf("volume subpaths are disabled")
 			}
 
-			if !utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.VolumeSubpathEnvExpansion) {
-				return nil, cleanupAction, fmt.Errorf("volume subpath expansion is disabled")
-			}
-
 			subPath, err = kubecontainer.ExpandContainerVolumeMounts(mount, expandEnvs)
 
 			if err != nil {