diff --git a/pkg/apis/batch/validation/BUILD b/pkg/apis/batch/validation/BUILD
index f9a72f4ed17..0d8df02ba1a 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/batch/validation/BUILD
+++ b/pkg/apis/batch/validation/BUILD
@@ -14,13 +14,11 @@ go_library(
         "//pkg/apis/batch:go_default_library",
         "//pkg/apis/core:go_default_library",
         "//pkg/apis/core/validation:go_default_library",
-        "//pkg/features:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/validation:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/validation:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/validation/field:go_default_library",
-        "//staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/github.com/robfig/cron:go_default_library",
     ],
 )
diff --git a/pkg/apis/batch/validation/validation.go b/pkg/apis/batch/validation/validation.go
index 1e04e9779e5..1907ac9079e 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/batch/validation/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/batch/validation/validation.go
@@ -24,11 +24,9 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels"
 	apimachineryvalidation "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/validation"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/validation/field"
-	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/apis/batch"
 	api "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/apis/core"
 	apivalidation "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/apis/core/validation"
-	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/features"
 )
 
 // TODO: generalize for other controller objects that will follow the same pattern, such as ReplicaSet and DaemonSet, and
@@ -119,13 +117,8 @@ func validateJobSpec(spec *batch.JobSpec, fldPath *field.Path) field.ErrorList {
 	if spec.BackoffLimit != nil {
 		allErrs = append(allErrs, apivalidation.ValidateNonnegativeField(int64(*spec.BackoffLimit), fldPath.Child("backoffLimit"))...)
 	}
-	if utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.TTLAfterFinished) {
-		// normal validation for TTLSecondsAfterFinished
-		if spec.TTLSecondsAfterFinished != nil {
-			allErrs = append(allErrs, apivalidation.ValidateNonnegativeField(int64(*spec.TTLSecondsAfterFinished), fldPath.Child("ttlSecondsAfterFinished"))...)
-		}
-	} else if spec.TTLSecondsAfterFinished != nil {
-		allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Forbidden(fldPath.Child("ttlSecondsAfterFinished"), "disabled by feature-gate"))
+	if spec.TTLSecondsAfterFinished != nil {
+		allErrs = append(allErrs, apivalidation.ValidateNonnegativeField(int64(*spec.TTLSecondsAfterFinished), fldPath.Child("ttlSecondsAfterFinished"))...)
 	}
 
 	allErrs = append(allErrs, apivalidation.ValidatePodTemplateSpec(&spec.Template, fldPath.Child("template"))...)
diff --git a/pkg/registry/batch/job/BUILD b/pkg/registry/batch/job/BUILD
index 98cfab64cc1..d61f5bae717 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/batch/job/BUILD
+++ b/pkg/registry/batch/job/BUILD
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ go_test(
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/request:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/registry/rest:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature:go_default_library",
+        "//staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature/testing:go_default_library",
     ],
 )
 
diff --git a/pkg/registry/batch/job/strategy.go b/pkg/registry/batch/job/strategy.go
index 4f5845d62db..5ce5e51178b 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/batch/job/strategy.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/batch/job/strategy.go
@@ -89,9 +89,8 @@ func (jobStrategy) PrepareForUpdate(ctx context.Context, obj, old runtime.Object
 	oldJob := old.(*batch.Job)
 	newJob.Status = oldJob.Status
 
-	if !utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.TTLAfterFinished) {
+	if !utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.TTLAfterFinished) && oldJob.Spec.TTLSecondsAfterFinished == nil {
 		newJob.Spec.TTLSecondsAfterFinished = nil
-		oldJob.Spec.TTLSecondsAfterFinished = nil
 	}
 
 	pod.DropDisabledFields(&newJob.Spec.Template.Spec, &oldJob.Spec.Template.Spec)
diff --git a/pkg/registry/batch/job/strategy_test.go b/pkg/registry/batch/job/strategy_test.go
index a60af6ab201..ceac03fb675 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/batch/job/strategy_test.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/batch/job/strategy_test.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	genericapirequest "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/request"
 	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/registry/rest"
 	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
+	utilfeaturetesting "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature/testing"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/api/testapi"
 	apitesting "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/api/testing"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/apis/batch"
@@ -121,6 +122,24 @@ func TestJobStrategy(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Job should only allow updating .spec.ttlSecondsAfterFinished when %v feature is enabled", features.TTLAfterFinished)
 	}
 
+	// set TTLSecondsAfterFinished on both old and new jobs
+	job.Spec.TTLSecondsAfterFinished = newInt32(1)
+	updatedJob.Spec.TTLSecondsAfterFinished = newInt32(2)
+
+	// Existing TTLSecondsAfterFinished should be preserved when feature is on
+	defer utilfeaturetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.TTLAfterFinished, true)()
+	Strategy.PrepareForUpdate(ctx, updatedJob, job)
+	if job.Spec.TTLSecondsAfterFinished == nil || updatedJob.Spec.TTLSecondsAfterFinished == nil {
+		t.Errorf("existing TTLSecondsAfterFinished should be preserved")
+	}
+
+	// Existing TTLSecondsAfterFinished should be preserved when feature is off
+	defer utilfeaturetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.TTLAfterFinished, false)()
+	Strategy.PrepareForUpdate(ctx, updatedJob, job)
+	if job.Spec.TTLSecondsAfterFinished == nil || updatedJob.Spec.TTLSecondsAfterFinished == nil {
+		t.Errorf("existing TTLSecondsAfterFinished should be preserved")
+	}
+
 	// Make sure we correctly implement the interface.
 	// Otherwise a typo could silently change the default.
 	var gcds rest.GarbageCollectionDeleteStrategy = Strategy