diff --git a/cmd/kube-apiserver/app/server.go b/cmd/kube-apiserver/app/server.go
index 1c4359c13b9..8c2d2a94d99 100644
--- a/cmd/kube-apiserver/app/server.go
+++ b/cmd/kube-apiserver/app/server.go
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ import (
 	utilerrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/errors"
 	utilnet "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/net"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
-	utilwait "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
 	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/admission"
 	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/authorization/authorizer"
 	openapinamer "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/openapi"
@@ -46,7 +45,6 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/filters"
 	serveroptions "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/options"
 	serverstorage "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/storage"
-	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/etcd3/preflight"
 	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
 	utilflowcontrol "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/flowcontrol"
 	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/webhook"
@@ -78,11 +76,6 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/serviceaccount"
 )
 
-const (
-	etcdRetryLimit    = 60
-	etcdRetryInterval = 1 * time.Second
-)
-
 // TODO: delete this check after insecure flags removed in v1.24
 func checkNonZeroInsecurePort(fs *pflag.FlagSet) error {
 	for _, name := range options.InsecurePortFlags {
@@ -253,12 +246,6 @@ func CreateKubeAPIServerConfig(s completedServerRunOptions) (
 		return nil, nil, nil, err
 	}
 
-	if _, port, err := net.SplitHostPort(s.Etcd.StorageConfig.Transport.ServerList[0]); err == nil && port != "0" && len(port) != 0 {
-		if err := utilwait.PollImmediate(etcdRetryInterval, etcdRetryLimit*etcdRetryInterval, preflight.EtcdConnection{ServerList: s.Etcd.StorageConfig.Transport.ServerList}.CheckEtcdServers); err != nil {
-			return nil, nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("error waiting for etcd connection: %v", err)
-		}
-	}
-
 	capabilities.Initialize(capabilities.Capabilities{
 		AllowPrivileged: s.AllowPrivileged,
 		// TODO(vmarmol): Implement support for HostNetworkSources.
diff --git a/vendor/modules.txt b/vendor/modules.txt
index c19ca439ac9..11e550992df 100644
--- a/vendor/modules.txt
+++ b/vendor/modules.txt
@@ -1467,7 +1467,6 @@ k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher
 k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/errors
 k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/etcd3
 k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/etcd3/metrics
-k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/etcd3/preflight
 k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/etcd3/testing
 k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/etcd3/testing/testingcert
 k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/names