diff --git a/hack/golangci-hints.yaml b/hack/golangci-hints.yaml
index 6989f4df729..a938268d960 100644
--- a/hack/golangci-hints.yaml
+++ b/hack/golangci-hints.yaml
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ linters:
             enable:
               # - "commentstart" # Ensure comments start with the serialized version of the field name.
               - "conditions" # Ensure conditions have the correct json tags and markers.
-              # - "conflictingmarkers" - Detect mutually exclusive markers on the same field.
+              - "conflictingmarkers" # Detect mutually exclusive markers on the same field.
               # - "integers" # Ensure only int32 and int64 are used for integers.
               # - "jsontags" # Ensure every field has a json tag.
               # - "maxlength" # Ensure all strings and arrays have maximum lengths/maximum items. ONLY for CRDs until declarative markers exist in core types.
@@ -312,13 +312,18 @@ linters:
               isFirstField: Ignore
               usePatchStrategy: SuggestFix
               useProtobuf: SuggestFix
-            # conflictingMarkers:
-            #   conflicts:
-            #   - name: "default_vs_required"
-            #     sets:
-            #     - ["default", "kubebuilder:default"]
-            #     - ["required", "kubebuilder:validation:Required", "k8s:required"]
-            #     description: "A field with a default value cannot be required"
+            conflictingmarkers:
+              conflicts:
+              - name: "optional_vs_required"
+                sets:
+                - ["k8s:optional", "optional", "kubebuilder:validation:Optional"]
+                - ["k8s:required", "required", "kubebuilder:validation:Required"]
+                description: "fields cannot be both optional and required"
+              - name: "required_vs_default"
+                sets:
+                - ["k8s:required", "required", "kubebuilder:validation:Required"]
+                - ["default"]
+                description: "fields with default values are always optional"
             # jsonTags:
             #   jsonTagRegex: "^[a-z][a-z0-9]*(?:[A-Z][a-z0-9]*)*$" # The default regex is appropriate for our use case.
             # nomaps:
diff --git a/hack/golangci.yaml b/hack/golangci.yaml
index 151cde238c9..9853a41fc36 100644
--- a/hack/golangci.yaml
+++ b/hack/golangci.yaml
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ linters:
             enable:
               # - "commentstart" # Ensure comments start with the serialized version of the field name.
               - "conditions" # Ensure conditions have the correct json tags and markers.
-              # - "conflictingmarkers" - Detect mutually exclusive markers on the same field.
+              - "conflictingmarkers" # Detect mutually exclusive markers on the same field.
               # - "integers" # Ensure only int32 and int64 are used for integers.
               # - "jsontags" # Ensure every field has a json tag.
               # - "maxlength" # Ensure all strings and arrays have maximum lengths/maximum items. ONLY for CRDs until declarative markers exist in core types.
@@ -326,13 +326,18 @@ linters:
               isFirstField: Ignore
               usePatchStrategy: SuggestFix
               useProtobuf: SuggestFix
-            # conflictingMarkers:
-            #   conflicts:
-            #   - name: "default_vs_required"
-            #     sets:
-            #     - ["default", "kubebuilder:default"]
-            #     - ["required", "kubebuilder:validation:Required", "k8s:required"]
-            #     description: "A field with a default value cannot be required"
+            conflictingmarkers:
+              conflicts:
+              - name: "optional_vs_required"
+                sets:
+                - ["k8s:optional", "optional", "kubebuilder:validation:Optional"]
+                - ["k8s:required", "required", "kubebuilder:validation:Required"]
+                description: "fields cannot be both optional and required"
+              - name: "required_vs_default"
+                sets:
+                - ["k8s:required", "required", "kubebuilder:validation:Required"]
+                - ["default"]
+                description: "fields with default values are always optional"
             # jsonTags:
             #   jsonTagRegex: "^[a-z][a-z0-9]*(?:[A-Z][a-z0-9]*)*$" # The default regex is appropriate for our use case.
             # nomaps:
diff --git a/hack/kube-api-linter/kube-api-linter.yaml b/hack/kube-api-linter/kube-api-linter.yaml
index dd4f68be6be..ea29a651e5b 100644
--- a/hack/kube-api-linter/kube-api-linter.yaml
+++ b/hack/kube-api-linter/kube-api-linter.yaml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ linters:
   enable:
     # - "commentstart" # Ensure comments start with the serialized version of the field name.
     - "conditions" # Ensure conditions have the correct json tags and markers.
-    # - "conflictingmarkers" - Detect mutually exclusive markers on the same field.
+    - "conflictingmarkers" # Detect mutually exclusive markers on the same field.
     # - "integers" # Ensure only int32 and int64 are used for integers.
     # - "jsontags" # Ensure every field has a json tag.
     # - "maxlength" # Ensure all strings and arrays have maximum lengths/maximum items. ONLY for CRDs until declarative markers exist in core types.
@@ -24,13 +24,18 @@ lintersConfig:
     isFirstField: Ignore
     usePatchStrategy: SuggestFix
     useProtobuf: SuggestFix
-  # conflictingMarkers:
-  #   conflicts:
-  #   - name: "default_vs_required"
-  #     sets:
-  #     - ["default", "kubebuilder:default"]
-  #     - ["required", "kubebuilder:validation:Required", "k8s:required"]
-  #     description: "A field with a default value cannot be required"
+  conflictingmarkers:
+    conflicts:
+    - name: "optional_vs_required"
+      sets:
+      - ["k8s:optional", "optional", "kubebuilder:validation:Optional"]
+      - ["k8s:required", "required", "kubebuilder:validation:Required"]
+      description: "fields cannot be both optional and required"
+    - name: "required_vs_default"
+      sets:
+      - ["k8s:required", "required", "kubebuilder:validation:Required"]
+      - ["default"]
+      description: "fields with default values are always optional"
   # jsonTags:
   #   jsonTagRegex: "^[a-z][a-z0-9]*(?:[A-Z][a-z0-9]*)*$" # The default regex is appropriate for our use case.
   # nomaps: