diff --git a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go
index eda651fd575..b86889a1630 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go
@@ -2657,19 +2657,8 @@ func validateAffinity(affinity *core.Affinity, fldPath *field.Path) field.ErrorL
 	allErrs := field.ErrorList{}
 
 	if affinity != nil {
-		if na := affinity.NodeAffinity; na != nil {
-			// TODO: Uncomment the next three lines once RequiredDuringSchedulingRequiredDuringExecution is implemented.
-			// if na.RequiredDuringSchedulingRequiredDuringExecution != nil {
-			//	allErrs = append(allErrs, ValidateNodeSelector(na.RequiredDuringSchedulingRequiredDuringExecution, fldPath.Child("requiredDuringSchedulingRequiredDuringExecution"))...)
-			// }
-
-			if na.RequiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution != nil {
-				allErrs = append(allErrs, ValidateNodeSelector(na.RequiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution, fldPath.Child("requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution"))...)
-			}
-
-			if len(na.PreferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution) > 0 {
-				allErrs = append(allErrs, ValidatePreferredSchedulingTerms(na.PreferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution, fldPath.Child("preferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution"))...)
-			}
+		if affinity.NodeAffinity != nil {
+			allErrs = append(allErrs, validateNodeAffinity(affinity.NodeAffinity, fldPath.Child("nodeAffinity"))...)
 		}
 		if affinity.PodAffinity != nil {
 			allErrs = append(allErrs, validatePodAffinity(affinity.PodAffinity, fldPath.Child("podAffinity"))...)
@@ -3086,6 +3075,22 @@ func validatePodAntiAffinity(podAntiAffinity *core.PodAntiAffinity, fldPath *fie
 	return allErrs
 }
 
+// validateNodeAffinity tests that the specified nodeAffinity fields have valid data
+func validateNodeAffinity(na *core.NodeAffinity, fldPath *field.Path) field.ErrorList {
+	allErrs := field.ErrorList{}
+	// TODO: Uncomment the next three lines once RequiredDuringSchedulingRequiredDuringExecution is implemented.
+	// if na.RequiredDuringSchedulingRequiredDuringExecution != nil {
+	//	allErrs = append(allErrs, ValidateNodeSelector(na.RequiredDuringSchedulingRequiredDuringExecution, fldPath.Child("requiredDuringSchedulingRequiredDuringExecution"))...)
+	// }
+	if na.RequiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution != nil {
+		allErrs = append(allErrs, ValidateNodeSelector(na.RequiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution, fldPath.Child("requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution"))...)
+	}
+	if len(na.PreferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution) > 0 {
+		allErrs = append(allErrs, ValidatePreferredSchedulingTerms(na.PreferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution, fldPath.Child("preferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution"))...)
+	}
+	return allErrs
+}
+
 // validatePodAffinity tests that the specified podAffinity fields have valid data
 func validatePodAffinity(podAffinity *core.PodAffinity, fldPath *field.Path) field.ErrorList {
 	allErrs := field.ErrorList{}
diff --git a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go
index 092aae51dda..442adecfabd 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go
@@ -6334,7 +6334,7 @@ func TestValidatePod(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		"invalid node selector requirement in node affinity, operator can't be null": {
-			expectedError: "spec.affinity.requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution.nodeSelectorTerms[0].matchExpressions[0].operator",
+			expectedError: "spec.affinity.nodeAffinity.requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution.nodeSelectorTerms[0].matchExpressions[0].operator",
 			spec: core.Pod{
 				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 					Name:      "123",
@@ -6385,7 +6385,7 @@ func TestValidatePod(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		"invalid requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution node selector, nodeSelectorTerms must have at least one term": {
-			expectedError: "spec.affinity.requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution.nodeSelectorTerms",
+			expectedError: "spec.affinity.nodeAffinity.requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution.nodeSelectorTerms",
 			spec: core.Pod{
 				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 					Name:      "123",
@@ -6401,7 +6401,7 @@ func TestValidatePod(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		"invalid requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution node selector term, matchExpressions must have at least one node selector requirement": {
-			expectedError: "spec.affinity.requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution.nodeSelectorTerms[0].matchExpressions",
+			expectedError: "spec.affinity.nodeAffinity.requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution.nodeSelectorTerms[0].matchExpressions",
 			spec: core.Pod{
 				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 					Name:      "123",