diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_image.go b/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_image.go
index c2db917b559..7de1ff1348f 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_image.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_image.go
@@ -29,13 +29,11 @@ import (
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/codes"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/credentials/insecure"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/status"
-	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
 	tracing "k8s.io/component-base/tracing"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 
 	internalapi "k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis"
 	runtimeapi "k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/runtime/v1"
-	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/features"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/util"
 )
 
@@ -61,7 +59,7 @@ func NewRemoteImageService(endpoint string, connectionTimeout time.Duration, tp
 		grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()),
 		grpc.WithContextDialer(dialer),
 		grpc.WithDefaultCallOptions(grpc.MaxCallRecvMsgSize(maxMsgSize)))
-	if utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.KubeletTracing) {
+	if tp != nil {
 		tracingOpts := []otelgrpc.Option{
 			otelgrpc.WithMessageEvents(otelgrpc.ReceivedEvents, otelgrpc.SentEvents),
 			otelgrpc.WithPropagators(tracing.Propagators()),
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_image_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_image_test.go
index 095792d9a8c..264b68e5abb 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_image_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_image_test.go
@@ -26,11 +26,8 @@ import (
 	sdktrace "go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk/trace"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk/trace/tracetest"
 	oteltrace "go.opentelemetry.io/otel/trace"
-	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
-	featuregatetesting "k8s.io/component-base/featuregate/testing"
 	internalapi "k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis"
 	runtimeapi "k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/runtime/v1"
-	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/features"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/util"
 )
 
@@ -49,7 +46,6 @@ func createRemoteImageServiceWithoutTracerProvider(endpoint string, t *testing.T
 }
 
 func TestImageServiceSpansWithTP(t *testing.T) {
-	featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.KubeletTracing, true)
 	fakeRuntime, endpoint := createAndStartFakeRemoteRuntime(t)
 	defer func() {
 		fakeRuntime.Stop()
@@ -76,7 +72,6 @@ func TestImageServiceSpansWithTP(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestImageServiceSpansWithoutTP(t *testing.T) {
-	featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.KubeletTracing, true)
 	fakeRuntime, endpoint := createAndStartFakeRemoteRuntime(t)
 	defer func() {
 		fakeRuntime.Stop()
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_runtime.go b/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_runtime.go
index ee24276647f..6bb89038ab8 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_runtime.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_runtime.go
@@ -31,13 +31,11 @@ import (
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/codes"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/credentials/insecure"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/status"
-	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
 	"k8s.io/component-base/logs/logreduction"
 	tracing "k8s.io/component-base/tracing"
 	internalapi "k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis"
 	runtimeapi "k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/runtime/v1"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
-	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/features"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/util"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/probe/exec"
 
@@ -89,7 +87,7 @@ func NewRemoteRuntimeService(endpoint string, connectionTimeout time.Duration, t
 		grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()),
 		grpc.WithContextDialer(dialer),
 		grpc.WithDefaultCallOptions(grpc.MaxCallRecvMsgSize(maxMsgSize)))
-	if utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.KubeletTracing) {
+	if tp != nil {
 		tracingOpts := []otelgrpc.Option{
 			otelgrpc.WithMessageEvents(otelgrpc.ReceivedEvents, otelgrpc.SentEvents),
 			otelgrpc.WithPropagators(tracing.Propagators()),
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_runtime_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_runtime_test.go
index e35ce2acefb..059c5fa5b6d 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_runtime_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/remote_runtime_test.go
@@ -28,11 +28,8 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
-	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
-	featuregatetesting "k8s.io/component-base/featuregate/testing"
 	internalapi "k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis"
 	apitest "k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/testing"
-	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/features"
 	fakeremote "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/cri/remote/fake"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/util"
 )
@@ -70,7 +67,6 @@ func createRemoteRuntimeServiceWithTracerProvider(endpoint string, tp oteltrace.
 }
 
 func TestGetSpans(t *testing.T) {
-	featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.KubeletTracing, true)
 	fakeRuntime, endpoint := createAndStartFakeRemoteRuntime(t)
 	defer func() {
 		fakeRuntime.Stop()
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
index af74a095628..aaf8a763dee 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
@@ -322,10 +322,16 @@ func PreInitRuntimeService(kubeCfg *kubeletconfiginternal.KubeletConfiguration,
 		remoteImageEndpoint = kubeCfg.ContainerRuntimeEndpoint
 	}
 	var err error
-	if kubeDeps.RemoteRuntimeService, err = remote.NewRemoteRuntimeService(kubeCfg.ContainerRuntimeEndpoint, kubeCfg.RuntimeRequestTimeout.Duration, kubeDeps.TracerProvider); err != nil {
+
+	var tp trace.TracerProvider
+	if utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.KubeletTracing) {
+		tp = kubeDeps.TracerProvider
+	}
+
+	if kubeDeps.RemoteRuntimeService, err = remote.NewRemoteRuntimeService(kubeCfg.ContainerRuntimeEndpoint, kubeCfg.RuntimeRequestTimeout.Duration, tp); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if kubeDeps.RemoteImageService, err = remote.NewRemoteImageService(remoteImageEndpoint, kubeCfg.RuntimeRequestTimeout.Duration, kubeDeps.TracerProvider); err != nil {
+	if kubeDeps.RemoteImageService, err = remote.NewRemoteImageService(remoteImageEndpoint, kubeCfg.RuntimeRequestTimeout.Duration, tp); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}