diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apiserver/customresource_handler.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apiserver/customresource_handler.go
index 48045897d2b..d3eddb8c6f1 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apiserver/customresource_handler.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apiserver/customresource_handler.go
@@ -1321,7 +1321,7 @@ func buildOpenAPIModelsForApply(staticOpenAPISpec *goopenapispec.Swagger, crd *a
 	specs := []*goopenapispec.Swagger{}
 	for _, v := range crd.Spec.Versions {
 		// Defaults are not pruned here, but before being served.
-		s, err := builder.BuildSwagger(crd, v.Name, builder.Options{V2: false, StripDefaults: false, StripValueValidation: true, StripNullable: true, AllowNonStructural: true})
+		s, err := builder.BuildSwagger(crd, v.Name, builder.Options{V2: false, StripValueValidation: true, StripNullable: true, AllowNonStructural: true})
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apiserver/schema/skeleton.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apiserver/schema/skeleton.go
index 550347adec0..c7a9892e5f6 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apiserver/schema/skeleton.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apiserver/schema/skeleton.go
@@ -16,23 +16,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 package schema
 
-// StripDefaults returns a copy without defaults.
-func (s *Structural) StripDefaults() *Structural {
-	s = s.DeepCopy()
-	v := Visitor{
-		Structural: func(s *Structural) bool {
-			changed := false
-			if s.Default.Object != nil {
-				s.Default.Object = nil
-				changed = true
-			}
-			return changed
-		},
-	}
-	v.Visit(s)
-	return s
-}
-
 // StripValueValidations returns a copy without value validations.
 func (s *Structural) StripValueValidations() *Structural {
 	s = s.DeepCopy()
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/controller/openapi/builder/builder.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/controller/openapi/builder/builder.go
index d0a36f597e3..62b0949735e 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/controller/openapi/builder/builder.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/controller/openapi/builder/builder.go
@@ -74,9 +74,6 @@ type Options struct {
 	// Convert to OpenAPI v2.
 	V2 bool
 
-	// Strip defaults.
-	StripDefaults bool
-
 	// Strip value validation.
 	StripValueValidation bool
 
@@ -106,9 +103,6 @@ func BuildSwagger(crd *apiextensionsv1.CustomResourceDefinition, version string,
 				if opts.AllowNonStructural || len(structuralschema.ValidateStructural(nil, ss)) == 0 {
 					schema = ss
 
-					if opts.StripDefaults {
-						schema = schema.StripDefaults()
-					}
 					if opts.StripValueValidation {
 						schema = schema.StripValueValidations()
 					}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/controller/openapi/builder/builder_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/controller/openapi/builder/builder_test.go
index fac53c71b58..210c689ce1d 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/controller/openapi/builder/builder_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/controller/openapi/builder/builder_test.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func TestNewBuilder(t *testing.T) {
 		{"with extensions",
 			`
 {
-  "type":"object", 
+  "type":"object",
   "properties": {
     "int-or-string-1": {
       "x-kubernetes-int-or-string": true,
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ func TestNewBuilder(t *testing.T) {
 		{"with extensions as v3 schema",
 			`
 {
-  "type":"object", 
+  "type":"object",
   "properties": {
     "int-or-string-1": {
       "x-kubernetes-int-or-string": true,
@@ -500,7 +500,7 @@ func TestCRDRouteParameterBuilder(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		}
-		swagger, err := BuildSwagger(testNamespacedCRD, testCRDVersion, Options{V2: true, StripDefaults: true})
+		swagger, err := BuildSwagger(testNamespacedCRD, testCRDVersion, Options{V2: true})
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		require.Equal(t, len(testCase.paths), len(swagger.Paths.Paths), testCase.scope)
 		for path, expected := range testCase.paths {
@@ -580,63 +580,49 @@ func TestBuildSwagger(t *testing.T) {
 			"",
 			nil,
 			`{"type":"object","x-kubernetes-group-version-kind":[{"group":"bar.k8s.io","kind":"Foo","version":"v1"}]}`,
-			Options{V2: true, StripDefaults: true},
+			Options{V2: true},
 		},
 		{
 			"with properties",
 			`{"type":"object","properties":{"spec":{"type":"object"},"status":{"type":"object"}}}`,
 			nil,
 			`{"type":"object","properties":{"apiVersion":{"type":"string"},"kind":{"type":"string"},"metadata":{"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.apimachinery.pkg.apis.meta.v1.ObjectMeta"},"spec":{"type":"object"},"status":{"type":"object"}},"x-kubernetes-group-version-kind":[{"group":"bar.k8s.io","kind":"Foo","version":"v1"}]}`,
-			Options{V2: true, StripDefaults: true},
+			Options{V2: true},
 		},
 		{
 			"with invalid-typed properties",
 			`{"type":"object","properties":{"spec":{"type":"bug"},"status":{"type":"object"}}}`,
 			nil,
 			`{"type":"object","x-kubernetes-group-version-kind":[{"group":"bar.k8s.io","kind":"Foo","version":"v1"}]}`,
-			Options{V2: true, StripDefaults: true},
+			Options{V2: true},
 		},
 		{
 			"with non-structural schema",
 			`{"type":"object","properties":{"foo":{"type":"array"}}}`,
 			nil,
 			`{"type":"object","x-kubernetes-group-version-kind":[{"group":"bar.k8s.io","kind":"Foo","version":"v1"}]}`,
-			Options{V2: true, StripDefaults: true},
+			Options{V2: true},
 		},
 		{
 			"with spec.preseveUnknownFields=true",
 			`{"type":"object","properties":{"foo":{"type":"string"}}}`,
 			utilpointer.BoolPtr(true),
 			`{"type":"object","x-kubernetes-group-version-kind":[{"group":"bar.k8s.io","kind":"Foo","version":"v1"}]}`,
-			Options{V2: true, StripDefaults: true},
-		},
-		{
-			"with stripped defaults",
-			`{"type":"object","properties":{"foo":{"type":"string","default":"bar"}}}`,
-			nil,
-			`{"type":"object","properties":{"apiVersion":{"type":"string"},"kind":{"type":"string"},"metadata":{"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.apimachinery.pkg.apis.meta.v1.ObjectMeta"},"foo":{"type":"string"}},"x-kubernetes-group-version-kind":[{"group":"bar.k8s.io","kind":"Foo","version":"v1"}]}`,
-			Options{V2: true, StripDefaults: true},
-		},
-		{
-			"with stripped defaults",
-			`{"type":"object","properties":{"foo":{"type":"string","default":"bar"}}}`,
-			nil,
-			`{"type":"object","properties":{"apiVersion":{"type":"string"},"kind":{"type":"string"},"metadata":{"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.apimachinery.pkg.apis.meta.v1.ObjectMeta"},"foo":{"type":"string"}},"x-kubernetes-group-version-kind":[{"group":"bar.k8s.io","kind":"Foo","version":"v1"}]}`,
-			Options{V2: true, StripDefaults: true},
+			Options{V2: true},
 		},
 		{
 			"v2",
 			`{"type":"object","properties":{"foo":{"type":"string","oneOf":[{"pattern":"a"},{"pattern":"b"}]}}}`,
 			nil,
 			`{"type":"object","properties":{"apiVersion":{"type":"string"},"kind":{"type":"string"},"metadata":{"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.apimachinery.pkg.apis.meta.v1.ObjectMeta"},"foo":{"type":"string"}},"x-kubernetes-group-version-kind":[{"group":"bar.k8s.io","kind":"Foo","version":"v1"}]}`,
-			Options{V2: true, StripDefaults: true},
+			Options{V2: true},
 		},
 		{
 			"v3",
 			`{"type":"object","properties":{"foo":{"type":"string","oneOf":[{"pattern":"a"},{"pattern":"b"}]}}}`,
 			nil,
 			`{"type":"object","properties":{"apiVersion":{"type":"string"},"kind":{"type":"string"},"metadata":{"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.apimachinery.pkg.apis.meta.v1.ObjectMeta"},"foo":{"type":"string","oneOf":[{"pattern":"a"},{"pattern":"b"}]}},"x-kubernetes-group-version-kind":[{"group":"bar.k8s.io","kind":"Foo","version":"v1"}]}`,
-			Options{V2: false, StripDefaults: true},
+			Options{V2: false},
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/controller/openapi/controller.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/controller/openapi/controller.go
index 576a59c89bd..ed8cbbc85ce 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/controller/openapi/controller.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/controller/openapi/controller.go
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ func buildVersionSpecs(crd *apiextensionsv1.CustomResourceDefinition, oldSpecs m
 			continue
 		}
 		// Defaults are not pruned here, but before being served.
-		spec, err := builder.BuildSwagger(crd, v.Name, builder.Options{V2: true, StripDefaults: false})
+		spec, err := builder.BuildSwagger(crd, v.Name, builder.Options{V2: true})
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, false, err
 		}