diff --git a/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go b/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go
index 47be8fd5e62..2e6b24b17b0 100644
--- a/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go
@@ -1017,106 +1017,6 @@ func TestDropAppArmor(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestDropPodSysctls(t *testing.T) {
-	podWithSysctls := func() *api.Pod {
-		return &api.Pod{
-			Spec: api.PodSpec{
-				SecurityContext: &api.PodSecurityContext{
-					Sysctls: []api.Sysctl{{Name: "test", Value: "value"}},
-				},
-			},
-		}
-	}
-	podWithoutSysctls := func() *api.Pod {
-		return &api.Pod{
-			Spec: api.PodSpec{
-				SecurityContext: &api.PodSecurityContext{},
-			},
-		}
-	}
-	podWithoutSecurityContext := func() *api.Pod {
-		return &api.Pod{
-			Spec: api.PodSpec{},
-		}
-	}
-
-	podInfo := []struct {
-		description string
-		hasSysctls  bool
-		pod         func() *api.Pod
-	}{
-		{
-			description: "has Sysctls",
-			hasSysctls:  true,
-			pod:         podWithSysctls,
-		},
-		{
-			description: "does not have Sysctls",
-			hasSysctls:  false,
-			pod:         podWithoutSysctls,
-		},
-		{
-			description: "does not have SecurityContext",
-			hasSysctls:  false,
-			pod:         podWithoutSecurityContext,
-		},
-		{
-			description: "is nil",
-			hasSysctls:  false,
-			pod:         func() *api.Pod { return nil },
-		},
-	}
-
-	for _, enabled := range []bool{true, false} {
-		for _, oldPodInfo := range podInfo {
-			for _, newPodInfo := range podInfo {
-				oldPodHasSysctls, oldPod := oldPodInfo.hasSysctls, oldPodInfo.pod()
-				newPodHasSysctls, newPod := newPodInfo.hasSysctls, newPodInfo.pod()
-				if newPod == nil {
-					continue
-				}
-
-				t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("feature enabled=%v, old pod %v, new pod %v", enabled, oldPodInfo.description, newPodInfo.description), func(t *testing.T) {
-					defer featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.Sysctls, enabled)()
-
-					var oldPodSpec *api.PodSpec
-					if oldPod != nil {
-						oldPodSpec = &oldPod.Spec
-					}
-					dropDisabledFields(&newPod.Spec, nil, oldPodSpec, nil)
-
-					// old pod should never be changed
-					if !reflect.DeepEqual(oldPod, oldPodInfo.pod()) {
-						t.Errorf("old pod changed: %v", diff.ObjectReflectDiff(oldPod, oldPodInfo.pod()))
-					}
-
-					switch {
-					case enabled || oldPodHasSysctls:
-						// new pod should not be changed if the feature is enabled, or if the old pod had Sysctls set
-						if !reflect.DeepEqual(newPod, newPodInfo.pod()) {
-							t.Errorf("new pod changed: %v", diff.ObjectReflectDiff(newPod, newPodInfo.pod()))
-						}
-					case newPodHasSysctls:
-						// new pod should be changed
-						if reflect.DeepEqual(newPod, newPodInfo.pod()) {
-							t.Errorf("new pod was not changed")
-						}
-						// new pod should not have Sysctls
-						if !reflect.DeepEqual(newPod, podWithoutSysctls()) {
-							t.Errorf("new pod had Sysctls: %v", diff.ObjectReflectDiff(newPod, podWithoutSysctls()))
-						}
-					default:
-						// new pod should not need to be changed
-						if !reflect.DeepEqual(newPod, newPodInfo.pod()) {
-							t.Errorf("new pod changed: %v", diff.ObjectReflectDiff(newPod, newPodInfo.pod()))
-						}
-					}
-				})
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 func TestDropSubPathExpr(t *testing.T) {
 	podWithSubpaths := func() *api.Pod {
 		return &api.Pod{
diff --git a/pkg/api/podsecuritypolicy/util_test.go b/pkg/api/podsecuritypolicy/util_test.go
index e20ca3795a6..1535b04128c 100644
--- a/pkg/api/podsecuritypolicy/util_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/podsecuritypolicy/util_test.go
@@ -107,92 +107,3 @@ func TestDropAllowedProcMountTypes(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
-
-func TestDropSysctls(t *testing.T) {
-	scWithSysctls := func() *policy.PodSecurityPolicySpec {
-		return &policy.PodSecurityPolicySpec{
-			AllowedUnsafeSysctls: []string{"foo/*"},
-			ForbiddenSysctls:     []string{"bar.*"},
-		}
-	}
-	scWithOneSysctls := func() *policy.PodSecurityPolicySpec {
-		return &policy.PodSecurityPolicySpec{
-			AllowedUnsafeSysctls: []string{"foo/*"},
-		}
-	}
-	scWithoutSysctls := func() *policy.PodSecurityPolicySpec {
-		return &policy.PodSecurityPolicySpec{}
-	}
-
-	scInfo := []struct {
-		description string
-		hasSysctls  bool
-		sc          func() *policy.PodSecurityPolicySpec
-	}{
-		{
-			description: "has Sysctls",
-			hasSysctls:  true,
-			sc:          scWithSysctls,
-		},
-		{
-			description: "has one Sysctl",
-			hasSysctls:  true,
-			sc:          scWithOneSysctls,
-		},
-		{
-			description: "does not have Sysctls",
-			hasSysctls:  false,
-			sc:          scWithoutSysctls,
-		},
-		{
-			description: "is nil",
-			hasSysctls:  false,
-			sc:          func() *policy.PodSecurityPolicySpec { return nil },
-		},
-	}
-
-	for _, enabled := range []bool{true, false} {
-		for _, oldPSPSpecInfo := range scInfo {
-			for _, newPSPSpecInfo := range scInfo {
-				oldPSPSpecHasSysctls, oldPSPSpec := oldPSPSpecInfo.hasSysctls, oldPSPSpecInfo.sc()
-				newPSPSpecHasSysctls, newPSPSpec := newPSPSpecInfo.hasSysctls, newPSPSpecInfo.sc()
-				if newPSPSpec == nil {
-					continue
-				}
-
-				t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("feature enabled=%v, old PodSecurityPolicySpec %v, new PodSecurityPolicySpec %v", enabled, oldPSPSpecInfo.description, newPSPSpecInfo.description), func(t *testing.T) {
-					defer featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.Sysctls, enabled)()
-
-					DropDisabledFields(newPSPSpec, oldPSPSpec)
-
-					// old PodSecurityPolicySpec should never be changed
-					if !reflect.DeepEqual(oldPSPSpec, oldPSPSpecInfo.sc()) {
-						t.Errorf("old PodSecurityPolicySpec changed: %v", diff.ObjectReflectDiff(oldPSPSpec, oldPSPSpecInfo.sc()))
-					}
-
-					switch {
-					case enabled || oldPSPSpecHasSysctls:
-						// new PodSecurityPolicySpec should not be changed if the feature is enabled, or if the old PodSecurityPolicySpec had Sysctls
-						if !reflect.DeepEqual(newPSPSpec, newPSPSpecInfo.sc()) {
-							t.Errorf("new PodSecurityPolicySpec changed: %v", diff.ObjectReflectDiff(newPSPSpec, newPSPSpecInfo.sc()))
-						}
-					case newPSPSpecHasSysctls:
-						// new PodSecurityPolicySpec should be changed
-						if reflect.DeepEqual(newPSPSpec, newPSPSpecInfo.sc()) {
-							t.Errorf("new PodSecurityPolicySpec was not changed")
-						}
-						// new PodSecurityPolicySpec should not have Sysctls
-						if !reflect.DeepEqual(newPSPSpec, scWithoutSysctls()) {
-							t.Errorf("new PodSecurityPolicySpec had Sysctls: %v", diff.ObjectReflectDiff(newPSPSpec, scWithoutSysctls()))
-						}
-					default:
-						// new PodSecurityPolicySpec should not need to be changed
-						if !reflect.DeepEqual(newPSPSpec, newPSPSpecInfo.sc()) {
-							t.Errorf("new PodSecurityPolicySpec changed: %v", diff.ObjectReflectDiff(newPSPSpec, newPSPSpecInfo.sc()))
-						}
-					}
-				})
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
diff --git a/pkg/features/kube_features.go b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
index 4f2ce5417e2..42d8752b02f 100644
--- a/pkg/features/kube_features.go
+++ b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
@@ -130,7 +130,9 @@ const (
 	MemoryManager featuregate.Feature = "MemoryManager"
 
 	// owner: @sjenning
+	// alpha: v1.4
 	// beta: v1.11
+	// ga: v1.21
 	//
 	// Enable pods to set sysctls on a pod
 	Sysctls featuregate.Feature = "Sysctls"
@@ -676,7 +678,7 @@ var defaultKubernetesFeatureGates = map[featuregate.Feature]featuregate.FeatureS
 	DevicePlugins:                                  {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},
 	RotateKubeletServerCertificate:                 {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},
 	LocalStorageCapacityIsolation:                  {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},
-	Sysctls:                                        {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},
+	Sysctls:                                        {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.GA, LockToDefault: true}, // remove in 1.23
 	EphemeralContainers:                            {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
 	QOSReserved:                                    {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
 	ExpandPersistentVolumes:                        {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},