diff --git a/cluster/addons/calico-policy-controller/calico-etcd-statefulset.yaml b/cluster/addons/calico-policy-controller/calico-etcd-statefulset.yaml
index e7981f442fc..77fd12e522e 100644
--- a/cluster/addons/calico-policy-controller/calico-etcd-statefulset.yaml
+++ b/cluster/addons/calico-policy-controller/calico-etcd-statefulset.yaml
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@ spec:
   replicas: 1
   template:
     metadata:
-      annotations:
-        pod.alpha.kubernetes.io/initialized: "true"
       labels:
         kubernetes.io/cluster-service: "true"
         k8s-app: calico-etcd
diff --git a/examples/cockroachdb/cockroachdb-statefulset.yaml b/examples/cockroachdb/cockroachdb-statefulset.yaml
index 143172494b8..3f2e5f8050b 100644
--- a/examples/cockroachdb/cockroachdb-statefulset.yaml
+++ b/examples/cockroachdb/cockroachdb-statefulset.yaml
@@ -66,7 +66,6 @@ spec:
       labels:
         app: cockroachdb
       annotations:
-        pod.alpha.kubernetes.io/initialized: "true"
         # Init containers are run only once in the lifetime of a pod, before
         # it's started up for the first time. It has to exit successfully
         # before the pod's main containers are allowed to start.
diff --git a/examples/storage/cassandra/README.md b/examples/storage/cassandra/README.md
index c7ec320ce4d..06cdb500e04 100644
--- a/examples/storage/cassandra/README.md
+++ b/examples/storage/cassandra/README.md
@@ -188,8 +188,6 @@ spec:
   replicas: 3
   template:
     metadata:
-      annotations:
-        pod.alpha.kubernetes.io/initialized: "true"
       labels:
         app: cassandra
     spec:
diff --git a/examples/storage/cassandra/cassandra-statefulset.yaml b/examples/storage/cassandra/cassandra-statefulset.yaml
index 302a3b9a953..d6f3b1ce5c6 100644
--- a/examples/storage/cassandra/cassandra-statefulset.yaml
+++ b/examples/storage/cassandra/cassandra-statefulset.yaml
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ spec:
   replicas: 3
   template:
     metadata:
-      annotations:
-        pod.alpha.kubernetes.io/initialized: "true"
       labels:
         app: cassandra
     spec:
diff --git a/hack/testdata/nginx-statefulset.yaml b/hack/testdata/nginx-statefulset.yaml
index b28782a3e42..299e407dfa3 100644
--- a/hack/testdata/nginx-statefulset.yaml
+++ b/hack/testdata/nginx-statefulset.yaml
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ spec:
     metadata:
       labels:
         app: nginx-statefulset
-      annotations:
-        pod.alpha.kubernetes.io/initialized: "true"
     spec:
       terminationGracePeriodSeconds: 0
       containers:
diff --git a/test/e2e/testing-manifests/petset/cockroachdb/petset.yaml b/test/e2e/testing-manifests/petset/cockroachdb/petset.yaml
index 88aeda1f133..053e41a00d6 100644
--- a/test/e2e/testing-manifests/petset/cockroachdb/petset.yaml
+++ b/test/e2e/testing-manifests/petset/cockroachdb/petset.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ spec:
       labels:
         app: cockroachdb
       annotations:
-        pod.alpha.kubernetes.io/initialized: "true"
         # Init containers are run only once in the lifetime of a pod, before
         # it's started up for the first time. It has to exit successfully
         # before the pod's main containers are allowed to start.
diff --git a/test/e2e/testing-manifests/petset/mysql-galera/petset.yaml b/test/e2e/testing-manifests/petset/mysql-galera/petset.yaml
index c499837889d..f80d1c82bd9 100644
--- a/test/e2e/testing-manifests/petset/mysql-galera/petset.yaml
+++ b/test/e2e/testing-manifests/petset/mysql-galera/petset.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ spec:
       labels:
         app: mysql
       annotations:
-        pod.alpha.kubernetes.io/initialized: "true"
         pod.alpha.kubernetes.io/init-containers: '[
             {
                 "name": "install",
diff --git a/test/e2e/testing-manifests/petset/redis/petset.yaml b/test/e2e/testing-manifests/petset/redis/petset.yaml
index 73a4f925022..ff770733df9 100644
--- a/test/e2e/testing-manifests/petset/redis/petset.yaml
+++ b/test/e2e/testing-manifests/petset/redis/petset.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ spec:
       labels:
         app: redis
       annotations:
-        pod.alpha.kubernetes.io/initialized: "true"
         pod.alpha.kubernetes.io/init-containers: '[
             {
                 "name": "install",
diff --git a/test/e2e/testing-manifests/petset/zookeeper/petset.yaml b/test/e2e/testing-manifests/petset/zookeeper/petset.yaml
index aefd42e9d88..3f454ebd9f9 100644
--- a/test/e2e/testing-manifests/petset/zookeeper/petset.yaml
+++ b/test/e2e/testing-manifests/petset/zookeeper/petset.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ spec:
       labels:
         app: zk
       annotations:
-        pod.alpha.kubernetes.io/initialized: "true"
         pod.alpha.kubernetes.io/init-containers: '[
             {
                 "name": "install",