diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher.go
index ef32d2aa682..1f0058237dc 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher.go
@@ -586,6 +586,12 @@ func (c *Cacher) Watch(ctx context.Context, key string, opts storage.ListOptions
 	//   watchers on our watcher having a processing hiccup
 	chanSize := c.watchCache.suggestedWatchChannelSize(c.indexedTrigger != nil, triggerSupported)
 
+	// client-go is going to fall back to a standard LIST on any error
+	// returned for watch-list requests
+	if isListWatchRequest(opts) && !etcdfeature.DefaultFeatureSupportChecker.Supports(storage.RequestWatchProgress) {
+		return newErrWatcher(fmt.Errorf("a watch stream was requested by the client but the required storage feature %s is disabled", storage.RequestWatchProgress)), nil
+	}
+
 	// Determine the ResourceVersion to which the watch cache must be synchronized
 	requiredResourceVersion, err := c.getWatchCacheResourceVersion(ctx, requestedWatchRV, opts)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -1339,7 +1345,7 @@ func (c *Cacher) LastSyncResourceVersion() (uint64, error) {
 //
 // The returned function must be called under the watchCache lock.
 func (c *Cacher) getBookmarkAfterResourceVersionLockedFunc(parsedResourceVersion, requiredResourceVersion uint64, opts storage.ListOptions) (func() uint64, error) {
-	if opts.SendInitialEvents == nil || !*opts.SendInitialEvents || !opts.Predicate.AllowWatchBookmarks {
+	if !isListWatchRequest(opts) {
 		return func() uint64 { return 0 }, nil
 	}
 
@@ -1354,6 +1360,10 @@ func (c *Cacher) getBookmarkAfterResourceVersionLockedFunc(parsedResourceVersion
 	}
 }
 
+func isListWatchRequest(opts storage.ListOptions) bool {
+	return opts.SendInitialEvents != nil && *opts.SendInitialEvents && opts.Predicate.AllowWatchBookmarks
+}
+
 // getWatchCacheResourceVersion returns a ResourceVersion to which the watch cache must be synchronized to
 //
 // Depending on the input parameters, the semantics of the returned ResourceVersion are: