diff --git a/hack/update-openapi-spec.sh b/hack/update-openapi-spec.sh
index 46570855c6f..0b830b9c81a 100755
--- a/hack/update-openapi-spec.sh
+++ b/hack/update-openapi-spec.sh
@@ -72,7 +72,11 @@ fi
 # Start kube-apiserver
 # omit enums from static openapi snapshots used to generate clients until #109177 is resolved
 kube::log::status "Starting kube-apiserver"
-kube-apiserver \
+# KUBE_APISERVER_STRICT_REMOVED_API_HANDLING_IN_ALPHA ensures that the OpenAPI is updated with all APIs
+# that are intended to be removed at a particular release during alpha. 
+# If a new version tag was just created and you are seeing an unrelated diff when adding
+# a new API, run `KUBE_APISERVER_STRICT_REMOVED_API_HANDLING_IN_ALPHA=false ./hack/update-openapi-spec.sh`.
+KUBE_APISERVER_STRICT_REMOVED_API_HANDLING_IN_ALPHA=${KUBE_APISERVER_STRICT_REMOVED_API_HANDLING_IN_ALPHA:-true} kube-apiserver \
   --bind-address="${API_HOST}" \
   --secure-port="${API_PORT}" \
   --etcd-servers="http://${ETCD_HOST}:${ETCD_PORT}" \
diff --git a/hack/verify-openapi-spec.sh b/hack/verify-openapi-spec.sh
index a8eaf4ef3f2..707b94e1a02 100755
--- a/hack/verify-openapi-spec.sh
+++ b/hack/verify-openapi-spec.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 # This script checks whether updating of OpenAPI specification is needed or not.
+# It verifies that the OpenAPI specification is up to date in strict mode, and
+# will fallback to check in non-strict mode if that fails. Strict mode removes
+# all APIs marked # as removed in a particular version, while non-strict mode
+# allows them to persist until the release cutoff. We allow non-strict to
+# prevent CI failures when we bump the version number in the git tag.
 # We should run `hack/update-openapi-spec.sh` if OpenAPI specification is out of
 # date.
 # Usage: `hack/verify-openapi-spec.sh`.
@@ -26,5 +31,7 @@ set -o pipefail
 KUBE_ROOT=$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/..
 
 source "${KUBE_ROOT}/hack/lib/verify-generated.sh"
-
-kube::verify::generated "Generated files need to be updated" "Please run 'hack/update-openapi-spec.sh'" hack/update-openapi-spec.sh "$@"
+(
+  kube::verify::generated "Generated files failed strict alpha check and MAY need be updated" "Running verification again without strict alpha check" hack/update-openapi-spec.sh "$@"
+) || \
+KUBE_APISERVER_STRICT_REMOVED_API_HANDLING_IN_ALPHA=false kube::verify::generated "Generated files need to be updated" "Please run 'hack/update-openapi-spec.sh'" hack/update-openapi-spec.sh "$@"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/deleted_kinds.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/deleted_kinds.go
index 28cc0bf05d3..026d3e87782 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/deleted_kinds.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/deleted_kinds.go
@@ -35,8 +35,12 @@ import (
 type resourceExpirationEvaluator struct {
 	currentVersion *apimachineryversion.Version
 	isAlpha        bool
+	// Special flag checking for the existence of alpha.0
+	// alpha.0 is a special case where everything merged to master is auto propagated to the release-1.n branch
+	isAlphaZero bool
 	// This is usually set for testing for which tests need to be removed.  This prevent insta-failing CI.
 	// Set KUBE_APISERVER_STRICT_REMOVED_API_HANDLING_IN_ALPHA to see what will be removed when we tag beta
+	// This flag only takes effect during alpha but not alphaZero.
 	strictRemovedHandlingInAlpha bool
 	// This is usually set by a cluster-admin looking for a short-term escape hatch after something bad happened.
 	// This should be made a flag before merge
@@ -64,6 +68,7 @@ func NewResourceExpirationEvaluator(currentVersion *apimachineryversion.Version)
 	// Only keeps the major and minor versions from input version.
 	ret.currentVersion = apimachineryversion.MajorMinor(currentVersion.Major(), currentVersion.Minor())
 	ret.isAlpha = strings.Contains(currentVersion.PreRelease(), "alpha")
+	ret.isAlphaZero = strings.Contains(currentVersion.PreRelease(), "alpha.0")
 
 	if envString, ok := os.LookupEnv("KUBE_APISERVER_STRICT_REMOVED_API_HANDLING_IN_ALPHA"); !ok {
 		// do nothing
@@ -127,7 +132,7 @@ func (e *resourceExpirationEvaluator) ShouldServeForVersion(majorRemoved, minorR
 	// at this point major and minor are equal, so this API should be removed when the current release GAs.
 	// If this is an alpha tag, don't remove by default, but allow the option.
 	// If the cluster-admin has requested serving one more release, allow it.
-	if e.isAlpha && e.strictRemovedHandlingInAlpha { // don't serve in alpha if we want strict handling
+	if e.isAlpha && !e.isAlphaZero && e.strictRemovedHandlingInAlpha { // don't serve in alpha.1+ if we want strict handling
 		return false
 	}
 	if e.isAlpha { // alphas are allowed to continue serving expired betas while we clean up the test
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/deleted_kinds_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/deleted_kinds_test.go
index 84403fd1587..56eb5cb4350 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/deleted_kinds_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/deleted_kinds_test.go
@@ -42,10 +42,16 @@ func Test_newResourceExpirationEvaluator(t *testing.T) {
 			expected:       resourceExpirationEvaluator{currentVersion: apimachineryversion.MajorMinor(1, 20)},
 		},
 		{
-			name:           "alpha",
+			name:           "alpha .0",
 			currentVersion: "v1.20.0-alpha.0.62+a5d22854a2ac21",
-			expected:       resourceExpirationEvaluator{currentVersion: apimachineryversion.MajorMinor(1, 20), isAlpha: true},
+			expected:       resourceExpirationEvaluator{currentVersion: apimachineryversion.MajorMinor(1, 20), isAlpha: true, isAlphaZero: true},
 		},
+		{
+			name:           "alpha not .0",
+			currentVersion: "v1.20.0-alpha.1.62+a5d22854a2ac21",
+			expected:       resourceExpirationEvaluator{currentVersion: apimachineryversion.MajorMinor(1, 20), isAlpha: true, isAlphaZero: false},
+		},
+
 		{
 			name:           "maintenance",
 			currentVersion: "v1.20.1",
@@ -196,6 +202,17 @@ func Test_resourceExpirationEvaluator_shouldServe(t *testing.T) {
 			restStorage: storageRemovedIn(1, 20),
 			expected:    false,
 		},
+		{
+			name: "removed-in-curr-but-alpha-but-strict-and-alpha-zero",
+			resourceExpirationEvaluator: resourceExpirationEvaluator{
+				currentVersion:               apimachineryversion.MajorMinor(1, 20),
+				isAlpha:                      true,
+				isAlphaZero:                  true,
+				strictRemovedHandlingInAlpha: true,
+			},
+			restStorage: storageRemovedIn(1, 20),
+			expected:    true,
+		},
 		{
 			name: "removed-in-prev-deferral-does-not-help",
 			resourceExpirationEvaluator: resourceExpirationEvaluator{