diff --git a/pkg/registry/core/service/BUILD b/pkg/registry/core/service/BUILD
index b4cab5ac82b..92d6c0555ed 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/core/service/BUILD
+++ b/pkg/registry/core/service/BUILD
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ go_test(
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/registry/rest:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/component-base/featuregate/testing:go_default_library",
+        "//vendor/k8s.io/utils/pointer:go_default_library",
     ],
 )
 
diff --git a/pkg/registry/core/service/strategy.go b/pkg/registry/core/service/strategy.go
index ed97a3045e7..79c8b7c7d8b 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/core/service/strategy.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/core/service/strategy.go
@@ -184,7 +184,9 @@ func dropServiceDisabledFields(newSvc *api.Service, oldSvc *api.Service) {
 
 	// Clear AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts if ServiceLBNodePortControl if not enabled
 	if !utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.ServiceLBNodePortControl) {
-		newSvc.Spec.AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts = nil
+		if !allocateLoadBalancerNodePortsInUse(oldSvc) {
+			newSvc.Spec.AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts = nil
+		}
 	}
 
 	if !utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.MixedProtocolLBService) {
@@ -199,6 +201,14 @@ func dropServiceDisabledFields(newSvc *api.Service, oldSvc *api.Service) {
 	}
 }
 
+// returns true if svc.Spec.AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts field is in use
+func allocateLoadBalancerNodePortsInUse(svc *api.Service) bool {
+	if svc == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	return svc.Spec.AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts != nil
+}
+
 // returns true if svc.Spec.ServiceIPFamily field is in use
 func serviceDualStackFieldsInUse(svc *api.Service) bool {
 	if svc == nil {
@@ -396,9 +406,14 @@ func dropTypeDependentFields(newSvc *api.Service, oldSvc *api.Service) {
 		newSvc.Spec.HealthCheckNodePort = 0
 	}
 
-	// AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts may only be set for type LoadBalancer
-	if newSvc.Spec.Type != api.ServiceTypeLoadBalancer {
-		newSvc.Spec.AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts = nil
+	// If a user is switching to a type that doesn't need allocatedLoadBalancerNodePorts AND they did not change
+	// this field, it is safe to drop it.
+	if oldSvc.Spec.Type == api.ServiceTypeLoadBalancer && newSvc.Spec.Type != api.ServiceTypeLoadBalancer {
+		if newSvc.Spec.AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts != nil && oldSvc.Spec.AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts != nil {
+			if *oldSvc.Spec.AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts == *newSvc.Spec.AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts {
+				newSvc.Spec.AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts = nil
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	// NOTE: there are other fields like `selector` which we could wipe.
diff --git a/pkg/registry/core/service/strategy_test.go b/pkg/registry/core/service/strategy_test.go
index ce097dbf05c..5f130afdd82 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/core/service/strategy_test.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/core/service/strategy_test.go
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import (
 	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
 	featuregatetesting "k8s.io/component-base/featuregate/testing"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/features"
+	utilpointer "k8s.io/utils/pointer"
 )
 
 func newStrategy(cidr string, hasSecondary bool) (testStrategy Strategy, testStatusStrategy Strategy) {
@@ -935,6 +936,15 @@ func TestDropTypeDependentFields(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
+	setAllocateLoadBalancerNodePortsTrue := func(svc *api.Service) {
+		svc.Spec.AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts = utilpointer.BoolPtr(true)
+	}
+	setAllocateLoadBalancerNodePortsFalse := func(svc *api.Service) {
+		svc.Spec.AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts = utilpointer.BoolPtr(false)
+	}
+	clearAllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts := func(svc *api.Service) {
+		svc.Spec.AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts = nil
+	}
 
 	testCases := []struct {
 		name   string
@@ -1022,6 +1032,46 @@ func TestDropTypeDependentFields(t *testing.T) {
 			svc:    makeValidServiceCustom(setTypeLoadBalancer, setHCNodePort),
 			patch:  patches(setTypeClusterIP, changeHCNodePort),
 			expect: makeValidServiceCustom(setHCNodePort, changeHCNodePort),
+		}, { // allocatedLoadBalancerNodePorts cases
+			name:   "clear allocatedLoadBalancerNodePorts true -> true",
+			svc:    makeValidServiceCustom(setTypeLoadBalancer, setAllocateLoadBalancerNodePortsTrue),
+			patch:  setTypeNodePort,
+			expect: makeValidServiceCustom(setTypeNodePort),
+		}, {
+			name:   "clear allocatedLoadBalancerNodePorts false -> false",
+			svc:    makeValidServiceCustom(setTypeLoadBalancer, setAllocateLoadBalancerNodePortsFalse),
+			patch:  setTypeNodePort,
+			expect: makeValidServiceCustom(setTypeNodePort),
+		}, {
+			name:   "set allocatedLoadBalancerNodePorts nil -> true",
+			svc:    makeValidServiceCustom(setTypeLoadBalancer),
+			patch:  patches(setTypeNodePort, setAllocateLoadBalancerNodePortsTrue),
+			expect: makeValidServiceCustom(setTypeNodePort, setAllocateLoadBalancerNodePortsTrue),
+		}, {
+			name:   "set allocatedLoadBalancerNodePorts nil -> false",
+			svc:    makeValidServiceCustom(setTypeLoadBalancer),
+			patch:  patches(setTypeNodePort, setAllocateLoadBalancerNodePortsFalse),
+			expect: makeValidServiceCustom(setTypeNodePort, setAllocateLoadBalancerNodePortsFalse),
+		}, {
+			name:   "set allocatedLoadBalancerNodePorts true -> nil",
+			svc:    makeValidServiceCustom(setTypeLoadBalancer, setAllocateLoadBalancerNodePortsTrue),
+			patch:  patches(setTypeNodePort, clearAllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts),
+			expect: makeValidServiceCustom(setTypeNodePort),
+		}, {
+			name:   "set allocatedLoadBalancerNodePorts false -> nil",
+			svc:    makeValidServiceCustom(setTypeLoadBalancer, setAllocateLoadBalancerNodePortsFalse),
+			patch:  patches(setTypeNodePort, clearAllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts),
+			expect: makeValidServiceCustom(setTypeNodePort),
+		}, {
+			name:   "set allocatedLoadBalancerNodePorts true -> false",
+			svc:    makeValidServiceCustom(setTypeLoadBalancer, setAllocateLoadBalancerNodePortsTrue),
+			patch:  patches(setTypeNodePort, setAllocateLoadBalancerNodePortsFalse),
+			expect: makeValidServiceCustom(setTypeNodePort, setAllocateLoadBalancerNodePortsFalse),
+		}, {
+			name:   "set allocatedLoadBalancerNodePorts false -> true",
+			svc:    makeValidServiceCustom(setTypeLoadBalancer, setAllocateLoadBalancerNodePortsFalse),
+			patch:  patches(setTypeNodePort, setAllocateLoadBalancerNodePortsTrue),
+			expect: makeValidServiceCustom(setTypeNodePort, setAllocateLoadBalancerNodePortsTrue),
 		}}
 
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
@@ -1053,6 +1103,9 @@ func TestDropTypeDependentFields(t *testing.T) {
 			if result.Spec.HealthCheckNodePort != tc.expect.Spec.HealthCheckNodePort {
 				t.Errorf("failed %q: expected healthCheckNodePort %d, got %d", tc.name, tc.expect.Spec.HealthCheckNodePort, result.Spec.HealthCheckNodePort)
 			}
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(result.Spec.AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts, tc.expect.Spec.AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts) {
+				t.Errorf("failed %q: expected AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts %v, got %v", tc.name, tc.expect.Spec.AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts, result.Spec.AllocateLoadBalancerNodePorts)
+			}
 		})
 	}
 }