diff --git a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go
index ce7008bdbc8..fe641a511e5 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation_test.go
@@ -1192,6 +1192,17 @@ func testVolumeClaimStorageClassInSpec(name, namespace, scName string, spec core
 	}
 }
 
+func testVolumeClaimStorageClassNilInSpec(name, namespace string, spec core.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec) *core.PersistentVolumeClaim {
+	spec.StorageClassName = nil
+	return &core.PersistentVolumeClaim{
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+			Name:      name,
+			Namespace: namespace,
+		},
+		Spec: spec,
+	}
+}
+
 func testVolumeSnapshotDataSourceInSpec(name string, kind string, apiGroup string) *core.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec {
 	scName := "csi-plugin"
 	dataSourceInSpec := core.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec{
@@ -1249,6 +1260,18 @@ func testVolumeClaimStorageClassInAnnotationAndSpec(name, namespace, scNameInAnn
 	}
 }
 
+func testVolumeClaimStorageClassInAnnotationAndNilInSpec(name, namespace, scNameInAnn string, spec core.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec) *core.PersistentVolumeClaim {
+	spec.StorageClassName = nil
+	return &core.PersistentVolumeClaim{
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+			Name:        name,
+			Namespace:   namespace,
+			Annotations: map[string]string{v1.BetaStorageClassAnnotation: scNameInAnn},
+		},
+		Spec: spec,
+	}
+}
+
 func testValidatePVC(t *testing.T, ephemeral bool) {
 	invalidClassName := "-invalid-"
 	validClassName := "valid"
@@ -1972,6 +1995,28 @@ func TestValidatePersistentVolumeClaimUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	})
 
+	validClaimStorageClassInSpecChanged := testVolumeClaimStorageClassInSpec("foo", "ns", "fast2", core.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec{
+		AccessModes: []core.PersistentVolumeAccessMode{
+			core.ReadOnlyMany,
+		},
+		Resources: core.ResourceRequirements{
+			Requests: core.ResourceList{
+				core.ResourceName(core.ResourceStorage): resource.MustParse("10G"),
+			},
+		},
+	})
+
+	validClaimStorageClassNil := testVolumeClaimStorageClassNilInSpec("foo", "ns", core.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec{
+		AccessModes: []core.PersistentVolumeAccessMode{
+			core.ReadOnlyMany,
+		},
+		Resources: core.ResourceRequirements{
+			Requests: core.ResourceList{
+				core.ResourceName(core.ResourceStorage): resource.MustParse("10G"),
+			},
+		},
+	})
+
 	invalidClaimStorageClassInSpec := testVolumeClaimStorageClassInSpec("foo", "ns", "fast2", core.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec{
 		AccessModes: []core.PersistentVolumeAccessMode{
 			core.ReadOnlyMany,
@@ -1995,6 +2040,18 @@ func TestValidatePersistentVolumeClaimUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		})
 
+	validClaimStorageClassInAnnotationAndNilInSpec := testVolumeClaimStorageClassInAnnotationAndNilInSpec(
+		"foo", "ns", "fast", core.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec{
+			AccessModes: []core.PersistentVolumeAccessMode{
+				core.ReadOnlyMany,
+			},
+			Resources: core.ResourceRequirements{
+				Requests: core.ResourceList{
+					core.ResourceName(core.ResourceStorage): resource.MustParse("10G"),
+				},
+			},
+		})
+
 	invalidClaimStorageClassInAnnotationAndSpec := testVolumeClaimStorageClassInAnnotationAndSpec(
 		"foo", "ns", "fast2", "fast", core.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec{
 			AccessModes: []core.PersistentVolumeAccessMode{
@@ -2116,10 +2173,11 @@ func TestValidatePersistentVolumeClaimUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 	scenarios := map[string]struct {
-		isExpectedFailure          bool
-		oldClaim                   *core.PersistentVolumeClaim
-		newClaim                   *core.PersistentVolumeClaim
-		enableRecoverFromExpansion bool
+		isExpectedFailure                    bool
+		oldClaim                             *core.PersistentVolumeClaim
+		newClaim                             *core.PersistentVolumeClaim
+		enableRecoverFromExpansion           bool
+		enableRetroactiveDefaultStorageClass bool
 	}{
 		"valid-update-volumeName-only": {
 			isExpectedFailure: false,
@@ -2230,6 +2288,69 @@ func TestValidatePersistentVolumeClaimUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 			oldClaim:          validClaimStorageClass,
 			newClaim:          validClaimStorageClassInSpec,
 		},
+		"valid-upgrade-nil-storage-class-spec-to-spec": {
+			isExpectedFailure:                    false,
+			oldClaim:                             validClaimStorageClassNil,
+			newClaim:                             validClaimStorageClassInSpec,
+			enableRetroactiveDefaultStorageClass: true,
+			// Feature enabled - change from nil sc name is valid if there is no beta annotation.
+		},
+		"invalid-upgrade-nil-storage-class-spec-to-spec": {
+			isExpectedFailure:                    true,
+			oldClaim:                             validClaimStorageClassNil,
+			newClaim:                             validClaimStorageClassInSpec,
+			enableRetroactiveDefaultStorageClass: false,
+			// Feature disabled - change from nil sc name is invalid if there is no beta annotation.
+		},
+		"invalid-upgrade-not-nil-storage-class-spec-to-spec": {
+			isExpectedFailure:                    true,
+			oldClaim:                             validClaimStorageClassInSpec,
+			newClaim:                             validClaimStorageClassInSpecChanged,
+			enableRetroactiveDefaultStorageClass: true,
+			// Feature enablement must not allow non nil value change.
+		},
+		"invalid-upgrade-to-nil-storage-class-spec-to-spec": {
+			isExpectedFailure:                    true,
+			oldClaim:                             validClaimStorageClassInSpec,
+			newClaim:                             validClaimStorageClassNil,
+			enableRetroactiveDefaultStorageClass: true,
+			// Feature enablement must not allow change to nil value change.
+		},
+		"valid-upgrade-storage-class-annotation-and-nil-spec-to-spec": {
+			isExpectedFailure:                    false,
+			oldClaim:                             validClaimStorageClassInAnnotationAndNilInSpec,
+			newClaim:                             validClaimStorageClassInAnnotationAndSpec,
+			enableRetroactiveDefaultStorageClass: false,
+			// Change from nil sc name is valid if annotations match.
+		},
+		"valid-upgrade-storage-class-annotation-and-nil-spec-to-spec-retro": {
+			isExpectedFailure:                    false,
+			oldClaim:                             validClaimStorageClassInAnnotationAndNilInSpec,
+			newClaim:                             validClaimStorageClassInAnnotationAndSpec,
+			enableRetroactiveDefaultStorageClass: true,
+			// Change from nil sc name is valid if annotations match, feature enablement must not break this old behavior.
+		},
+		"invalid-upgrade-storage-class-annotation-and-spec-to-spec": {
+			isExpectedFailure:                    true,
+			oldClaim:                             validClaimStorageClassInAnnotationAndSpec,
+			newClaim:                             validClaimStorageClassInSpecChanged,
+			enableRetroactiveDefaultStorageClass: false,
+			// Change from non nil sc name is invalid if annotations don't match.
+		},
+		"invalid-upgrade-storage-class-annotation-and-spec-to-spec-retro": {
+			isExpectedFailure:                    true,
+			oldClaim:                             validClaimStorageClassInAnnotationAndSpec,
+			newClaim:                             validClaimStorageClassInSpecChanged,
+			enableRetroactiveDefaultStorageClass: true,
+			// Change from non nil sc name is invalid if annotations don't match, feature enablement must not break this old behavior.
+		},
+		"invalid-upgrade-storage-class-annotation-and-no-spec": {
+			isExpectedFailure:                    true,
+			oldClaim:                             validClaimStorageClassInAnnotationAndNilInSpec,
+			newClaim:                             validClaimStorageClassInSpecChanged,
+			enableRetroactiveDefaultStorageClass: true,
+			// Change from nil sc name is invalid if annotations don't match, feature enablement must not break this old behavior.
+		},
 		"invalid-upgrade-storage-class-annotation-to-spec": {
 			isExpectedFailure: true,
 			oldClaim:          validClaimStorageClass,
@@ -2294,6 +2415,7 @@ func TestValidatePersistentVolumeClaimUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	for name, scenario := range scenarios {
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			defer featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.RecoverVolumeExpansionFailure, scenario.enableRecoverFromExpansion)()
+			defer featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.RetroactiveDefaultStorageClass, scenario.enableRetroactiveDefaultStorageClass)()
 			scenario.oldClaim.ResourceVersion = "1"
 			scenario.newClaim.ResourceVersion = "1"
 			opts := ValidationOptionsForPersistentVolumeClaim(scenario.newClaim, scenario.oldClaim)