diff --git a/pkg/features/kube_features.go b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
index 4de8cf5fcd7..6a69d55601c 100644
--- a/pkg/features/kube_features.go
+++ b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
@@ -887,6 +887,7 @@ const (
 	// owner: @haircommander
 	// kep: http://kep.k8s.io/4210
 	// alpha: v1.29
+	// beta: v1.30
 	// ImageMaximumGCAge enables the Kubelet configuration field of the same name, allowing an admin
 	// to specify the age after which an image will be garbage collected.
 	ImageMaximumGCAge featuregate.Feature = "ImageMaximumGCAge"
@@ -1007,6 +1008,8 @@ var defaultKubernetesFeatureGates = map[featuregate.Feature]featuregate.FeatureS
 
 	HonorPVReclaimPolicy: {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
 
+	ImageMaximumGCAge: {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},
+
 	InTreePluginAWSUnregister: {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
 
 	InTreePluginAzureDiskUnregister: {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
@@ -1163,8 +1166,6 @@ var defaultKubernetesFeatureGates = map[featuregate.Feature]featuregate.FeatureS
 
 	LoadBalancerIPMode: {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},
 
-	ImageMaximumGCAge: {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
-
 	UserNamespacesPodSecurityStandards: {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
 
 	SELinuxMount: {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/apis/config/validation/validation.go b/pkg/kubelet/apis/config/validation/validation.go
index 9db7e17f891..15ee8afaa97 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/apis/config/validation/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/apis/config/validation/validation.go
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ func ValidateKubeletConfiguration(kc *kubeletconfig.KubeletConfiguration, featur
 		allErrors = append(allErrors, fmt.Errorf("invalid configuration: imageGCLowThresholdPercent (--image-gc-low-threshold) %v must be less than imageGCHighThresholdPercent (--image-gc-high-threshold) %v", kc.ImageGCLowThresholdPercent, kc.ImageGCHighThresholdPercent))
 	}
 	if kc.ImageMaximumGCAge.Duration != 0 && !localFeatureGate.Enabled(features.ImageMaximumGCAge) {
-		allErrors = append(allErrors, fmt.Errorf("invalid configuration: ImageMaximumGCAge feature gate is required for Kubelet configuration option ImageMaximumGCAge"))
+		allErrors = append(allErrors, fmt.Errorf("invalid configuration: ImageMaximumGCAge feature gate is required for Kubelet configuration option imageMaximumGCAge"))
 	}
 	if kc.ImageMaximumGCAge.Duration < 0 {
 		allErrors = append(allErrors, fmt.Errorf("invalid configuration: imageMaximumGCAge %v must not be negative", kc.ImageMaximumGCAge.Duration))
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/apis/config/validation/validation_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/apis/config/validation/validation_test.go
index e50fd8741b5..b34048549ff 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/apis/config/validation/validation_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/apis/config/validation/validation_test.go
@@ -526,10 +526,11 @@ func TestValidateKubeletConfiguration(t *testing.T) {
 	}, {
 		name: "imageMaximumGCAge should not be specified without feature gate",
 		configure: func(conf *kubeletconfig.KubeletConfiguration) *kubeletconfig.KubeletConfiguration {
+			conf.FeatureGates = map[string]bool{"ImageMaximumGCAge": false}
 			conf.ImageMaximumGCAge = metav1.Duration{Duration: 1}
 			return conf
 		},
-		errMsg: "invalid configuration: ImageMaximumGCAge feature gate is required for Kubelet configuration option ImageMaximumGCAge",
+		errMsg: "invalid configuration: ImageMaximumGCAge feature gate is required for Kubelet configuration option imageMaximumGCAge",
 	}, {
 		name: "imageMaximumGCAge should not be negative",
 		configure: func(conf *kubeletconfig.KubeletConfiguration) *kubeletconfig.KubeletConfiguration {