diff --git a/pkg/controller/volume/persistentvolume/index_test.go b/pkg/controller/volume/persistentvolume/index_test.go
index 827a76cd2f7..3098c6905a6 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/volume/persistentvolume/index_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/volume/persistentvolume/index_test.go
@@ -1231,30 +1231,18 @@ func TestStorageObjectInUseProtectionFiltering(t *testing.T) {
 		pvc                                *v1.PersistentVolumeClaim
 		enableStorageObjectInUseProtection bool
 	}{
-		"feature enabled - pv deletionTimeStamp not set": {
+		"pv deletionTimeStamp not set": {
 			isExpectedMatch:                    true,
 			vol:                                pv,
 			pvc:                                pvc,
 			enableStorageObjectInUseProtection: true,
 		},
-		"feature enabled - pv deletionTimeStamp set": {
+		"pv deletionTimeStamp set": {
 			isExpectedMatch:                    false,
 			vol:                                pvToDelete,
 			pvc:                                pvc,
 			enableStorageObjectInUseProtection: true,
 		},
-		"feature disabled - pv deletionTimeStamp not set": {
-			isExpectedMatch:                    true,
-			vol:                                pv,
-			pvc:                                pvc,
-			enableStorageObjectInUseProtection: false,
-		},
-		"feature disabled - pv deletionTimeStamp set": {
-			isExpectedMatch:                    true,
-			vol:                                pvToDelete,
-			pvc:                                pvc,
-			enableStorageObjectInUseProtection: false,
-		},
 	}
 
 	for name, testCase := range satisfyingTestCases {
@@ -1279,30 +1267,18 @@ func TestStorageObjectInUseProtectionFiltering(t *testing.T) {
 		pvc                                *v1.PersistentVolumeClaim
 		enableStorageObjectInUseProtection bool
 	}{
-		"feature enabled - pv deletionTimeStamp not set": {
+		"pv deletionTimeStamp not set": {
 			isExpectedMatch:                    true,
 			vol:                                createTestVolOrderedIndex(pv),
 			pvc:                                pvc,
 			enableStorageObjectInUseProtection: true,
 		},
-		"feature enabled - pv deletionTimeStamp set": {
+		"pv deletionTimeStamp set": {
 			isExpectedMatch:                    false,
 			vol:                                createTestVolOrderedIndex(pvToDelete),
 			pvc:                                pvc,
 			enableStorageObjectInUseProtection: true,
 		},
-		"feature disabled - pv deletionTimeStamp not set": {
-			isExpectedMatch:                    true,
-			vol:                                createTestVolOrderedIndex(pv),
-			pvc:                                pvc,
-			enableStorageObjectInUseProtection: false,
-		},
-		"feature disabled - pv deletionTimeStamp set": {
-			isExpectedMatch:                    true,
-			vol:                                createTestVolOrderedIndex(pvToDelete),
-			pvc:                                pvc,
-			enableStorageObjectInUseProtection: false,
-		},
 	}
 	for name, testCase := range filteringTestCases {
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/features/kube_features.go b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
index 8136391f1ad..8c4d8253b0d 100644
--- a/pkg/features/kube_features.go
+++ b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
@@ -801,7 +801,7 @@ var defaultKubernetesFeatureGates = map[featuregate.Feature]featuregate.FeatureS
 	MemoryManager:                                  {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},
 	CPUCFSQuotaPeriod:                              {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
 	TopologyManager:                                {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},
-	StorageObjectInUseProtection:                   {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.GA},
+	StorageObjectInUseProtection:                   {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.GA, LockToDefault: true}, // remove in 1.25
 	CSIMigration:                                   {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},
 	CSIMigrationGCE:                                {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta}, // Off by default (requires GCE PD CSI Driver)
 	InTreePluginGCEUnregister:                      {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},