diff --git a/pkg/api/v1/conversion.go b/pkg/api/v1/conversion.go
index 7e5a7cff6bf..cdfccfe090b 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1/conversion.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1/conversion.go
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ func Convert_api_PodStatusResult_To_v1_PodStatusResult(in *api.PodStatusResult,
 }
 
 func Convert_v1_PodStatusResult_To_api_PodStatusResult(in *PodStatusResult, out *api.PodStatusResult, s conversion.Scope) error {
-	// TODO: when we move init container to beta, remove these conversions
+	// TODO: sometime after we move init container to stable, remove these conversions
 	if value, ok := in.Annotations[PodInitContainerStatusesAnnotationKey]; ok {
 		var values []ContainerStatus
 		if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(value), &values); err != nil {
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ func Convert_api_PodTemplateSpec_To_v1_PodTemplateSpec(in *api.PodTemplateSpec,
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// TODO: when we move init container to beta, remove these conversions
+	// TODO: sometime after we move init container to stable, remove these conversions.
 	if old := out.Annotations; old != nil {
 		out.Annotations = make(map[string]string, len(old))
 		for k, v := range old {
@@ -470,14 +470,22 @@ func Convert_api_PodTemplateSpec_To_v1_PodTemplateSpec(in *api.PodTemplateSpec,
 			return err
 		}
 		out.Annotations[PodInitContainersAnnotationKey] = string(value)
+		out.Annotations[PodInitContainersBetaAnnotationKey] = string(value)
 	} else {
 		delete(out.Annotations, PodInitContainersAnnotationKey)
+		delete(out.Annotations, PodInitContainersBetaAnnotationKey)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
 
 func Convert_v1_PodTemplateSpec_To_api_PodTemplateSpec(in *PodTemplateSpec, out *api.PodTemplateSpec, s conversion.Scope) error {
-	// TODO: when we move init container to beta, remove these conversions
+	// TODO: sometime after we move init container to stable, remove these conversions
+	// If there is a beta annotation, copy to alpha key.
+	// See commit log for PR #31026 for why we do this.
+	if valueBeta, okBeta := in.Annotations[PodInitContainersBetaAnnotationKey]; okBeta {
+		in.Annotations[PodInitContainersAnnotationKey] = valueBeta
+	}
+	// Move the annotation to the internal repr. field
 	if value, ok := in.Annotations[PodInitContainersAnnotationKey]; ok {
 		var values []Container
 		if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(value), &values); err != nil {
@@ -502,6 +510,7 @@ func Convert_v1_PodTemplateSpec_To_api_PodTemplateSpec(in *PodTemplateSpec, out
 			out.Annotations[k] = v
 		}
 		delete(out.Annotations, PodInitContainersAnnotationKey)
+		delete(out.Annotations, PodInitContainersBetaAnnotationKey)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -555,7 +564,7 @@ func Convert_api_Pod_To_v1_Pod(in *api.Pod, out *Pod, s conversion.Scope) error
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// TODO: when we move init container to beta, remove these conversions
+	// TODO: sometime after we move init container to stable, remove these conversions
 	if len(out.Spec.InitContainers) > 0 || len(out.Status.InitContainerStatuses) > 0 {
 		old := out.Annotations
 		out.Annotations = make(map[string]string, len(old))
@@ -563,6 +572,7 @@ func Convert_api_Pod_To_v1_Pod(in *api.Pod, out *Pod, s conversion.Scope) error
 			out.Annotations[k] = v
 		}
 		delete(out.Annotations, PodInitContainersAnnotationKey)
+		delete(out.Annotations, PodInitContainersBetaAnnotationKey)
 		delete(out.Annotations, PodInitContainerStatusesAnnotationKey)
 	}
 	if len(out.Spec.InitContainers) > 0 {
@@ -571,6 +581,7 @@ func Convert_api_Pod_To_v1_Pod(in *api.Pod, out *Pod, s conversion.Scope) error
 			return err
 		}
 		out.Annotations[PodInitContainersAnnotationKey] = string(value)
+		out.Annotations[PodInitContainersBetaAnnotationKey] = string(value)
 	}
 	if len(out.Status.InitContainerStatuses) > 0 {
 		value, err := json.Marshal(out.Status.InitContainerStatuses)
@@ -595,7 +606,13 @@ func Convert_api_Pod_To_v1_Pod(in *api.Pod, out *Pod, s conversion.Scope) error
 }
 
 func Convert_v1_Pod_To_api_Pod(in *Pod, out *api.Pod, s conversion.Scope) error {
-	// TODO: when we move init container to beta, remove these conversions
+	// If there is a beta annotation, copy to alpha key.
+	// See commit log for PR #31026 for why we do this.
+	if valueBeta, okBeta := in.Annotations[PodInitContainersBetaAnnotationKey]; okBeta {
+		in.Annotations[PodInitContainersAnnotationKey] = valueBeta
+	}
+	// TODO: sometime after we move init container to stable, remove these conversions
+	// Move the annotation to the internal repr. field
 	if value, ok := in.Annotations[PodInitContainersAnnotationKey]; ok {
 		var values []Container
 		if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(value), &values); err != nil {
@@ -633,6 +650,7 @@ func Convert_v1_Pod_To_api_Pod(in *Pod, out *api.Pod, s conversion.Scope) error
 			out.Annotations[k] = v
 		}
 		delete(out.Annotations, PodInitContainersAnnotationKey)
+		delete(out.Annotations, PodInitContainersBetaAnnotationKey)
 		delete(out.Annotations, PodInitContainerStatusesAnnotationKey)
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1/types.go b/pkg/api/v1/types.go
index 6d5de4c5f74..19f3459966f 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1/types.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1/types.go
@@ -1705,11 +1705,17 @@ const (
 const (
 	// This annotation key will be used to contain an array of v1 JSON encoded Containers
 	// for init containers. The annotation will be placed into the internal type and cleared.
+	// This key is only recognized by version >= 1.4.
+	PodInitContainersBetaAnnotationKey = "pod.beta.kubernetes.io/init-containers"
+	// This annotation key will be used to contain an array of v1 JSON encoded Containers
+	// for init containers. The annotation will be placed into the internal type and cleared.
+	// This key is recognized by version >= 1.3. For version 1.4 code, this key
+	// will have its value copied to the beta key.
 	PodInitContainersAnnotationKey = "pod.alpha.kubernetes.io/init-containers"
 	// This annotation key will be used to contain an array of v1 JSON encoded
 	// ContainerStatuses for init containers. The annotation will be placed into the internal
 	// type and cleared.
-	PodInitContainerStatusesAnnotationKey = "pod.alpha.kubernetes.io/init-container-statuses"
+	PodInitContainerStatusesAnnotationKey = "pod.beta.kubernetes.io/init-container-statuses"
 )
 
 // PodSpec is a description of a pod.