diff --git a/pkg/features/kube_features.go b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
index 195fce2ce1c..2a331ff9197 100644
--- a/pkg/features/kube_features.go
+++ b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
@@ -600,6 +600,7 @@ const (
 	// owner: @seans3
 	// kep: http://kep.k8s.io/4006
 	// alpha: v1.30
+	// beta: v1.31
 	//
 	// Enables PortForward to be proxied with a websocket client
 	PortForwardWebsockets featuregate.Feature = "PortForwardWebsockets"
@@ -805,6 +806,7 @@ const (
 
 	// owner: @seans3
 	// kep: http://kep.k8s.io/4006
+	// alpha: v1.29
 	// beta: v1.30
 	//
 	// Enables StreamTranslator proxy to handle WebSockets upgrade requests for the
@@ -1104,7 +1106,7 @@ var defaultKubernetesFeatureGates = map[featuregate.Feature]featuregate.FeatureS
 
 	PodSchedulingReadiness: {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.GA, LockToDefault: true}, // GA in 1.30; remove in 1.32
 
-	PortForwardWebsockets: {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
+	PortForwardWebsockets: {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},
 
 	ProcMountType: {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
 
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/portforward/fallback_dialer.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/portforward/fallback_dialer.go
index 8fb74a41857..7fcc2492bfe 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/portforward/fallback_dialer.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/portforward/fallback_dialer.go
@@ -21,21 +21,21 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 )
 
-var _ httpstream.Dialer = &fallbackDialer{}
+var _ httpstream.Dialer = &FallbackDialer{}
 
-// fallbackDialer encapsulates a primary and secondary dialer, including
+// FallbackDialer encapsulates a primary and secondary dialer, including
 // the boolean function to determine if the primary dialer failed. Implements
 // the httpstream.Dialer interface.
-type fallbackDialer struct {
+type FallbackDialer struct {
 	primary        httpstream.Dialer
 	secondary      httpstream.Dialer
 	shouldFallback func(error) bool
 }
 
-// NewFallbackDialer creates the fallbackDialer with the primary and secondary dialers,
+// NewFallbackDialer creates the FallbackDialer with the primary and secondary dialers,
 // as well as the boolean function to determine if the primary dialer failed.
 func NewFallbackDialer(primary, secondary httpstream.Dialer, shouldFallback func(error) bool) httpstream.Dialer {
-	return &fallbackDialer{
+	return &FallbackDialer{
 		primary:        primary,
 		secondary:      secondary,
 		shouldFallback: shouldFallback,
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func NewFallbackDialer(primary, secondary httpstream.Dialer, shouldFallback func
 // httstream.Connection and the negotiated protocol version accepted. If the initial
 // primary dialer fails, this function attempts the secondary dialer. Returns an error
 // if one occurs.
-func (f *fallbackDialer) Dial(protocols ...string) (httpstream.Connection, string, error) {
+func (f *FallbackDialer) Dial(protocols ...string) (httpstream.Connection, string, error) {
 	conn, version, err := f.primary.Dial(protocols...)
 	if err != nil && f.shouldFallback(err) {
 		klog.V(4).Infof("fallback to secondary dialer from primary dialer err: %v", err)
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/portforward/portforward.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/portforward/portforward.go
index e0eeceb2bb5..54e955b0cdf 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/portforward/portforward.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/portforward/portforward.go
@@ -136,20 +136,28 @@ type defaultPortForwarder struct {
 	genericiooptions.IOStreams
 }
 
-func (f *defaultPortForwarder) ForwardPorts(method string, url *url.URL, opts PortForwardOptions) error {
+func createDialer(method string, url *url.URL, opts PortForwardOptions) (httpstream.Dialer, error) {
 	transport, upgrader, err := spdy.RoundTripperFor(opts.Config)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	dialer := spdy.NewDialer(upgrader, &http.Client{Transport: transport}, method, url)
-	if cmdutil.PortForwardWebsockets.IsEnabled() {
+	if !cmdutil.PortForwardWebsockets.IsDisabled() {
 		tunnelingDialer, err := portforward.NewSPDYOverWebsocketDialer(url, opts.Config)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			return nil, err
 		}
 		// First attempt tunneling (websocket) dialer, then fallback to spdy dialer.
 		dialer = portforward.NewFallbackDialer(tunnelingDialer, dialer, httpstream.IsUpgradeFailure)
 	}
+	return dialer, nil
+}
+
+func (f *defaultPortForwarder) ForwardPorts(method string, url *url.URL, opts PortForwardOptions) error {
+	dialer, err := createDialer(method, url, opts)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	fw, err := portforward.NewOnAddresses(dialer, opts.Address, opts.Ports, opts.StopChannel, opts.ReadyChannel, f.Out, f.ErrOut)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/portforward/portforward_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/portforward/portforward_test.go
index 2aee31e7d47..70b22f07217 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/portforward/portforward_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/portforward/portforward_test.go
@@ -32,7 +32,9 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/intstr"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericiooptions"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/rest/fake"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/portforward"
 	cmdtesting "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/testing"
+	cmdutil "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/util"
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/scheme"
 )
 
@@ -983,3 +985,38 @@ func TestCheckUDPPort(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestCreateDialer(t *testing.T) {
+	url, err := url.Parse("http://localhost:8080/index.html")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unable to parse test url: %v", err)
+	}
+	config := cmdtesting.DefaultClientConfig()
+	opts := PortForwardOptions{Config: config}
+	// First, ensure that no environment variable creates the fallback dialer.
+	dialer, err := createDialer("GET", url, opts)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unable to create dialer: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, isFallback := dialer.(*portforward.FallbackDialer); !isFallback {
+		t.Errorf("expected fallback dialer, got %#v", dialer)
+	}
+	// Next, check turning on feature flag explicitly also creates fallback dialer.
+	t.Setenv(string(cmdutil.PortForwardWebsockets), "true")
+	dialer, err = createDialer("GET", url, opts)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unable to create dialer: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, isFallback := dialer.(*portforward.FallbackDialer); !isFallback {
+		t.Errorf("expected fallback dialer, got %#v", dialer)
+	}
+	// Finally, check explicit disabling does NOT create the fallback dialer.
+	t.Setenv(string(cmdutil.PortForwardWebsockets), "false")
+	dialer, err = createDialer("GET", url, opts)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unable to create dialer: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, isFallback := dialer.(*portforward.FallbackDialer); isFallback {
+		t.Errorf("expected fallback dialer, got %#v", dialer)
+	}
+}