diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validation.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validation.go
index 3c5529ccf39..491c9f9fa38 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validation.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validation.go
@@ -627,9 +627,9 @@ func (td *typeDiscoverer) discoverStruct(thisNode *typeNode, fldPath *field.Path
 		context := validators.Context{
 			Scope:      validators.ScopeField,
 			Type:       childType,
-			ParentPath: fldPath,
-			Member:     &memb,
 			Path:       childPath,
+			Member:     &memb,
+			ParentPath: fldPath,
 		}
 
 		tags, err := td.validator.ExtractTags(context, memb.CommentLines)
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validators/each.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validators/each.go
index d0f3bbc0a02..a42a1fd2c80 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validators/each.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validators/each.go
@@ -401,13 +401,15 @@ func (evtv eachValTagValidator) GetValidations(context Context, tag codetags.Tag
 	switch nt.Kind {
 	case types.Slice, types.Array, types.Map:
 	default:
-		return Validations{}, fmt.Errorf("can only be used on list or map types (%s)", t.Kind)
+		return Validations{}, fmt.Errorf("can only be used on list or map types (%s)", nt.Kind)
 	}
 
 	elemContext := Context{
+		// Scope is initialized below.
 		Type:       nt.Elem,
+		Path:       context.Path.Key("(vals)"),
+		Member:     nil, // NA for list/map values
 		ParentPath: context.Path,
-		Path:       context.Path.Key("*"),
 	}
 	switch nt.Kind {
 	case types.Slice, types.Array:
@@ -571,16 +573,18 @@ var (
 
 func (ektv eachKeyTagValidator) GetValidations(context Context, tag codetags.Tag) (Validations, error) {
 	// NOTE: pointers to lists are not supported, so we should never see a pointer here.
-	t := util.NativeType(context.Type)
-	if t.Kind != types.Map {
-		return Validations{}, fmt.Errorf("can only be used on map types (%s)", t.Kind)
+	t := context.Type
+	nt := util.NativeType(t)
+	if nt.Kind != types.Map {
+		return Validations{}, fmt.Errorf("can only be used on map types (%s)", nt.Kind)
 	}
 
 	elemContext := Context{
 		Scope:      ScopeMapKey,
-		Type:       t.Elem,
+		Type:       nt.Elem,
+		Path:       context.Path.Key("(keys)"),
+		Member:     nil, // NA for map keys
 		ParentPath: context.Path,
-		Path:       context.Path.Child("(keys)"),
 	}
 
 	if validations, err := ektv.validator.ExtractValidations(elemContext, *tag.ValueTag); err != nil {
@@ -595,12 +599,13 @@ func (ektv eachKeyTagValidator) GetValidations(context Context, tag codetags.Tag
 }
 
 func (ektv eachKeyTagValidator) getValidations(t *types.Type, validations Validations) (Validations, error) {
+	nt := util.NativeType(t)
 	result := Validations{}
 	result.OpaqueKeyType = validations.OpaqueType
 	for _, vfn := range validations.Functions {
 		comm := vfn.Comments
 		vfn.Comments = nil
-		f := Function(eachKeyTagName, vfn.Flags, validateEachMapKey, WrapperFunction{vfn, t.Key}).WithComments(comm...)
+		f := Function(eachKeyTagName, vfn.Flags, validateEachMapKey, WrapperFunction{vfn, nt.Key}).WithComments(comm...)
 		result.AddFunction(f)
 	}
 	return result, nil
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validators/item.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validators/item.go
index 2cc5e150310..5cd5c9e3b5a 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validators/item.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validators/item.go
@@ -261,8 +261,8 @@ func (iv itemValidator) GetValidations(context Context) (Validations, error) {
 			Scope:      ScopeListVal,
 			Type:       elemT,
 			Path:       context.Path.Key(subContextPath),
+			Member:     nil, // NA for list items
 			ParentPath: context.Path,
-			Member:     nil,
 		}
 
 		validations, err := iv.validator.ExtractValidations(subContext, item.valueTag)
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validators/subfield.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validators/subfield.go
index 8349250e9ba..cf9a130cd51 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validators/subfield.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validators/subfield.go
@@ -59,12 +59,13 @@ func (stv subfieldTagValidator) GetValidations(context Context, tag codetags.Tag
 	args := tag.Args
 	// This tag can apply to value and pointer fields, as well as typedefs
 	// (which should never be pointers). We need to check the concrete type.
-	t := util.NonPointer(util.NativeType(context.Type))
-	if t.Kind != types.Struct {
-		return Validations{}, fmt.Errorf("can only be used on struct types")
+	t := context.Type
+	nt := util.NonPointer(util.NativeType(t))
+	if nt.Kind != types.Struct {
+		return Validations{}, fmt.Errorf("can only be used on struct types: %v", nt.Kind)
 	}
 	subname := args[0].Value
-	submemb := util.GetMemberByJSON(t, subname)
+	submemb := util.GetMemberByJSON(nt, subname)
 	if submemb == nil {
 		return Validations{}, fmt.Errorf("no field for json name %q", subname)
 	}
@@ -72,9 +73,9 @@ func (stv subfieldTagValidator) GetValidations(context Context, tag codetags.Tag
 	subContext := Context{
 		Scope:      ScopeField,
 		Type:       submemb.Type,
-		ParentPath: context.Path,
-		Member:     submemb,
 		Path:       context.Path.Child(subname),
+		Member:     submemb,
+		ParentPath: context.Path,
 	}
 	if validations, err := stv.validator.ExtractValidations(subContext, *tag.ValueTag); err != nil {
 		return Validations{}, err