diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/test/integration/ratcheting_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/test/integration/ratcheting_test.go
index cc88e1d8114..d0f850e97cc 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/test/integration/ratcheting_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/test/integration/ratcheting_test.go
@@ -1175,7 +1175,7 @@ func TestRatchetingFunctionality(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			Name: "ArrayItems correlate by index",
+			Name: "ArrayItems do not correlate by index",
 			Operations: []ratchetingTestOperation{
 				updateMyCRDV1Beta1Schema{&apiextensionsv1.JSONSchemaProps{
 					Type: "object",
@@ -1246,9 +1246,9 @@ func TestRatchetingFunctionality(t *testing.T) {
 						},
 						"otherField": "hello world",
 					}},
-				// (This test shows an array can be correlated by index with its old value)
-				applyPatchOperation{
-					"add new, valid fields to elements of the array, ratcheting unchanged old fields within the array elements by correlating by index",
+				// (This test shows an array cannpt be correlated by index with its old value)
+				expectError{applyPatchOperation{
+					"add new, valid fields to elements of the array, failing to ratchet unchanged old fields within the array elements by correlating by index due to atomic list",
 					myCRDV1Beta1, myCRDInstanceName, map[string]interface{}{
 						"values": []interface{}{
 							map[string]interface{}{
@@ -1261,7 +1261,7 @@ func TestRatchetingFunctionality(t *testing.T) {
 								"key2": "valid value",
 							},
 						},
-					}},
+					}}},
 				expectError{
 					applyPatchOperation{
 						"reorder the array, preventing index correlation",
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/cel/common/equality.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/cel/common/equality.go
index 3046880bb5b..a271cae795e 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/cel/common/equality.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/cel/common/equality.go
@@ -114,19 +114,15 @@ func (r *CorrelatedObject) correlateOldValueForChildAtNewIndex(index int) interf
 		// of value
 		// (would allow you to add/remove items from sets with ratcheting but not change them)
 		return nil
+	case "":
+		fallthrough
 	case "atomic":
-		// Atomic lists are not correlatable by item
+		// Atomic lists are the default are not correlatable by item
 		// Ratcheting is not available on a per-index basis
 		return nil
 	default:
-		// Correlate by-index by default.
-		//
-		// Cannot correlate an out-of-bounds index
-		if len(oldAsList) <= index {
-			return nil
-		}
-
-		return oldAsList[index]
+		// Unrecognized list type. Assume non-correlatable.
+		return nil
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/cel/common/equality_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/cel/common/equality_test.go
index 8300d0a7f74..50c5146ae45 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/cel/common/equality_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/cel/common/equality_test.go
@@ -142,16 +142,14 @@ func TestCorrelation(t *testing.T) {
 			OldValue: "b",
 		},
 		{
-			Name:          "Basic Index",
+			Name:          "Atomic Array not correlatable",
 			RootObject:    mustUnstructured(`[a, b]`),
 			RootOldObject: mustUnstructured(`[a, b]`),
 			Schema: mustSchema(`
                 items:
                   type: string
             `),
-			KeyPath:  []interface{}{1},
-			NewValue: "b",
-			OldValue: "b",
+			KeyPath: []interface{}{1},
 		},
 		{
 			Name: "Added Key Not In Old Object",
@@ -187,7 +185,7 @@ func TestCorrelation(t *testing.T) {
 			KeyPath: []interface{}{2},
 		},
 		{
-			Name: "Changed Index In Old Object",
+			Name: "Changed Index In Old Object not correlatable",
 			RootObject: []interface{}{
 				"a",
 				"b",
@@ -200,9 +198,7 @@ func TestCorrelation(t *testing.T) {
                 items:
                     type: string
             `),
-			KeyPath:  []interface{}{1},
-			NewValue: "b",
-			OldValue: "oldB",
+			KeyPath: []interface{}{1},
 		},
 		{
 			Name: "Changed Index In Nested Old Object",