diff --git a/pkg/api/pod/util.go b/pkg/api/pod/util.go
index eae41e55b04..2d73f582e7b 100644
--- a/pkg/api/pod/util.go
+++ b/pkg/api/pod/util.go
@@ -353,6 +353,24 @@ func hasInvalidTopologySpreadConstraintLabelSelector(spec *api.PodSpec) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+// hasNonLocalProjectedTokenPath return true if spec.Volumes have any entry with non-local projected token path
+func hasNonLocalProjectedTokenPath(spec *api.PodSpec) bool {
+	for _, volume := range spec.Volumes {
+		if volume.Projected != nil {
+			for _, source := range volume.Projected.Sources {
+				if source.ServiceAccountToken == nil {
+					continue
+				}
+				errs := apivalidation.ValidateLocalNonReservedPath(source.ServiceAccountToken.Path, nil)
+				if len(errs) != 0 {
+					return true
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // GetValidationOptionsFromPodSpecAndMeta returns validation options based on pod specs and metadata
 func GetValidationOptionsFromPodSpecAndMeta(podSpec, oldPodSpec *api.PodSpec, podMeta, oldPodMeta *metav1.ObjectMeta) apivalidation.PodValidationOptions {
 	// default pod validation options based on feature gate
@@ -366,6 +384,7 @@ func GetValidationOptionsFromPodSpecAndMeta(podSpec, oldPodSpec *api.PodSpec, po
 		AllowInvalidTopologySpreadConstraintLabelSelector: false,
 		AllowMutableNodeSelectorAndNodeAffinity:           utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.PodSchedulingReadiness),
 		AllowNamespacedSysctlsForHostNetAndHostIPC:        false,
+		AllowNonLocalProjectedTokenPath:                   false,
 	}
 
 	if oldPodSpec != nil {
@@ -378,6 +397,8 @@ func GetValidationOptionsFromPodSpecAndMeta(podSpec, oldPodSpec *api.PodSpec, po
 		opts.AllowInvalidLabelValueInSelector = hasInvalidLabelValueInAffinitySelector(oldPodSpec)
 		// if old spec has invalid labelSelector in topologySpreadConstraint, we must allow it
 		opts.AllowInvalidTopologySpreadConstraintLabelSelector = hasInvalidTopologySpreadConstraintLabelSelector(oldPodSpec)
+		// if old spec has an invalid projected token volume path, we must allow it
+		opts.AllowNonLocalProjectedTokenPath = hasNonLocalProjectedTokenPath(oldPodSpec)
 
 		// if old spec has invalid sysctl with hostNet or hostIPC, we must allow it when update
 		if oldPodSpec.SecurityContext != nil && len(oldPodSpec.SecurityContext.Sysctls) != 0 {
diff --git a/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go b/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go
index 65815aba06c..4c92a197518 100644
--- a/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go
@@ -2744,6 +2744,88 @@ func TestValidateTopologySpreadConstraintLabelSelectorOption(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestValidateAllowNonLocalProjectedTokenPathOption(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name       string
+		oldPodSpec *api.PodSpec
+		wantOption bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:       "Create",
+			wantOption: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "UpdateInvalidProjectedTokenPath",
+			oldPodSpec: &api.PodSpec{
+				Volumes: []api.Volume{
+					{
+						Name: "foo",
+						VolumeSource: api.VolumeSource{
+							Projected: &api.ProjectedVolumeSource{
+								Sources: []api.VolumeProjection{
+									{
+										ServiceAccountToken: &api.ServiceAccountTokenProjection{
+											Path: "../foo",
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			wantOption: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "UpdateValidProjectedTokenPath",
+			oldPodSpec: &api.PodSpec{
+				Volumes: []api.Volume{
+					{
+						Name: "foo",
+						VolumeSource: api.VolumeSource{
+							Projected: &api.ProjectedVolumeSource{
+								Sources: []api.VolumeProjection{
+									{
+										ServiceAccountToken: &api.ServiceAccountTokenProjection{
+											Path: "foo",
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			wantOption: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "UpdateEmptyProjectedTokenPath",
+			oldPodSpec: &api.PodSpec{
+				Volumes: []api.Volume{
+					{
+						Name: "foo",
+						VolumeSource: api.VolumeSource{
+							Projected: nil,
+							HostPath:  &api.HostPathVolumeSource{Path: "foo"},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			wantOption: false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			// Pod meta doesn't impact the outcome.
+			gotOptions := GetValidationOptionsFromPodSpecAndMeta(&api.PodSpec{}, tc.oldPodSpec, nil, nil)
+			if tc.wantOption != gotOptions.AllowNonLocalProjectedTokenPath {
+				t.Errorf("Got AllowNonLocalProjectedTokenPath=%t, want %t", gotOptions.AllowNonLocalProjectedTokenPath, tc.wantOption)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestDropInPlacePodVerticalScaling(t *testing.T) {
 	podWithInPlaceVerticalScaling := func() *api.Pod {
 		return &api.Pod{
diff --git a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go
index a6f7fef3012..58274dc86d6 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go
@@ -942,7 +942,7 @@ func validateKeyToPath(kp *core.KeyToPath, fldPath *field.Path) field.ErrorList
 	if len(kp.Path) == 0 {
 		allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Required(fldPath.Child("path"), ""))
 	}
-	allErrs = append(allErrs, validateLocalNonReservedPath(kp.Path, fldPath.Child("path"))...)
+	allErrs = append(allErrs, ValidateLocalNonReservedPath(kp.Path, fldPath.Child("path"))...)
 	if kp.Mode != nil && (*kp.Mode > 0777 || *kp.Mode < 0) {
 		allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(fldPath.Child("mode"), *kp.Mode, fileModeErrorMsg))
 	}
@@ -1050,7 +1050,7 @@ func validateDownwardAPIVolumeFile(file *core.DownwardAPIVolumeFile, fldPath *fi
 	if len(file.Path) == 0 {
 		allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Required(fldPath.Child("path"), ""))
 	}
-	allErrs = append(allErrs, validateLocalNonReservedPath(file.Path, fldPath.Child("path"))...)
+	allErrs = append(allErrs, ValidateLocalNonReservedPath(file.Path, fldPath.Child("path"))...)
 	if file.FieldRef != nil {
 		allErrs = append(allErrs, validateObjectFieldSelector(file.FieldRef, &validVolumeDownwardAPIFieldPathExpressions, fldPath.Child("fieldRef"))...)
 		if file.ResourceFieldRef != nil {
@@ -1153,6 +1153,8 @@ func validateProjectionSources(projection *core.ProjectedVolumeSource, projectio
 			}
 			if source.ServiceAccountToken.Path == "" {
 				allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Required(fldPath.Child("path"), ""))
+			} else if !opts.AllowNonLocalProjectedTokenPath {
+				allErrs = append(allErrs, ValidateLocalNonReservedPath(source.ServiceAccountToken.Path, fldPath.Child("path"))...)
 			}
 		}
 		if projPath := srcPath.Child("clusterTrustBundlePEM"); source.ClusterTrustBundle != nil {
@@ -1209,7 +1211,7 @@ func validateProjectionSources(projection *core.ProjectedVolumeSource, projectio
 				allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Required(projPath.Child("path"), ""))
 			}
 
-			allErrs = append(allErrs, validateLocalNonReservedPath(source.ClusterTrustBundle.Path, projPath.Child("path"))...)
+			allErrs = append(allErrs, ValidateLocalNonReservedPath(source.ClusterTrustBundle.Path, projPath.Child("path"))...)
 
 			curPath := source.ClusterTrustBundle.Path
 			if !allPaths.Has(curPath) {
@@ -1319,11 +1321,11 @@ func validateMountPropagation(mountPropagation *core.MountPropagationMode, conta
 	return allErrs
 }
 
-// This validate will make sure targetPath:
+// ValidateLocalNonReservedPath makes sure targetPath:
 // 1. is not abs path
 // 2. does not contain any '..' elements
 // 3. does not start with '..'
-func validateLocalNonReservedPath(targetPath string, fldPath *field.Path) field.ErrorList {
+func ValidateLocalNonReservedPath(targetPath string, fldPath *field.Path) field.ErrorList {
 	allErrs := field.ErrorList{}
 	allErrs = append(allErrs, validateLocalDescendingPath(targetPath, fldPath)...)
 	// Don't report this error if the check for .. elements already caught it.
@@ -3978,6 +3980,8 @@ type PodValidationOptions struct {
 	AllowInvalidTopologySpreadConstraintLabelSelector bool
 	// Allow node selector additions for gated pods.
 	AllowMutableNodeSelectorAndNodeAffinity bool
+	// Allow projected token volumes with non-local paths
+	AllowNonLocalProjectedTokenPath bool
 	// Allow namespaced sysctls in hostNet and hostIPC pods
 	AllowNamespacedSysctlsForHostNetAndHostIPC bool
 	// The top-level resource being validated is a Pod, not just a PodSpec