diff --git a/pkg/features/kube_features.go b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
index 07cc6e29097..fcc7cb5c93f 100644
--- a/pkg/features/kube_features.go
+++ b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
@@ -525,6 +525,7 @@ const (
 	// owner: @danwinship
 	// kep: https://kep.k8s.io/3866
 	// alpha: v1.29
+	// beta: v1.31
 	//
 	// Allows running kube-proxy with `--mode nftables`.
 	NFTablesProxyMode featuregate.Feature = "NFTablesProxyMode"
@@ -1131,7 +1132,7 @@ var defaultKubernetesFeatureGates = map[featuregate.Feature]featuregate.FeatureS
 
 	NewVolumeManagerReconstruction: {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.GA, LockToDefault: true}, // remove in 1.32
 
-	NFTablesProxyMode: {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
+	NFTablesProxyMode: {Default: true, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},
 
 	NodeLogQuery: {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Beta},
 
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/apis/config/validation/validation_test.go b/pkg/proxy/apis/config/validation/validation_test.go
index d9cc7283aa9..da56793df4a 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/apis/config/validation/validation_test.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/apis/config/validation/validation_test.go
@@ -827,7 +827,7 @@ func TestValidateKubeProxyConntrackConfiguration(t *testing.T) {
 func TestValidateProxyMode(t *testing.T) {
 	newPath := field.NewPath("KubeProxyConfiguration")
 	successCases := []kubeproxyconfig.ProxyMode{""}
-	expectedNonExistentErrorMsg := "must be iptables, ipvs or blank (blank means the best-available proxy [currently iptables])"
+	expectedNonExistentErrorMsg := "must be iptables, ipvs, nftables or blank (blank means the best-available proxy [currently iptables])"
 
 	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
 		successCases = append(successCases, kubeproxyconfig.ProxyModeKernelspace)