diff --git a/cluster/defaults.go b/cluster/defaults.go
index 54bf5e5c..2bab5860 100644
--- a/cluster/defaults.go
+++ b/cluster/defaults.go
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) setNodeUpgradeStrategy() {
 	}
 	setDefaultIfEmpty(&c.UpgradeStrategy.MaxUnavailableWorker, DefaultMaxUnavailableWorker)
 	setDefaultIfEmpty(&c.UpgradeStrategy.MaxUnavailableControlplane, DefaultMaxUnavailableControlplane)
-	if !c.UpgradeStrategy.Drain {
+	if c.UpgradeStrategy.Drain != nil && *c.UpgradeStrategy.Drain {
 		return
 	}
 	if c.UpgradeStrategy.DrainInput == nil {
diff --git a/services/controlplane.go b/services/controlplane.go
index 4f61ea61..3123ba5f 100644
--- a/services/controlplane.go
+++ b/services/controlplane.go
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ func UpgradeControlPlaneNodes(ctx context.Context, kubeClient *kubernetes.Client
 			log.Infof(ctx, "[%s] Adding controlplane nodes %v to the cluster", ControlRole, strings.Join(nodes, ","))
 		}
 	}
-	if upgradeStrategy.Drain {
+	if upgradeStrategy.Drain != nil && *upgradeStrategy.Drain {
 		drainHelper = getDrainHelper(kubeClient, *upgradeStrategy)
 		log.Infof(ctx, "[%s] Parameters provided to drain command: %#v", ControlRole, fmt.Sprintf("Force: %v, IgnoreAllDaemonSets: %v, DeleteLocalData: %v, Timeout: %v, GracePeriodSeconds: %v", drainHelper.Force, drainHelper.IgnoreAllDaemonSets, drainHelper.DeleteLocalData, drainHelper.Timeout, drainHelper.GracePeriodSeconds))
 	}
@@ -169,7 +169,9 @@ func processControlPlaneForUpgrade(ctx context.Context, kubeClient *kubernetes.C
 					}
 					continue
 				}
-				if err := upgradeControlHost(ctx, kubeClient, runHost, upgradeStrategy.Drain, drainHelper, localConnDialerFactory, prsMap, cpNodePlanMap, updateWorkersOnly, alpineImage, certMap, controlPlaneUpgradable, workerPlaneUpgradable); err != nil {
+
+				shouldDrain := upgradeStrategy.Drain != nil && *upgradeStrategy.Drain
+				if err := upgradeControlHost(ctx, kubeClient, runHost, shouldDrain, drainHelper, localConnDialerFactory, prsMap, cpNodePlanMap, updateWorkersOnly, alpineImage, certMap, controlPlaneUpgradable, workerPlaneUpgradable); err != nil {
 					errList = append(errList, err)
 					hostsFailedToUpgrade <- runHost.HostnameOverride
 					hostsFailed.Store(runHost.HostnameOverride, true)
diff --git a/services/workerplane.go b/services/workerplane.go
index 8fb6db10..d89bfe82 100644
--- a/services/workerplane.go
+++ b/services/workerplane.go
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ func processWorkerPlaneForUpgrade(ctx context.Context, kubeClient *kubernetes.Cl
 	var hostsFailed sync.Map
 
 	hostsQueue := util.GetObjectQueue(allHosts)
-	if upgradeStrategy.Drain {
+	if upgradeStrategy.Drain != nil && *upgradeStrategy.Drain {
 		drainHelper = getDrainHelper(kubeClient, *upgradeStrategy)
 		log.Infof(ctx, "[%s] Parameters provided to drain command: %#v", WorkerRole, fmt.Sprintf("Force: %v, IgnoreAllDaemonSets: %v, DeleteLocalData: %v, Timeout: %v, GracePeriodSeconds: %v", drainHelper.Force, drainHelper.IgnoreAllDaemonSets, drainHelper.DeleteLocalData, drainHelper.Timeout, drainHelper.GracePeriodSeconds))
 
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ func processWorkerPlaneForUpgrade(ctx context.Context, kubeClient *kubernetes.Cl
 					}
 					continue
 				}
-				if err := upgradeWorkerHost(ctx, kubeClient, runHost, upgradeStrategy.Drain, drainHelper, localConnDialerFactory, prsMap, workerNodePlanMap, certMap, updateWorkersOnly, alpineImage); err != nil {
+				if err := upgradeWorkerHost(ctx, kubeClient, runHost, upgradeStrategy.Drain != nil && *upgradeStrategy.Drain, drainHelper, localConnDialerFactory, prsMap, workerNodePlanMap, certMap, updateWorkersOnly, alpineImage); err != nil {
 					errList = append(errList, err)
 					hostsFailed.Store(runHost.HostnameOverride, true)
 					hostsFailedToUpgrade <- runHost.HostnameOverride
diff --git a/types/rke_types.go b/types/rke_types.go
index 69cd05bf..9b718b91 100644
--- a/types/rke_types.go
+++ b/types/rke_types.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ type NodeUpgradeStrategy struct {
 	MaxUnavailableWorker string `yaml:"max_unavailable_worker" json:"maxUnavailableWorker,omitempty" norman:"min=1,default=10%"`
 	// MaxUnavailableControlplane input can be a number of nodes or a percentage of nodes
 	MaxUnavailableControlplane string          `yaml:"max_unavailable_controlplane" json:"maxUnavailableControlplane,omitempty" norman:"min=1,default=1"`
-	Drain                      bool            `yaml:"drain" json:"drain,omitempty"`
+	Drain                      *bool           `yaml:"drain" json:"drain,omitempty"`
 	DrainInput                 *NodeDrainInput `yaml:"node_drain_input" json:"nodeDrainInput,omitempty"`
 }