diff --git a/pkg/api/pod/util.go b/pkg/api/pod/util.go
index a1d536a28b..cb300db782 100644
--- a/pkg/api/pod/util.go
+++ b/pkg/api/pod/util.go
@@ -318,10 +318,6 @@ func dropDisabledFields(
 		podSpec.PriorityClassName = ""
 	}
 
-	if !utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.PodReadinessGates) && !podReadinessGatesInUse(oldPodSpec) {
-		podSpec.ReadinessGates = nil
-	}
-
 	if !utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.Sysctls) && !sysctlsInUse(oldPodSpec) {
 		if podSpec.SecurityContext != nil {
 			podSpec.SecurityContext.Sysctls = nil
@@ -534,17 +530,6 @@ func podPriorityInUse(podSpec *api.PodSpec) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-// podReadinessGatesInUse returns true if the pod spec is non-nil and has ReadinessGates
-func podReadinessGatesInUse(podSpec *api.PodSpec) bool {
-	if podSpec == nil {
-		return false
-	}
-	if podSpec.ReadinessGates != nil {
-		return true
-	}
-	return false
-}
-
 func sysctlsInUse(podSpec *api.PodSpec) bool {
 	if podSpec == nil {
 		return false
diff --git a/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go b/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go
index 81402b6bf4..212d77482e 100644
--- a/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/pod/util_test.go
@@ -1101,102 +1101,6 @@ func TestDropAppArmor(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestDropReadinessGates(t *testing.T) {
-	podWithoutReadinessGates := func() *api.Pod {
-		return &api.Pod{
-			Spec: api.PodSpec{
-				ReadinessGates: nil,
-			},
-		}
-	}
-	podWithReadinessGates := func() *api.Pod {
-		return &api.Pod{
-			Spec: api.PodSpec{
-				ReadinessGates: []api.PodReadinessGate{
-					{
-						ConditionType: api.PodConditionType("example.com/condition1"),
-					},
-					{
-						ConditionType: api.PodConditionType("example.com/condition2"),
-					},
-				},
-			},
-		}
-	}
-
-	podInfo := []struct {
-		description          string
-		hasPodReadinessGates bool
-		pod                  func() *api.Pod
-	}{
-		{
-			description:          "has ReadinessGates",
-			hasPodReadinessGates: true,
-			pod:                  podWithReadinessGates,
-		},
-		{
-			description:          "does not have ReadinessGates",
-			hasPodReadinessGates: false,
-			pod:                  podWithoutReadinessGates,
-		},
-		{
-			description:          "is nil",
-			hasPodReadinessGates: false,
-			pod:                  func() *api.Pod { return nil },
-		},
-	}
-
-	for _, enabled := range []bool{true, false} {
-		for _, oldPodInfo := range podInfo {
-			for _, newPodInfo := range podInfo {
-				oldPodHasReadinessGates, oldPod := oldPodInfo.hasPodReadinessGates, oldPodInfo.pod()
-				newPodHasReadinessGates, newPod := newPodInfo.hasPodReadinessGates, newPodInfo.pod()
-				if newPod == nil {
-					continue
-				}
-
-				t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("featue enabled=%v, old pod %v, new pod %v", enabled, oldPodInfo.description, newPodInfo.description), func(t *testing.T) {
-					defer utilfeaturetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.PodReadinessGates, enabled)()
-
-					var oldPodSpec *api.PodSpec
-					if oldPod != nil {
-						oldPodSpec = &oldPod.Spec
-					}
-					dropDisabledFields(&newPod.Spec, nil, oldPodSpec, nil)
-
-					// old pod should never be changed
-					if !reflect.DeepEqual(oldPod, oldPodInfo.pod()) {
-						t.Errorf("old pod changed: %v", diff.ObjectReflectDiff(oldPod, oldPodInfo.pod()))
-					}
-
-					switch {
-					case enabled || oldPodHasReadinessGates:
-						// new pod should not be changed if the feature is enabled, or if the old pod had ReadinessGates
-						if !reflect.DeepEqual(newPod, newPodInfo.pod()) {
-							t.Errorf("new pod changed: %v", diff.ObjectReflectDiff(newPod, newPodInfo.pod()))
-						}
-					case newPodHasReadinessGates:
-						// new pod should be changed
-						if reflect.DeepEqual(newPod, newPodInfo.pod()) {
-							t.Errorf("new pod was not changed")
-						}
-						// new pod should not have ReadinessGates
-						if !reflect.DeepEqual(newPod, podWithoutReadinessGates()) {
-							t.Errorf("new pod had ReadinessGates: %v",
-								diff.ObjectReflectDiff(newPod, podWithoutReadinessGates()))
-						}
-					default:
-						// new pod should not need to be changed
-						if !reflect.DeepEqual(newPod, newPodInfo.pod()) {
-							t.Errorf("new pod changed: %v", diff.ObjectReflectDiff(newPod, newPodInfo.pod()))
-						}
-					}
-				})
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 func TestDropTokenRequestProjection(t *testing.T) {
 	podWithoutTRProjection := func() *api.Pod {
 		return &api.Pod{
diff --git a/pkg/features/kube_features.go b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
index c70a83a37a..e2bed5b725 100644
--- a/pkg/features/kube_features.go
+++ b/pkg/features/kube_features.go
@@ -310,9 +310,9 @@ const (
 	BalanceAttachedNodeVolumes utilfeature.Feature = "BalanceAttachedNodeVolumes"
 
 	// owner @freehan
-	// beta: v1.11
+	// GA: v1.14
 	//
-	// Support Pod Ready++
+	// Allow user to specify additional conditions to be evaluated for Pod readiness.
 	PodReadinessGates utilfeature.Feature = "PodReadinessGates"
 
 	// owner: @kevtaylor
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ var defaultKubernetesFeatureGates = map[utilfeature.Feature]utilfeature.FeatureS
 	CSIMigrationOpenStack:                       {Default: false, PreRelease: utilfeature.Alpha},
 	VolumeSubpath:                               {Default: true, PreRelease: utilfeature.GA},
 	BalanceAttachedNodeVolumes:                  {Default: false, PreRelease: utilfeature.Alpha},
-	PodReadinessGates:                           {Default: true, PreRelease: utilfeature.Beta},
+	PodReadinessGates:                           {Default: true, PreRelease: utilfeature.GA, LockToDefault: true}, // remove in 1.16
 	VolumeSubpathEnvExpansion:                   {Default: false, PreRelease: utilfeature.Alpha},
 	KubeletPluginsWatcher:                       {Default: true, PreRelease: utilfeature.GA, LockToDefault: true}, // remove in 1.16
 	ResourceQuotaScopeSelectors:                 {Default: true, PreRelease: utilfeature.Beta},