diff --git a/data/data/cluster-api/vsphere-infrastructure-components.yaml b/data/data/cluster-api/vsphere-infrastructure-components.yaml
index c07f85a903..bfb9f37ecb 100644
--- a/data/data/cluster-api/vsphere-infrastructure-components.yaml
+++ b/data/data/cluster-api/vsphere-infrastructure-components.yaml
@@ -7077,7 +7077,6 @@ spec:
         - --diagnostics-address=${CAPI_DIAGNOSTICS_ADDRESS:=:8443}
         - --insecure-diagnostics=${CAPI_INSECURE_DIAGNOSTICS:=false}
         - --v=4
-        - --enable-keep-alive
         - --feature-gates=NodeAntiAffinity=${EXP_NODE_ANTI_AFFINITY:=false}
         image: registry.k8s.io/cluster-api-vsphere/cluster-api-vsphere-controller:v1.9.3
         imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
diff --git a/pkg/clusterapi/system.go b/pkg/clusterapi/system.go
index 7d7820dd6a..89194aab92 100644
--- a/pkg/clusterapi/system.go
+++ b/pkg/clusterapi/system.go
@@ -278,7 +278,6 @@ func (c *system) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 					"--webhook-port={{.WebhookPort}}",
 					"--webhook-cert-dir={{.WebhookCertDir}}",
 					"--leader-elect=false",
-					"--enable-keep-alive=false",
 				},
 				map[string]string{
 					"EXP_KUBEADM_BOOTSTRAP_FORMAT_IGNITION": "true",