diff --git a/pkg/controller/kubelet-config/helpers.go b/pkg/controller/kubelet-config/helpers.go
index b190b48a0d..1ae7b13018 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/kubelet-config/helpers.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/kubelet-config/helpers.go
@@ -377,9 +377,6 @@ func validateUserKubeletConfig(cfg *mcfgv1.KubeletConfig) error {
 	if len(kcDecoded.FeatureGates) > 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("KubeletConfiguration: featureGates is not allowed to be set, but contains: %v", kcDecoded.FeatureGates)
 	}
-	if kcDecoded.StaticPodPath != "" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("KubeletConfiguration: staticPodPath is not allowed to be set, but contains: %s", kcDecoded.StaticPodPath)
-	}
 	if kcDecoded.FailSwapOn != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("KubeletConfiguration: failSwapOn is not allowed to be set, but contains: %v", *kcDecoded.FailSwapOn)
 	}
@@ -393,6 +390,26 @@ func validateUserKubeletConfig(cfg *mcfgv1.KubeletConfig) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// validateStaticPodPathForPool checks that staticPodPath is not set to a non-empty value.
+// Control plane pools (master, arbiter) cannot set staticPodPath at all.
+// Worker and custom pools may only set staticPodPath to "" to disable static pods.
+func validateStaticPodPathForPool(cfg *mcfgv1.KubeletConfig, poolName string) error {
+	if cfg.Spec.KubeletConfig == nil || cfg.Spec.KubeletConfig.Raw == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	kcDecoded, err := DecodeKubeletConfig(cfg.Spec.KubeletConfig.Raw)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("KubeletConfig could not be unmarshalled, err: %w", err)
+	}
+	if kcDecoded.StaticPodPath == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if poolName == ctrlcommon.MachineConfigPoolMaster || poolName == ctrlcommon.MachineConfigPoolArbiter {
+		return fmt.Errorf("KubeletConfiguration: staticPodPath is not allowed to be set for pool %q, but contains: %s", poolName, kcDecoded.StaticPodPath)
+	}
+	return fmt.Errorf("KubeletConfiguration: staticPodPath must be empty for non-control-plane pool %q, but contains: %s", poolName, kcDecoded.StaticPodPath)
+}
+
 func wrapErrorWithCondition(err error, args ...interface{}) mcfgv1.KubeletConfigCondition {
 	var condition *mcfgv1.KubeletConfigCondition
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/controller/kubelet-config/kubelet_config_bootstrap.go b/pkg/controller/kubelet-config/kubelet_config_bootstrap.go
index 2dced82bab..fc33001e5c 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/kubelet-config/kubelet_config_bootstrap.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/kubelet-config/kubelet_config_bootstrap.go
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ func RunKubeletBootstrap(templateDir string, kubeletConfigs []*mcfgv1.KubeletCon
 			}
 			role := pool.Name
 
+			// Validate staticPodPath is not set for control plane pools
+			if err := validateStaticPodPathForPool(kubeletConfig, role); err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+
 			originalKubeConfig, err := generateOriginalKubeletConfigWithFeatureGates(controllerConfig, templateDir, role, fgHandler, apiServer)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
diff --git a/pkg/controller/kubelet-config/kubelet_config_controller.go b/pkg/controller/kubelet-config/kubelet_config_controller.go
index 2316c0827d..bb2b29e682 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/kubelet-config/kubelet_config_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/kubelet-config/kubelet_config_controller.go
@@ -597,6 +597,13 @@ func (ctrl *Controller) syncKubeletConfig(key string) error {
 		return ctrl.syncStatusOnly(cfg, err, "could not get the TLSSecurityProfile from %v: %v", ctrlcommon.APIServerInstanceName, err)
 	}
 
+	// Validate staticPodPath for all pools before applying any changes
+	for _, pool := range mcpPools {
+		if err := validateStaticPodPathForPool(cfg, pool.Name); err != nil {
+			return ctrl.syncStatusOnly(cfg, err)
+		}
+	}
+
 	for _, pool := range mcpPools {
 		role := pool.Name
 		// Get MachineConfig
diff --git a/pkg/controller/kubelet-config/kubelet_config_controller_test.go b/pkg/controller/kubelet-config/kubelet_config_controller_test.go
index a99cf0ccda..c60a216a9c 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/kubelet-config/kubelet_config_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/kubelet-config/kubelet_config_controller_test.go
@@ -913,12 +913,6 @@ func TestKubeletConfigDenylistedOptions(t *testing.T) {
 				ClusterDomain: "some_value",
 			},
 		},
-		{
-			name: "test banned staticpodpath",
-			config: &kubeletconfigv1beta1.KubeletConfiguration{
-				StaticPodPath: "some_value",
-			},
-		},
 		{
 			name: "user cannot supply features gates",
 			config: &kubeletconfigv1beta1.KubeletConfiguration{
@@ -974,6 +968,56 @@ func TestKubeletConfigDenylistedOptions(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestStaticPodPathPoolValidation(t *testing.T) {
+	kcWithNonEmptyStaticPodPath := newKubeletConfig(
+		"test-staticpodpath-nonempty",
+		&kubeletconfigv1beta1.KubeletConfiguration{
+			StaticPodPath: "/some/path",
+		},
+		metav1.AddLabelToSelector(&metav1.LabelSelector{}, "", ""),
+	)
+
+	// non-empty staticPodPath should be rejected for all pools
+	err := validateStaticPodPathForPool(kcWithNonEmptyStaticPodPath, ctrlcommon.MachineConfigPoolMaster)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Error("expected error for non-empty staticPodPath on master pool, got nil")
+	}
+
+	err = validateStaticPodPathForPool(kcWithNonEmptyStaticPodPath, ctrlcommon.MachineConfigPoolArbiter)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Error("expected error for non-empty staticPodPath on arbiter pool, got nil")
+	}
+
+	err = validateStaticPodPathForPool(kcWithNonEmptyStaticPodPath, ctrlcommon.MachineConfigPoolWorker)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Error("expected error for non-empty staticPodPath on worker pool, got nil")
+	}
+
+	err = validateStaticPodPathForPool(kcWithNonEmptyStaticPodPath, "custom-pool")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Error("expected error for non-empty staticPodPath on custom pool, got nil")
+	}
+
+	// empty staticPodPath should be allowed for worker and custom pools
+	kcWithEmptyStaticPodPath := newKubeletConfig(
+		"test-staticpodpath-empty",
+		&kubeletconfigv1beta1.KubeletConfiguration{
+			StaticPodPath: "",
+		},
+		metav1.AddLabelToSelector(&metav1.LabelSelector{}, "", ""),
+	)
+
+	err = validateStaticPodPathForPool(kcWithEmptyStaticPodPath, ctrlcommon.MachineConfigPoolWorker)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("expected no error for empty staticPodPath on worker pool, got: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	err = validateStaticPodPathForPool(kcWithEmptyStaticPodPath, "custom-pool")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("expected no error for empty staticPodPath on custom pool, got: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestKubeletConfigLogLevel(t *testing.T) {
 	// Test cases for valid LogLevel values
 	validLogLevels := []struct {