diff --git a/pkg/features/kcp_features.go b/pkg/features/kcp_features.go
index 375fae53291..a10b1ef680f 100644
--- a/pkg/features/kcp_features.go
+++ b/pkg/features/kcp_features.go
@@ -62,6 +62,18 @@ const (
 	WorkspaceAuthentication featuregate.Feature = "WorkspaceAuthentication"
 )
 
+// Re-export upstream feature gates used by kcp server logic so callers import
+// only this package instead of mixing kcp and upstream feature imports.
+// Mirrored from k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/features.
+const (
+	// StorageVersionAPI enables the storage version API (alpha since k8s 1.20, off by default).
+	// When enabled in kcp, WithStorageVersionPrecondition is applied in the handler chain to
+	// block write requests to resources whose storage versions have not yet converged across
+	// all kcp shards during a rolling upgrade.
+	// See: https://github.com/kcp-dev/kubernetes/pull/185
+	StorageVersionAPI = genericfeatures.StorageVersionAPI
+)
+
 // DefaultFeatureGate exposes the upstream feature gate, but with our gate setting applied.
 var DefaultFeatureGate = utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate
 
@@ -141,6 +153,11 @@ var defaultVersionedGenericControlPlaneFeatureGates = map[featuregate.Feature]fe
 	WorkspaceAuthentication: {
 		{Version: version.MustParse("1.32"), Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
 	},
+	// StorageVersionAPI mirrors the upstream k8s gate; kcp keeps it Alpha/off-by-default.
+	// Must be listed here so kcp's feature gate machinery tracks it and exposes it via --feature-gates.
+	genericfeatures.StorageVersionAPI: {
+		{Version: version.MustParse("1.20"), Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
+	},
 	// inherited features from generic apiserver, relisted here to get a conflict if it is changed
 	// unintentionally on either side:
 	genericfeatures.APIResponseCompression: {
diff --git a/pkg/server/config.go b/pkg/server/config.go
index c2ce0bfca9b..da5177201e9 100644
--- a/pkg/server/config.go
+++ b/pkg/server/config.go
@@ -453,6 +453,14 @@ func NewConfig(ctx context.Context, opts kcpserveroptions.CompletedOptions) (*Co
 	// preHandlerChainMux is called before the actual handler chain. Note that BuildHandlerChainFunc below
 	// is called multiple times, but only one of the handler chain will actually be used. Hence, we wrap it
 	// to give handlers below one mux.Handle func to call.
+	//
+	// NOTE: kcp fully replaces BuildHandlerChainFunc here, which means any handler chain customization
+	// done earlier in the setup pipeline (e.g. genericConfig.BuildHandlerChainFunc =
+	// genericapiserver.BuildHandlerChainWithStorageVersionPrecondition in CreateAggregatorConfig when
+	// StorageVersionAPI + APIServerIdentity feature gates are enabled) is overwritten and never applied.
+	// WithStorageVersionPrecondition is therefore applied explicitly below, gated behind the
+	// StorageVersionAPI feature gate (alpha, off by default) to match upstream k8s behaviour.
+	// See: https://github.com/kcp-dev/kubernetes/pull/185
 	c.preHandlerChainMux = &handlerChainMuxes{}
 	c.GenericConfig.BuildHandlerChainFunc = func(apiHandler http.Handler, genericConfig *genericapiserver.Config) (secure http.Handler) {
 		apiHandler = openapiv3.WithOpenAPIv3(apiHandler, c.openAPIv3ServiceCache) // will be initialized further down after apiextensions-apiserver
@@ -461,6 +469,16 @@ func NewConfig(ctx context.Context, opts kcpserveroptions.CompletedOptions) (*Co
 		apiHandler = authorization.WithSubjectAccessReviewAuditAnnotations(apiHandler)
 		apiHandler = authorization.WithDeepSubjectAccessReview(apiHandler)
 
+		// WithStorageVersionPrecondition blocks write requests to resources whose storage versions
+		// have not yet converged across all kcp shards during a rolling upgrade. It must wrap the
+		// API handler before the authz chain runs, and relies on WithRequestInfo
+		// (in DefaultBuildHandlerChainFromStartToBeforeImpersonation below) being present in the
+		// outer chain at request time.
+		// Gated behind StorageVersionAPI (alpha, off by default) to match upstream k8s behaviour.
+		if kcpfeatures.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(kcpfeatures.StorageVersionAPI) {
+			apiHandler = filters.WithStorageVersionPrecondition(apiHandler, genericConfig.StorageVersionManager, genericConfig.Serializer)
+		}
+
 		// The following ensures that only the default main api handler chain executes authorizers which log audit messages.
 		// All other invocations of the same authorizer chain still work but do not produce audit log entries.
 		// This compromises audit log size and information overflow vs. having audit reasons for the main api handler only.