diff --git a/cmd/kube-apiserver/app/server.go b/cmd/kube-apiserver/app/server.go
index b1ba932376bd..4edf917bcd17 100644
--- a/cmd/kube-apiserver/app/server.go
+++ b/cmd/kube-apiserver/app/server.go
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"time"
 
-	configv1 "github.com/openshift/api/config/v1"
-	openshiftfeatures "github.com/openshift/library-go/pkg/features"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/openshift-kube-apiserver/admission/admissionenablement"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/openshift-kube-apiserver/enablement"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/openshift-kube-apiserver/openshiftkubeapiserver"
@@ -84,12 +82,6 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/serviceaccount"
 )
 
-// OpenShiftKubeAPIServerFeatureGates contains list of feature gates that
-// will be honored by openshift-kube-apiserver
-var OpenShiftKubeAPIServerFeatureGates []configv1.FeatureGateName = []configv1.FeatureGateName{
-	configv1.FeatureGateRouteExternalCertificate,
-}
-
 func init() {
 	utilruntime.Must(logsapi.AddFeatureGates(utilfeature.DefaultMutableFeatureGate))
 }
@@ -178,11 +170,6 @@ cluster's shared state through which all other components interact.`,
 
 	// openshift feature gates need to be mandatorily initialized before flag set is used
 	// feature gates
-	if err := openshiftfeatures.InitializeFeatureGates(utilfeature.DefaultMutableFeatureGate,
-		OpenShiftKubeAPIServerFeatureGates...,
-	); err != nil {
-		klog.Fatal(err)
-	}
 
 	fs := cmd.Flags()
 	namedFlagSets := s.Flags()
diff --git a/pkg/features/openshift_features.go b/pkg/features/openshift_features.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a5e1e9a52942
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/features/openshift_features.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package features
+
+import (
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/runtime"
+	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
+	"k8s.io/component-base/featuregate"
+
+	configv1 "github.com/openshift/api/config/v1"
+)
+
+var OpenshiftFeatureGates = []configv1.FeatureGateName{
+	configv1.FeatureGateRouteExternalCertificate,
+}
+
+func init() {
+	registerOpenshiftFeatures()
+}
+
+func registerOpenshiftFeatures() {
+	osKubeFeatureGates := map[featuregate.Feature]featuregate.FeatureSpec{}
+
+	for _, featureGateName := range OpenshiftFeatureGates {
+		osFeature := featuregate.Feature(featureGateName)
+
+		osKubeFeatureGates[osFeature] = featuregate.FeatureSpec{
+			Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha,
+		}
+	}
+
+	runtime.Must(utilfeature.DefaultMutableFeatureGate.Add(osKubeFeatureGates))
+}