diff --git a/apiextensions/v1alpha1/tests/compatibilityrequirements.apiextensions.openshift.io/CRDCompatibilityRequirementOperator.yaml b/apiextensions/v1alpha1/tests/compatibilityrequirements.apiextensions.openshift.io/CRDCompatibilityRequirementOperator.yaml
index 0edca863fb8..f16daafdaa9 100644
--- a/apiextensions/v1alpha1/tests/compatibilityrequirements.apiextensions.openshift.io/CRDCompatibilityRequirementOperator.yaml
+++ b/apiextensions/v1alpha1/tests/compatibilityrequirements.apiextensions.openshift.io/CRDCompatibilityRequirementOperator.yaml
@@ -167,6 +167,8 @@ tests:
             defaultSelection: StorageOnly
           excludedFields:
           - path: spec.fieldToExclude
+            versions:
+            - v1
           - path: status.anotherField
             versions:
             - v1alpha1
@@ -201,6 +203,8 @@ tests:
             defaultSelection: StorageOnly
           excludedFields:
           - path: spec.fieldToExclude
+            versions:
+            - v1
           - path: status.anotherField
             versions:
             - v1alpha1
@@ -237,6 +241,8 @@ tests:
             defaultSelection: StorageOnly
           excludedFields:
           - path: spec.fieldToExclude
+            versions:
+            - v1
           - path: spec.fieldToExclude
             versions:
             - v1alpha1
@@ -274,6 +280,8 @@ tests:
             defaultSelection: StorageOnly
           excludedFields:
           - path: "1invalidFieldName"
+            versions:
+            - v1
     expectedError: "spec.compatibilitySchema.excludedFields[0].path: Invalid value"
 
   - name: Should not be able to create CompatibilityRequirement with invalid DNS 1035 label in additionalVersions
@@ -376,6 +384,8 @@ tests:
             defaultSelection: StorageOnly
           excludedFields:
           - path: spec.thisFieldNameIsWayTooLongBecauseItExceedsSixtyThreeCharactersInLength
+            versions:
+            - v1
     expectedError: "path must be dot-separated field names, each starting with a letter and containing only letters, digits, and underscores not exceeding 63 characters"
 
   - name: Should not be able to create CompatibilityRequirement with excludedFields path containing more than 16 fields
@@ -410,6 +420,8 @@ tests:
             defaultSelection: StorageOnly
           excludedFields:
           - path: a.b.c.d.e.f.g.h.i.j.k.l.m.n.o.p.q
+            versions:
+            - v1
     expectedError: "path must be dot-separated field names, each starting with a letter and containing only letters, digits, and underscores not exceeding 63 characters. There may be at most 16 fields in the path"
 
   - name: Should not be able to create CompatibilityRequirement with excludedFields path containing invalid characters
@@ -444,6 +456,8 @@ tests:
             defaultSelection: StorageOnly
           excludedFields:
           - path: spec.field-name
+            versions:
+            - v1
     expectedError: "path must be dot-separated field names, each starting with a letter and containing only letters, digits, and underscores not exceeding 63 characters"
 
   - name: Should be able to create CompatibilityRequirement with excludedFields path containing exactly 16 fields
@@ -478,6 +492,8 @@ tests:
             defaultSelection: StorageOnly
           excludedFields:
           - path: a.b.c.d.e.f.g.h.i.j.k.l.m.n.o.p
+            versions:
+            - v1
     expected: |
       apiVersion: apiextensions.openshift.io/v1alpha1
       kind: CompatibilityRequirement
@@ -509,6 +525,8 @@ tests:
             defaultSelection: StorageOnly
           excludedFields:
           - path: a.b.c.d.e.f.g.h.i.j.k.l.m.n.o.p
+            versions:
+            - v1
 
   - name: Should not be able to create CompatibilityRequirement with empty objectSchemaValidation.namespaceSelector
     initial: |
diff --git a/apiextensions/v1alpha1/types_compatibilityrequirement.go b/apiextensions/v1alpha1/types_compatibilityrequirement.go
index 0da25370a9b..ef1a10b5f5e 100644
--- a/apiextensions/v1alpha1/types_compatibilityrequirement.go
+++ b/apiextensions/v1alpha1/types_compatibilityrequirement.go
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ type APIExcludedField struct {
 	// +kubebuilder:validation:MinItems=1
 	// +kubebuilder:validation:MaxItems=32
 	// +listType=set
-	// +optional
+	// +required
 	Versions []APIVersionString `json:"versions,omitempty"`
 }
 
diff --git a/apiextensions/v1alpha1/zz_generated.crd-manifests/0000_20_crd-compatibility-checker_01_compatibilityrequirements.crd.yaml b/apiextensions/v1alpha1/zz_generated.crd-manifests/0000_20_crd-compatibility-checker_01_compatibilityrequirements.crd.yaml
index 8ae4185ee2f..65283027f51 100644
--- a/apiextensions/v1alpha1/zz_generated.crd-manifests/0000_20_crd-compatibility-checker_01_compatibilityrequirements.crd.yaml
+++ b/apiextensions/v1alpha1/zz_generated.crd-manifests/0000_20_crd-compatibility-checker_01_compatibilityrequirements.crd.yaml
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ spec:
                           x-kubernetes-list-type: set
                       required:
                       - path
+                      - versions
                       type: object
                     maxItems: 64
                     minItems: 1
diff --git a/apiextensions/v1alpha1/zz_generated.featuregated-crd-manifests/compatibilityrequirements.apiextensions.openshift.io/CRDCompatibilityRequirementOperator.yaml b/apiextensions/v1alpha1/zz_generated.featuregated-crd-manifests/compatibilityrequirements.apiextensions.openshift.io/CRDCompatibilityRequirementOperator.yaml
index 72ce9442a1e..1c219381632 100644
--- a/apiextensions/v1alpha1/zz_generated.featuregated-crd-manifests/compatibilityrequirements.apiextensions.openshift.io/CRDCompatibilityRequirementOperator.yaml
+++ b/apiextensions/v1alpha1/zz_generated.featuregated-crd-manifests/compatibilityrequirements.apiextensions.openshift.io/CRDCompatibilityRequirementOperator.yaml
@@ -139,6 +139,7 @@ spec:
                           x-kubernetes-list-type: set
                       required:
                       - path
+                      - versions
                       type: object
                     maxItems: 64
                     minItems: 1
diff --git a/openapi/generated_openapi/zz_generated.openapi.go b/openapi/generated_openapi/zz_generated.openapi.go
index 1b7063dd42f..63c441ccbda 100644
--- a/openapi/generated_openapi/zz_generated.openapi.go
+++ b/openapi/generated_openapi/zz_generated.openapi.go
@@ -1750,7 +1750,7 @@ func schema_openshift_api_apiextensions_v1alpha1_APIExcludedField(ref common.Ref
 						},
 					},
 				},
-				Required: []string{"path"},
+				Required: []string{"path", "versions"},
 			},
 		},
 	}
diff --git a/payload-manifests/crds/0000_20_crd-compatibility-checker_01_compatibilityrequirements.crd.yaml b/payload-manifests/crds/0000_20_crd-compatibility-checker_01_compatibilityrequirements.crd.yaml
index 8ae4185ee2f..65283027f51 100644
--- a/payload-manifests/crds/0000_20_crd-compatibility-checker_01_compatibilityrequirements.crd.yaml
+++ b/payload-manifests/crds/0000_20_crd-compatibility-checker_01_compatibilityrequirements.crd.yaml
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ spec:
                           x-kubernetes-list-type: set
                       required:
                       - path
+                      - versions
                       type: object
                     maxItems: 64
                     minItems: 1