# Kubernetes v1.37 Sneak Peek

LLMS index: [llms.txt](/llms.txt)

---

As we get closer to the release date for Kubernetes v1.37, the project develops and matures,
features may be deprecated, removed, or replaced with better ones for the project's overall
health. This blog outlines some of the planned changes for the Kubernetes v1.37 release that the
release team feels you should be aware of for the continued maintenance of your Kubernetes
environment and keeping up to date with the latest changes. The information below reflects the
current status of the v1.37 release and may change before the actual release date. 

## Deprecations and removals for Kubernetes v1.37

### Kubectl: `kubectl run --filename/-f` to be deprecated

The `--filename` (or `-f`) flag for `kubectl run` is being deprecated as the generated pod is always built purely from CLI arguments like `NAME` and `--image`.

See [kubernetes/kubernetes#138671](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/138671) for the original issue and discussion.

### Kubelet: Static Pods can no longer reference Secrets or ConfigMaps

Static Pods were never meant to read API resources directly, since they aren't created through the API server — but a bug let them reference Secrets or ConfigMaps via fields like `configMapRef` or `secretRef`. That bug is now fixed: as of v1.37 these references are strictly prohibited, and the `PreventStaticPodAPIReferences` feature gate that previously let you opt out of the restriction has been removed.

See [kubernetes/kubernetes#140226](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/140226) for the original issue and discussion.

### Deprecating kube-proxy's support for `ipvs` mode

`kube-proxy` support for `ipvs` mode was introduced in v1.8 to resolve `iptables` performance bottlenecks. However, since the kernel `ipvs` API alone cannot fully implement Kubernetes Services, `ipvs` mode continues to use `iptables` underneath ([KEP-3866, "The ipvs mode of kube-proxy will not save us"](https://github.com/kubernetes/enhancements/blob/master/keps/sig-network/3866-nftables-proxy/README.md#the-ipvs-mode-of-kube-proxy-will-not-save-us)).

Clusters running `kube-proxy` in ipvs mode (or mode: ipvs in KubeProxyConfiguration) would now be logging a deprecation warning on startup. The deprecation timeline looks like this:
- By v1.40, `ipvs` mode for `kube-proxy` is expected to be disabled by default (still selectable via the feature gate)
- By v1.43, support for `ipvs` mode would be removed entirely [KEP-5495, Graduation Criteria](https://github.com/kubernetes/enhancements/blob/master/keps/sig-network/5495-deprecate-ipvs-mode-in-kube-proxy/README.md#graduation-criteria).
To confirm which mode you’re currently running, use:

```bash
kubectl -n kube-system get configmap kube-proxy -o jsonpath='{.data.config\.conf}' | grep 'mode:'
```

To understand the rationale behind this deprecation, see [KEP-5495: Deprecate ipvs mode in kube-proxy](https://kubernetes.dev/resources/keps/5495).

## Ongoing major changes

### Future removal of cgroup v1 support {#cgroup-v1-support}

As modern Linux distributions and container runtimes use [cgroup v2](/docs/concepts/architecture/cgroups/) as the default, support for the legacy cgroup v1 is officially being phased out. Since the v1.35 release, the `failCgroupV1` setting has defaulted to true. Consequently, the `kubelet` will fail to initialize on any nodes that still rely on cgroup v1 unless an explicit configuration override is applied.

```yaml
apiVersion: kubelet.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
kind: KubeletConfiguration
failCgroupV1: false # temporary override
```

Using this override should be considered a short-term fix. Advanced resource management capabilities, such as In-Place Pod Resizing and Tiered Memory Protection, depend entirely on cgroup v2. While the override remains available in Kubernetes v1.37, users are encouraged to migrate to cgroup v2, as support for cgroup v1 is planned to be removed in a future release.

To learn more about this deprecation, refer to [KEP-5573: Remove cgroup v1 support](https://kubernetes.dev/resources/keps/5573).

## Breaking changes in Kubernetes v1.37

### SELinux volume relabeling ("SELinuxMount") graduates to GA {#SELinuxMount-GA}

SELinuxMount is expected to reach GA and be enabled by default in v1.37. Volumes would then be
mounted with `-o context=<label>` (the mount option default) instead of being recursively
relabeled, but **only** when the volume's CSI driver opts in via a CSIDriver that sets `.spec
seLinuxMount: true`.

Because a single mount can only hold one SELinux context, pods with different SELinux labels sharing a volume on the same node (which previously coexisted under recursive relabeling) may now fail to start. To retain the previous recursive behavior for a specific workload, set `seLinuxChangePolicy: Recursive` in the Pod spec.

Clusters without SELinux enabled see no effect at all. To learn more, check [SELinux Volume Label Changes goes GA (and likely implications in v1.37)](/blog/2026/04/22/breaking-changes-in-selinux-volume-labeling/)

## Featured enhancements of Kubernetes v1.37

### Metrics API goes GA {#metrics-api-ga}

The `metrics.k8s.io` API is expected to graduate to Stable (GA) in Kubernetes v1.37 after spending nearly nine years in Beta. The API provides a standard way to retrieve CPU and memory usage for pods and nodes, powering widely used Kubernetes features such as the Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA) and commands like `kubectl top`.

This graduation recognizes the API's stability and widespread adoption, with no functional changes expected. Both `v1` and `v1beta1` will remain usable during the transition, enabling developers to adopt the stable API at their own pace without breaking existing workflows.

To learn more about this enhancement, refer to [KEP-5207: metrics.k8s.io API definition](https://www.kubernetes.dev/resources/keps/5207/).

### Kubelet in UserNS a.k.a. Rootless Mode

Traditionally, Kubernetes node components such as the `kubelet` run with root privileges on the host. While necessary for many deployments, this also means that a vulnerability in one of these components could potentially have a greater impact on the underlying system. 

With Kubernetes v1.37, kubelet in User Namespace (Rootless Mode) is expected to graduate to
Beta. This enhancement allows Kubernetes node components to run inside a Linux user namespace as an unprivileged user on the host while still behaving as root within the namespace. By reducing the need for host-level root privileges, it adds an extra layer of isolation and helps limit the impact of potential vulnerabilities affecting node components. 

To learn more about this enhancement, refer to [KEP-2033: Kubelet in UserNS(aka Rootless Mode)](https://kubernetes.dev/resources/keps/4960). 

### Volume health monitor

Historically, Kubernetes has lacked an API for CSI drivers to report storage failures, which become evident only through
failed mounts or hung I/O. Since remediation controllers had nothing machine-readable to act upon, the only way to figure out the root cause behind this failure was to cross-reference Kubernetes objects alongside external vendor dashboards. 

In Kubernetes v1.37, this KEP resets graduation to Alpha after an initial implementation in v1.21 and introduces four new CSI
RPCs. The controller plugin reports the health of storage volumes using `ControllerListVolumeHealth` (lists unhealthy volumes) and `ControllerGetVolumeHealth` (checks a specific volume). A controller-side health monitor polls these CSI controllers and stores the results in
`PersistentVolumeClaim.status.healthStatus`. 

On the node side, the kubelet calls `NodeGetVolumeHealth` to obtain the health of individual volumes on that node and records
it in `Pod.status.volumeHealth`, while `NodeGetStorageHealth` reports the health of the drivers registered to a node in
`CSINode.status.storageHealth`. 

The error vocabulary is kept simple, extensible, and machine-parsable (`Inaccessible`, `Degraded`, etc.), with further driver-specific elaboration available via `reason` and `message`. Finally, the controller-side and node-side reports are kept independent and are hence displayed separately, providing a more holistic view of storage health to consumers. 

To learn more about this enhancement, refer to [KEP-1432: Volume Health Monitor](https://kubernetes.dev/resources/keps/1432).

## Want to know more?

New features and deprecations are also announced in the Kubernetes release notes. We will formally announce what's new in [Kubernetes v1.37](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/blob/master/CHANGELOG/CHANGELOG-1.37.md) as part of the CHANGELOG for that release.

Kubernetes v1.37 release is planned for **Wednesday, August 26th, 2026**. Stay tuned for updates!

You can see the announcements of changes in the release notes for:

* [Kubernetes v1.36](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/blob/master/CHANGELOG/CHANGELOG-1.36.md)

* [Kubernetes v1.35](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/blob/master/CHANGELOG/CHANGELOG-1.35.md)

* [Kubernetes v1.34](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/blob/master/CHANGELOG/CHANGELOG-1.34.md)

* [Kubernetes v1.33](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/blob/master/CHANGELOG/CHANGELOG-1.33.md)

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where we teach the community how the project is structured, and we'll guide you on how to make your first contribution to the project.

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