diff --git a/api/v1alpha3/machinehealthcheck_types.go b/api/v1alpha3/machinehealthcheck_types.go
index 1ec5ae4cf0b2..948abf6c4219 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha3/machinehealthcheck_types.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha3/machinehealthcheck_types.go
@@ -78,11 +78,11 @@ type UnhealthyCondition struct {
 type MachineHealthCheckStatus struct {
 	// total number of machines counted by this machine health check
 	// +kubebuilder:validation:Minimum=0
-	ExpectedMachines int32 `json:"expectedMachines"`
+	ExpectedMachines int32 `json:"expectedMachines,omitempty"`
 
 	// total number of healthy machines counted by this machine health check
 	// +kubebuilder:validation:Minimum=0
-	CurrentHealthy int32 `json:"currentHealthy"`
+	CurrentHealthy int32 `json:"currentHealthy,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // ANCHOR_END: MachineHealthCheckStatus
diff --git a/api/v1alpha3/machinehealthcheck_webhook_test.go b/api/v1alpha3/machinehealthcheck_webhook_test.go
index e9540204e39a..e838f3a4cf12 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha3/machinehealthcheck_webhook_test.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha3/machinehealthcheck_webhook_test.go
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ func TestMachineHealthCheckDefault(t *testing.T) {
 	mhc.Default()
 
 	g.Expect(mhc.Spec.MaxUnhealthy.String()).To(Equal("100%"))
+	g.Expect(mhc.Spec.NodeStartupTimeout).ToNot(BeNil())
+	g.Expect(*mhc.Spec.NodeStartupTimeout).To(Equal(metav1.Duration{Duration: 10 * time.Minute}))
 }
 
 func TestMachineHealthCheckLabelSelectorAsSelectorValidation(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/config/crd/bases/cluster.x-k8s.io_machinehealthchecks.yaml b/config/crd/bases/cluster.x-k8s.io_machinehealthchecks.yaml
index 66e9b32e9fab..c5d109640699 100644
--- a/config/crd/bases/cluster.x-k8s.io_machinehealthchecks.yaml
+++ b/config/crd/bases/cluster.x-k8s.io_machinehealthchecks.yaml
@@ -162,9 +162,6 @@ spec:
                 format: int32
                 minimum: 0
                 type: integer
-            required:
-            - currentHealthy
-            - expectedMachines
             type: object
         type: object
     served: true