diff --git a/vertical-pod-autoscaler/pkg/recommender/input/cluster_feeder.go b/vertical-pod-autoscaler/pkg/recommender/input/cluster_feeder.go
index d9923caf3f9..6f2ebf95189 100644
--- a/vertical-pod-autoscaler/pkg/recommender/input/cluster_feeder.go
+++ b/vertical-pod-autoscaler/pkg/recommender/input/cluster_feeder.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 package input
 
 import (
-	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
@@ -52,10 +51,6 @@ const (
 	defaultResyncPeriod time.Duration = 10 * time.Minute
 )
 
-var (
-	beta1APIDeprecated = flag.Bool("beta1-api-deprecated", true, `If v1beta1 API objects should be marked as deprecated.`)
-)
-
 // ClusterStateFeeder can update state of ClusterState object.
 type ClusterStateFeeder interface {
 
@@ -432,7 +427,7 @@ func (feeder *clusterStateFeeder) getSelector(vpa *vpa_types.VerticalPodAutoscal
 	if selector != nil {
 		if legacySelector != nil {
 			return labels.Nothing(), []condition{
-				{conditionType: vpa_types.ConfigUnsupported, delete: false, message: "Both targetRef and label selector defined. Please reomve label selector"},
+				{conditionType: vpa_types.ConfigUnsupported, delete: false, message: "Both targetRef and label selector defined. Please remove label selector"},
 				{conditionType: vpa_types.ConfigDeprecated, delete: true},
 			}
 		}
@@ -442,13 +437,10 @@ func (feeder *clusterStateFeeder) getSelector(vpa *vpa_types.VerticalPodAutoscal
 		}
 	}
 	if legacySelector != nil {
-		if *beta1APIDeprecated {
-			return legacySelector, []condition{
-				{conditionType: vpa_types.ConfigUnsupported, delete: true},
-				{conditionType: vpa_types.ConfigDeprecated, delete: false, message: "Deprecated label selector defined, please migrate to targetRef"},
-			}
+		return labels.Nothing(), []condition{
+			{conditionType: vpa_types.ConfigUnsupported, delete: false, message: "Label selector is no longer supported, please migrate to targetRef"},
+			{conditionType: vpa_types.ConfigDeprecated, delete: true},
 		}
-		return legacySelector, []condition{}
 	}
 	msg := "Cannot read targetRef"
 	if fetchErr != nil {
diff --git a/vertical-pod-autoscaler/pkg/recommender/input/cluster_feeder_test.go b/vertical-pod-autoscaler/pkg/recommender/input/cluster_feeder_test.go
index 4593794d6be..907870f7601 100644
--- a/vertical-pod-autoscaler/pkg/recommender/input/cluster_feeder_test.go
+++ b/vertical-pod-autoscaler/pkg/recommender/input/cluster_feeder_test.go
@@ -38,10 +38,10 @@ func parseLabelSelector(selector string) labels.Selector {
 }
 
 var (
-	deprecatedConditionText             = "Deprecated label selector defined, please migrate to targetRef"
-	unsupportedConditionTextFromFetcher = "Cannot read targetRef. Reason: targetRef not defined"
-	unsupportedConditionNoExtraText     = "Cannot read targetRef"
-	unsupportedConditionBothDefined     = "Both targetRef and label selector defined. Please reomve label selector"
+	unsupportedConditionNoLongerSupported = "Label selector is no longer supported, please migrate to targetRef"
+	unsupportedConditionTextFromFetcher   = "Cannot read targetRef. Reason: targetRef not defined"
+	unsupportedConditionNoExtraText       = "Cannot read targetRef"
+	unsupportedConditionBothDefined       = "Both targetRef and label selector defined. Please remove label selector"
 )
 
 func TestLegacySelector(t *testing.T) {
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ func TestLegacySelector(t *testing.T) {
 	type testCase struct {
 		legacySelector            labels.Selector
 		selector                  labels.Selector
-		beta1APIDeprecated        bool
 		fetchSelectorError        error
 		expectedSelector          labels.Selector
 		expectedConfigUnsupported *string
@@ -60,7 +59,6 @@ func TestLegacySelector(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			legacySelector:            nil,
 			selector:                  nil,
-			beta1APIDeprecated:        true,
 			fetchSelectorError:        fmt.Errorf("targetRef not defined"),
 			expectedSelector:          labels.Nothing(),
 			expectedConfigUnsupported: &unsupportedConditionTextFromFetcher,
@@ -69,7 +67,6 @@ func TestLegacySelector(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			legacySelector:            nil,
 			selector:                  nil,
-			beta1APIDeprecated:        true,
 			fetchSelectorError:        nil,
 			expectedSelector:          labels.Nothing(),
 			expectedConfigUnsupported: &unsupportedConditionNoExtraText,
@@ -78,57 +75,14 @@ func TestLegacySelector(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			legacySelector:            parseLabelSelector("app = test"),
 			selector:                  nil,
-			beta1APIDeprecated:        true,
 			fetchSelectorError:        fmt.Errorf("targetRef not defined"),
-			expectedSelector:          parseLabelSelector("app = test"),
-			expectedConfigUnsupported: nil,
-			expectedConfigDeprecated:  &deprecatedConditionText,
-		}, {
-			legacySelector:            nil,
-			selector:                  parseLabelSelector("app = test"),
-			beta1APIDeprecated:        true,
-			fetchSelectorError:        nil,
-			expectedSelector:          parseLabelSelector("app = test"),
-			expectedConfigUnsupported: nil,
-			expectedConfigDeprecated:  nil,
-		}, {
-			legacySelector:            parseLabelSelector("app = test1"),
-			selector:                  parseLabelSelector("app = test2"),
-			beta1APIDeprecated:        true,
-			fetchSelectorError:        nil,
 			expectedSelector:          labels.Nothing(),
-			expectedConfigUnsupported: &unsupportedConditionBothDefined,
-			expectedConfigDeprecated:  nil,
-		}, {
-			legacySelector:            nil,
-			selector:                  nil,
-			beta1APIDeprecated:        false,
-			fetchSelectorError:        fmt.Errorf("targetRef not defined"),
-			expectedSelector:          labels.Nothing(),
-			expectedConfigUnsupported: &unsupportedConditionTextFromFetcher,
-			expectedConfigDeprecated:  nil,
-		},
-		{
-			legacySelector:            nil,
-			selector:                  nil,
-			beta1APIDeprecated:        false,
-			fetchSelectorError:        nil,
-			expectedSelector:          labels.Nothing(),
-			expectedConfigUnsupported: &unsupportedConditionNoExtraText,
-			expectedConfigDeprecated:  nil,
-		},
-		{
-			legacySelector:            parseLabelSelector("app = test"),
-			selector:                  nil,
-			beta1APIDeprecated:        false,
-			fetchSelectorError:        fmt.Errorf("targetRef not defined"),
-			expectedSelector:          parseLabelSelector("app = test"),
-			expectedConfigUnsupported: nil,
+			expectedConfigUnsupported: &unsupportedConditionNoLongerSupported,
 			expectedConfigDeprecated:  nil,
 		}, {
+			// the only valid option since v1beta1 removal
 			legacySelector:            nil,
 			selector:                  parseLabelSelector("app = test"),
-			beta1APIDeprecated:        false,
 			fetchSelectorError:        nil,
 			expectedSelector:          parseLabelSelector("app = test"),
 			expectedConfigUnsupported: nil,
@@ -136,7 +90,6 @@ func TestLegacySelector(t *testing.T) {
 		}, {
 			legacySelector:            parseLabelSelector("app = test1"),
 			selector:                  parseLabelSelector("app = test2"),
-			beta1APIDeprecated:        false,
 			fetchSelectorError:        nil,
 			expectedSelector:          labels.Nothing(),
 			expectedConfigUnsupported: &unsupportedConditionBothDefined,
@@ -153,7 +106,6 @@ func TestLegacySelector(t *testing.T) {
 			vpa := test.VerticalPodAutoscaler().WithName("testVpa").WithContainer("container").WithNamespace("testNamespace").Get()
 			vpaLister := &test.VerticalPodAutoscalerListerMock{}
 			vpaLister.On("List").Return([]*vpa_types.VerticalPodAutoscaler{vpa}, nil)
-			*beta1APIDeprecated = tc.beta1APIDeprecated
 
 			legacyTargetSelectorFetcher := target_mock.NewMockVpaTargetSelectorFetcher(ctrl)
 			targetSelectorFetcher := target_mock.NewMockVpaTargetSelectorFetcher(ctrl)