diff --git a/pkg/apis/certificates/v1/zz_generated.validations.go b/pkg/apis/certificates/v1/zz_generated.validations.go
index f24655e1aa5..8384e157fff 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/certificates/v1/zz_generated.validations.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/certificates/v1/zz_generated.validations.go
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ func Validate_CertificateSigningRequestStatus(ctx context.Context, op operation.
 	// field certificatesv1.CertificateSigningRequestStatus.Conditions
 	errs = append(errs,
 		func(fldPath *field.Path, obj, oldObj []certificatesv1.CertificateSigningRequestCondition) (errs field.ErrorList) {
+			// Uniqueness validation is implemented via custom, handwritten validation
 			// don't revalidate unchanged data
 			if op.Type == operation.Update && equality.Semantic.DeepEqual(obj, oldObj) {
 				return nil
diff --git a/pkg/apis/certificates/v1beta1/zz_generated.validations.go b/pkg/apis/certificates/v1beta1/zz_generated.validations.go
index c7be9509d71..8ee94e7cf9d 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/certificates/v1beta1/zz_generated.validations.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/certificates/v1beta1/zz_generated.validations.go
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ func Validate_CertificateSigningRequestStatus(ctx context.Context, op operation.
 	// field certificatesv1beta1.CertificateSigningRequestStatus.Conditions
 	errs = append(errs,
 		func(fldPath *field.Path, obj, oldObj []certificatesv1beta1.CertificateSigningRequestCondition) (errs field.ErrorList) {
+			// Uniqueness validation is implemented via custom, handwritten validation
 			// don't revalidate unchanged data
 			if op.Type == operation.Update && equality.Semantic.DeepEqual(obj, oldObj) {
 				return nil
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/output_tests/tags/optional/zero_defaults/zz_generated.validations.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/output_tests/tags/optional/zero_defaults/zz_generated.validations.go
index ae37bd15da6..573e76369aa 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/output_tests/tags/optional/zero_defaults/zz_generated.validations.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/output_tests/tags/optional/zero_defaults/zz_generated.validations.go
@@ -57,11 +57,6 @@ func Validate_Struct(ctx context.Context, op operation.Operation, fldPath *field
 	errs = append(errs,
 		func(fldPath *field.Path, obj, oldObj *string) (errs field.ErrorList) {
 			// optional value-type fields with zero-value defaults are purely documentation
-			// don't revalidate unchanged data
-			if op.Type == operation.Update && (obj == oldObj || (obj != nil && oldObj != nil && *obj == *oldObj)) {
-				return nil
-			}
-			// call field-attached validations
 			return
 		}(fldPath.Child("stringField"), &obj.StringField, safe.Field(oldObj, func(oldObj *Struct) *string { return &oldObj.StringField }))...)
 
@@ -85,11 +80,6 @@ func Validate_Struct(ctx context.Context, op operation.Operation, fldPath *field
 	errs = append(errs,
 		func(fldPath *field.Path, obj, oldObj *int) (errs field.ErrorList) {
 			// optional value-type fields with zero-value defaults are purely documentation
-			// don't revalidate unchanged data
-			if op.Type == operation.Update && (obj == oldObj || (obj != nil && oldObj != nil && *obj == *oldObj)) {
-				return nil
-			}
-			// call field-attached validations
 			return
 		}(fldPath.Child("intField"), &obj.IntField, safe.Field(oldObj, func(oldObj *Struct) *int { return &oldObj.IntField }))...)
 
@@ -113,11 +103,6 @@ func Validate_Struct(ctx context.Context, op operation.Operation, fldPath *field
 	errs = append(errs,
 		func(fldPath *field.Path, obj, oldObj *bool) (errs field.ErrorList) {
 			// optional value-type fields with zero-value defaults are purely documentation
-			// don't revalidate unchanged data
-			if op.Type == operation.Update && (obj == oldObj || (obj != nil && oldObj != nil && *obj == *oldObj)) {
-				return nil
-			}
-			// call field-attached validations
 			return
 		}(fldPath.Child("boolField"), &obj.BoolField, safe.Field(oldObj, func(oldObj *Struct) *bool { return &oldObj.BoolField }))...)
 
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/output_tests/tags/unique/zz_generated.validations.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/output_tests/tags/unique/zz_generated.validations.go
index a8b7754b49b..7e123da08ea 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/output_tests/tags/unique/zz_generated.validations.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/output_tests/tags/unique/zz_generated.validations.go
@@ -106,7 +106,19 @@ func Validate_Struct(ctx context.Context, op operation.Operation, fldPath *field
 			return
 		}(fldPath.Child("atomicListUniqueMap"), obj.AtomicListUniqueMap, safe.Field(oldObj, func(oldObj *Struct) []Item { return oldObj.AtomicListUniqueMap }))...)
 
-	// field Struct.CustomUniqueListWithTypeSet has no validation
-	// field Struct.CustomUniqueListWithTypeMap has no validation
+	// field Struct.CustomUniqueListWithTypeSet
+	errs = append(errs,
+		func(fldPath *field.Path, obj, oldObj []string) (errs field.ErrorList) {
+			// Uniqueness validation is implemented via custom, handwritten validation
+			return
+		}(fldPath.Child("customUniqueListWithTypeSet"), obj.CustomUniqueListWithTypeSet, safe.Field(oldObj, func(oldObj *Struct) []string { return oldObj.CustomUniqueListWithTypeSet }))...)
+
+	// field Struct.CustomUniqueListWithTypeMap
+	errs = append(errs,
+		func(fldPath *field.Path, obj, oldObj []Item) (errs field.ErrorList) {
+			// Uniqueness validation is implemented via custom, handwritten validation
+			return
+		}(fldPath.Child("customUniqueListWithTypeMap"), obj.CustomUniqueListWithTypeMap, safe.Field(oldObj, func(oldObj *Struct) []Item { return oldObj.CustomUniqueListWithTypeMap }))...)
+
 	return errs
 }
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validation.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validation.go
index f9f3fbbf1b8..e659982c0f9 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validation.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validation.go
@@ -1105,10 +1105,12 @@ func (g *genValidations) emitValidationForChild(c *generator.Context, thisChild
 			fldRatchetingChecked := false
 			if !validations.Empty() {
 				emitComments(validations.Comments, bufsw)
-				emitRatchetingCheck(c, fld.childType, bufsw)
-				fldRatchetingChecked = true
-				bufsw.Do("// call field-attached validations\n", nil)
-				emitCallsToValidators(c, validations.Functions, bufsw)
+				if len(validations.Functions) > 0 {
+					emitRatchetingCheck(c, fld.childType, bufsw)
+					fldRatchetingChecked = true
+					bufsw.Do("// call field-attached validations\n", nil)
+					emitCallsToValidators(c, validations.Functions, bufsw)
+				}
 			}
 
 			// If the node is nil, this must be a type in a package we are not
@@ -1132,11 +1134,14 @@ func (g *genValidations) emitValidationForChild(c *generator.Context, thisChild
 					// validations, call its validation function.
 					if validations := fld.fieldValIterations; g.hasValidations(fld.node.elem.node) && !validations.Empty() {
 						emitComments(validations.Comments, bufsw)
-						if !fldRatchetingChecked {
-							emitRatchetingCheck(c, fld.childType, bufsw)
-							fldRatchetingChecked = true
+						if len(validations.Functions) > 0 {
+							if !fldRatchetingChecked {
+								emitRatchetingCheck(c, fld.childType, bufsw)
+								fldRatchetingChecked = true
+							}
+							emitCallsToValidators(c, validations.Functions, bufsw)
 						}
-						emitCallsToValidators(c, validations.Functions, bufsw)
+
 					}
 					// Descend into this field.
 					g.emitValidationForChild(c, fld, bufsw)
@@ -1145,21 +1150,25 @@ func (g *genValidations) emitValidationForChild(c *generator.Context, thisChild
 					// validations, call its validation function.
 					if validations := fld.fieldKeyIterations; g.hasValidations(fld.node.key.node) && !validations.Empty() {
 						emitComments(validations.Comments, bufsw)
-						if !fldRatchetingChecked {
-							emitRatchetingCheck(c, fld.childType, bufsw)
-							fldRatchetingChecked = true
+						if len(validations.Functions) > 0 {
+							if !fldRatchetingChecked {
+								emitRatchetingCheck(c, fld.childType, bufsw)
+								fldRatchetingChecked = true
+							}
+							emitCallsToValidators(c, validations.Functions, bufsw)
 						}
-						emitCallsToValidators(c, validations.Functions, bufsw)
 					}
 					// If this field is a map and the value-type has
 					// validations, call its validation function.
 					if validations := fld.fieldValIterations; g.hasValidations(fld.node.elem.node) && !validations.Empty() {
 						emitComments(validations.Comments, bufsw)
-						if !fldRatchetingChecked {
-							emitRatchetingCheck(c, fld.childType, bufsw)
-							fldRatchetingChecked = true
+						if len(validations.Functions) > 0 {
+							if !fldRatchetingChecked {
+								emitRatchetingCheck(c, fld.childType, bufsw)
+								fldRatchetingChecked = true
+							}
+							emitCallsToValidators(c, validations.Functions, bufsw)
 						}
-						emitCallsToValidators(c, validations.Functions, bufsw)
 					}
 					// Descend into this field.
 					g.emitValidationForChild(c, fld, bufsw)
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validators/list.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validators/list.go
index 1bc9ce5e6c8..4af73a195d4 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validators/list.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/validation-gen/validators/list.go
@@ -412,15 +412,14 @@ func (lv listValidator) GetValidations(context Context) (Validations, error) {
 	if err := lv.check(lm); err != nil {
 		return Validations{}, err
 	}
-
+	result := Validations{}
 	if lm.customUnique {
 		// Uniqueness validation is disabled in generated validation for this list.
 		// It would defer to handwritten validation to check the uniqueness.
-		return Validations{}, nil
+		result.AddComment("Uniqueness validation is implemented via custom, handwritten validation")
+		return result, nil
 	}
 
-	result := Validations{}
-
 	// Generate uniqueness checks for lists with higher-order semantics.
 	if lm.semantic == semanticSet {
 		// Only compare primitive values when possible. Slices and maps are not