diff --git a/pkg/apis/networking/validation/validation.go b/pkg/apis/networking/validation/validation.go
index d7edbc121ae..25d0d45dcd8 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/networking/validation/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/networking/validation/validation.go
@@ -27,9 +27,11 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/validation"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/validation/field"
+	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
 	api "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/apis/core"
 	apivalidation "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/apis/core/validation"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/apis/networking"
+	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/features"
 	netutils "k8s.io/utils/net"
 	"k8s.io/utils/ptr"
 )
@@ -283,6 +285,9 @@ type IngressValidationOptions struct {
 
 	// AllowInvalidWildcardHostRule indicates whether invalid rule values are allowed in rules with wildcard hostnames
 	AllowInvalidWildcardHostRule bool
+
+	// AllowRelaxedServiceNameValidation indicates if the backend service name can be validated with apimachineryvalidation.NameIsDNSLabel
+	AllowRelaxedServiceNameValidation bool
 }
 
 // ValidateIngress validates Ingresses on create and update.
@@ -296,8 +301,9 @@ func validateIngress(ingress *networking.Ingress, opts IngressValidationOptions)
 func ValidateIngressCreate(ingress *networking.Ingress) field.ErrorList {
 	allErrs := field.ErrorList{}
 	opts := IngressValidationOptions{
-		AllowInvalidSecretName:       false,
-		AllowInvalidWildcardHostRule: false,
+		AllowInvalidSecretName:            false,
+		AllowInvalidWildcardHostRule:      false,
+		AllowRelaxedServiceNameValidation: allowRelaxedServiceNameValidation(nil),
 	}
 	allErrs = append(allErrs, validateIngress(ingress, opts)...)
 	annotationVal, annotationIsSet := ingress.Annotations[annotationIngressClass]
@@ -312,8 +318,9 @@ func ValidateIngressCreate(ingress *networking.Ingress) field.ErrorList {
 func ValidateIngressUpdate(ingress, oldIngress *networking.Ingress) field.ErrorList {
 	allErrs := apivalidation.ValidateObjectMetaUpdate(&ingress.ObjectMeta, &oldIngress.ObjectMeta, field.NewPath("metadata"))
 	opts := IngressValidationOptions{
-		AllowInvalidSecretName:       allowInvalidSecretName(oldIngress),
-		AllowInvalidWildcardHostRule: allowInvalidWildcardHostRule(oldIngress),
+		AllowInvalidSecretName:            allowInvalidSecretName(oldIngress),
+		AllowInvalidWildcardHostRule:      allowInvalidWildcardHostRule(oldIngress),
+		AllowRelaxedServiceNameValidation: allowRelaxedServiceNameValidation(oldIngress),
 	}
 
 	allErrs = append(allErrs, validateIngress(ingress, opts)...)
@@ -513,7 +520,13 @@ func validateIngressBackend(backend *networking.IngressBackend, fldPath *field.P
 		if len(backend.Service.Name) == 0 {
 			allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Required(fldPath.Child("service", "name"), ""))
 		} else {
-			for _, msg := range apivalidation.ValidateServiceName(backend.Service.Name, false) {
+
+			validationFunc := apivalidation.ValidateServiceName
+			if opts.AllowRelaxedServiceNameValidation {
+				validationFunc = apimachineryvalidation.NameIsDNSLabel
+			}
+
+			for _, msg := range validationFunc(backend.Service.Name, false) {
 				allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(fldPath.Child("service", "name"), backend.Service.Name, msg))
 			}
 		}
@@ -685,6 +698,37 @@ func allowInvalidWildcardHostRule(oldIngress *networking.Ingress) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+func allowRelaxedServiceNameValidation(oldIngress *networking.Ingress) bool {
+	// Early exit if the feature gate is enabled, as it allows relaxed validation
+	if utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.RelaxedServiceNameValidation) {
+		return true
+	}
+	// Early exit if no old Ingress is provided
+	if oldIngress == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	// If feature gate is disabled, check if any service names in the old Ingresss
+	for _, rule := range oldIngress.Spec.Rules {
+		if rule.HTTP == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		for _, path := range rule.HTTP.Paths {
+			if path.Backend.Service == nil {
+				continue
+			}
+			serviceName := path.Backend.Service.Name
+			// If a name doesn't validate with apimachineryvalidation.NameIsDNS1035Label, but does validate with apimachineryvalidation.NameIsDNSLabel,
+			// then we allow it to be used as a Service name in an Ingress.
+			dnsLabelValidationErrors := apimachineryvalidation.NameIsDNSLabel(serviceName, false)
+			dns1035LabelValidationErrors := apimachineryvalidation.NameIsDNS1035Label(serviceName, false)
+			if len(dnsLabelValidationErrors) == 0 && len(dns1035LabelValidationErrors) > 0 {
+				return true
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // ValidateIPAddressName validates that the name is the decimal representation of an IP address.
 // IPAddress does not support generating names, prefix is not considered.
 func ValidateIPAddressName(name string, prefix bool) []string {