diff --git a/housekeeper/operator/api/v1alpha1/update_types.go b/housekeeper/operator/api/v1alpha1/update_types.go
index 7351fd49089b237db86b9e55b668931fb38f21a9..300e9504320768aba18a174c46d6783462c97f8e 100644
--- a/housekeeper/operator/api/v1alpha1/update_types.go
+++ b/housekeeper/operator/api/v1alpha1/update_types.go
@@ -27,9 +27,10 @@ import (
 type UpdateSpec struct {
 	// INSERT ADDITIONAL SPEC FIELDS - desired state of cluster
 	// Important: Run "make" to regenerate code after modifying this file
-	OSVersion   string `json:"osVersion"`
-	OSImageURL  string `json:"osImageURL"`
-	KubeVersion string `json:"kubeVersion"`
+	OSVersion     string `json:"osVersion"`
+	OSImageURL    string `json:"osImageURL"`
+	KubeVersion   string `json:"kubeVersion"`
+	EvictPodForce bool   `json:"evictPodForce"`
 }
 
 // UpdateStatus defines the observed state of Update
diff --git a/housekeeper/operator/config/crd/housekeeper.io_updates.yaml b/housekeeper/operator/config/crd/housekeeper.io_updates.yaml
index 53cf004a6a0115657370aad518aabff0c95b6fe5..2938aa04722d3143d32f77bb51dfb473c5197889 100644
--- a/housekeeper/operator/config/crd/housekeeper.io_updates.yaml
+++ b/housekeeper/operator/config/crd/housekeeper.io_updates.yaml
@@ -44,10 +44,14 @@ spec:
               osVersion:
                 description: 'The version used to upgrade OS'
                 type: string
+              evictPodForce:
+                description: 'If true, force evict the pod'
+                type: boolean
             required:
             - kubeVersion
             - osImageURL
             - osVersion
+            - evictPodForce
             type: object
           status:
             description: UpdateStatus defines the observed state of Update
diff --git a/housekeeper/operator/housekeeper-controller/controllers/update_controller.go b/housekeeper/operator/housekeeper-controller/controllers/update_controller.go
index 654645177f59fb2f2757500d079e8c99c617976a..ea4e428aa8b33d163afe8e355f7265edd8c0c30a 100644
--- a/housekeeper/operator/housekeeper-controller/controllers/update_controller.go
+++ b/housekeeper/operator/housekeeper-controller/controllers/update_controller.go
@@ -102,13 +102,15 @@ func (r *UpdateReconciler) upgradeNodes(ctx context.Context, upInstance *houseke
 		drainer := &drain.Helper{
 			Ctx:                 ctx,
 			Client:              r.KubeClientSet,
-			Force:               true,
 			IgnoreAllDaemonSets: true,
 			DeleteEmptyDirData:  true,
 			GracePeriodSeconds:  -1,
 			Out:                 os.Stdout,
 			ErrOut:              os.Stderr,
 		}
+		if upInstance.Spec.EvictPodForce {
+			drainer.Force = true
+		}
 		if err := drainNode(drainer, node); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -129,14 +131,11 @@ func (r *UpdateReconciler) refreshNodes(ctx context.Context, upInstance *houseke
 	deleteLabel(ctx, r, node)
 	if node.Spec.Unschedulable {
 		drainer := &drain.Helper{
-			Ctx:                 ctx,
-			Client:              r.KubeClientSet,
-			Force:               true,
-			IgnoreAllDaemonSets: true,
-			DeleteEmptyDirData:  true,
-			GracePeriodSeconds:  -1,
-			Out:                 os.Stdout,
-			ErrOut:              os.Stderr,
+			Ctx:                ctx,
+			Client:             r.KubeClientSet,
+			GracePeriodSeconds: -1,
+			Out:                os.Stdout,
+			ErrOut:             os.Stderr,
 		}
 		if err := cordonOrUncordonNode(false, drainer, node); err != nil {
 			logrus.Errorf("failed to uncordon node %s: %v", node.Name, err)