diff --git a/internal/pkg/api/cluster.go b/internal/pkg/api/cluster.go
index f310d74bc46c5..1b40657a3fa33 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/api/cluster.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/api/cluster.go
@@ -351,25 +351,14 @@ func WithEtcdEncryptionFiller(kms *anywherev1.KMS, resources []string) ClusterFi
 
 func WithInPlaceUpgradeStrategy() ClusterFiller {
 	return func(c *anywherev1.Cluster) {
-		if c.Spec.ControlPlaneConfiguration.UpgradeRolloutStrategy == nil {
-			c.Spec.ControlPlaneConfiguration.UpgradeRolloutStrategy = &anywherev1.ControlPlaneUpgradeRolloutStrategy{
-				Type: anywherev1.InPlaceStrategyType,
-			}
-		} else {
-			c.Spec.ControlPlaneConfiguration.UpgradeRolloutStrategy = &anywherev1.ControlPlaneUpgradeRolloutStrategy{
-				Type: anywherev1.InPlaceStrategyType,
-			}
+		c.Spec.ControlPlaneConfiguration.UpgradeRolloutStrategy = &anywherev1.ControlPlaneUpgradeRolloutStrategy{
+			Type: anywherev1.InPlaceStrategyType,
 		}
-		for _, wng := range c.Spec.WorkerNodeGroupConfigurations {
-			if wng.UpgradeRolloutStrategy == nil {
-				wng.UpgradeRolloutStrategy = &anywherev1.WorkerNodesUpgradeRolloutStrategy{
-					Type: anywherev1.InPlaceStrategyType,
-				}
-			} else {
-				wng.UpgradeRolloutStrategy = &anywherev1.WorkerNodesUpgradeRolloutStrategy{
-					Type: anywherev1.InPlaceStrategyType,
-				}
+		for idx, wng := range c.Spec.WorkerNodeGroupConfigurations {
+			wng.UpgradeRolloutStrategy = &anywherev1.WorkerNodesUpgradeRolloutStrategy{
+				Type: anywherev1.InPlaceStrategyType,
 			}
+			c.Spec.WorkerNodeGroupConfigurations[idx] = wng
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/test/e2e/tinkerbell_test.go b/test/e2e/tinkerbell_test.go
index 1dab58e84f004..3112a7b382c2f 100644
--- a/test/e2e/tinkerbell_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/tinkerbell_test.go
@@ -321,6 +321,50 @@ func TestTinkerbellKubernetes125UbuntuAddWorkerNodeGroupWithAPI(t *testing.T) {
 	)
 }
 
+func TestTinkerbellKubernetes125UbuntuTo126InPlaceUpgrade(t *testing.T) {
+	provider := framework.NewTinkerbell(t)
+	kube125 := v1alpha1.Kube125
+	test := framework.NewClusterE2ETest(
+		t,
+		provider,
+		framework.WithClusterFiller(api.WithKubernetesVersion(kube125)),
+		framework.WithClusterFiller(api.WithControlPlaneCount(1)),
+		framework.WithClusterFiller(api.WithWorkerNodeCount(1)),
+		framework.WithClusterFiller(api.WithInPlaceUpgradeStrategy()),
+		framework.WithControlPlaneHardware(1),
+		framework.WithWorkerHardware(1),
+	).WithClusterConfig(
+		provider.WithKubeVersionAndOS(v1alpha1.Kube125, framework.Ubuntu2004, nil),
+	)
+	runInPlaceUpgradeFlowForBareMetal(
+		test,
+		framework.WithClusterUpgrade(api.WithKubernetesVersion(v1alpha1.Kube126), api.WithInPlaceUpgradeStrategy()),
+		provider.WithProviderUpgrade(framework.Ubuntu126Image()),
+	)
+}
+
+func TestTinkerbellKubernetes126UbuntuTo127InPlaceUpgrade(t *testing.T) {
+	provider := framework.NewTinkerbell(t)
+	kube126 := v1alpha1.Kube126
+	test := framework.NewClusterE2ETest(
+		t,
+		provider,
+		framework.WithClusterFiller(api.WithKubernetesVersion(kube126)),
+		framework.WithClusterFiller(api.WithControlPlaneCount(1)),
+		framework.WithClusterFiller(api.WithWorkerNodeCount(1)),
+		framework.WithClusterFiller(api.WithInPlaceUpgradeStrategy()),
+		framework.WithControlPlaneHardware(1),
+		framework.WithWorkerHardware(1),
+	).WithClusterConfig(
+		provider.WithKubeVersionAndOS(v1alpha1.Kube126, framework.Ubuntu2004, nil),
+	)
+	runInPlaceUpgradeFlowForBareMetal(
+		test,
+		framework.WithClusterUpgrade(api.WithKubernetesVersion(v1alpha1.Kube127), api.WithInPlaceUpgradeStrategy()),
+		provider.WithProviderUpgrade(framework.Ubuntu127Image()),
+	)
+}
+
 func TestTinkerbellKubernetes127UbuntuTo128InPlaceUpgrade(t *testing.T) {
 	provider := framework.NewTinkerbell(t)
 	kube127 := v1alpha1.Kube127
@@ -330,7 +374,7 @@ func TestTinkerbellKubernetes127UbuntuTo128InPlaceUpgrade(t *testing.T) {
 		framework.WithClusterFiller(api.WithKubernetesVersion(kube127)),
 		framework.WithClusterFiller(api.WithControlPlaneCount(1)),
 		framework.WithClusterFiller(api.WithWorkerNodeCount(1)),
-		framework.WithClusterFiller(api.WithWorkerKubernetesVersion(nodeGroupLabel1, &kube127)),
+		framework.WithClusterFiller(api.WithInPlaceUpgradeStrategy()),
 		framework.WithControlPlaneHardware(1),
 		framework.WithWorkerHardware(1),
 	).WithClusterConfig(
@@ -338,7 +382,7 @@ func TestTinkerbellKubernetes127UbuntuTo128InPlaceUpgrade(t *testing.T) {
 	)
 	runInPlaceUpgradeFlowForBareMetal(
 		test,
-		framework.WithClusterUpgrade(api.WithKubernetesVersion(v1alpha1.Kube128)),
+		framework.WithClusterUpgrade(api.WithKubernetesVersion(v1alpha1.Kube128), api.WithInPlaceUpgradeStrategy()),
 		provider.WithProviderUpgrade(framework.Ubuntu128Image()),
 	)
 }