* kubelet `--cert-dir` now defaults to `/var/lib/kubelet/pki`, in order to ensure bootstrapped and rotated certificates persist beyond a reboot. resolves an issue in kubeadm with false-positive `/var/lib/kubelet is not empty` message during pre-flight checks ([#53317](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/53317), [@liggitt](https://github.com/liggitt))

- Fixed kubelet startup getting stuck with `NewVolumeManagerReconstruction` feature enabled and a CSI volume present in /var/lib/kubelet/pods. ([#117804](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/117804), [@jsafrane](https://github.com/jsafrane)) [SIG Node and Storage]

- Fixed kubelet startup getting stuck with `NewVolumeManagerReconstruction` feature enabled and a CSI volume present in /var/lib/kubelet/pods. ([#117804](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/117804), [@jsafrane](https://github.com/jsafrane)) [SIG Node and Storage]

   ([#123696](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/123696), [@aramase](https://github.com/aramase))
- kubelet allowed specifying a custom root directory for pod logs (instead of the default /var/log/pods) using the `podLogsDir` key in kubelet configuration.
   ([#112957](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/112957), [@mxpv](https://github.com/mxpv))

  - A `create` or `update` API request with duplicate items in a keyed list no longer wipes out managedFields. Examples include env var entries with the same name, or port entries with the same containerPort in a pod spec.