diff --git a/api/controlplane/kubeadm/v1beta1/conversion.go b/api/controlplane/kubeadm/v1beta1/conversion.go
index 720e58066fac..9ea3863d6169 100644
--- a/api/controlplane/kubeadm/v1beta1/conversion.go
+++ b/api/controlplane/kubeadm/v1beta1/conversion.go
@@ -287,7 +287,15 @@ func Convert_v1beta1_KubeadmControlPlaneTemplateResourceSpec_To_v1beta2_KubeadmC
 		out.Rollout.After = *in.RolloutAfter
 	}
 	if in.RolloutStrategy != nil {
-		out.Rollout.Strategy.Type = controlplanev1.KubeadmControlPlaneRolloutStrategyType(in.RolloutStrategy.Type)
+		// If Type is empty in v1beta1, set it to RollingUpdateStrategyType.
+		// This is the same behavior as in previous versions of Cluster API as Type
+		// was always defaulted to RollingUpdateStrategyType, and also RollingUpdateStrategyType
+		// is the only valid value.
+		if in.RolloutStrategy.Type == "" {
+			out.Rollout.Strategy.Type = controlplanev1.RollingUpdateStrategyType
+		} else {
+			out.Rollout.Strategy.Type = controlplanev1.KubeadmControlPlaneRolloutStrategyType(in.RolloutStrategy.Type)
+		}
 		if in.RolloutStrategy.RollingUpdate != nil && in.RolloutStrategy.RollingUpdate.MaxSurge != nil {
 			out.Rollout.Strategy.RollingUpdate.MaxSurge = in.RolloutStrategy.RollingUpdate.MaxSurge
 		}
diff --git a/api/controlplane/kubeadm/v1beta1/conversion_test.go b/api/controlplane/kubeadm/v1beta1/conversion_test.go
index b7ca66fae4ad..e58dc265cf51 100644
--- a/api/controlplane/kubeadm/v1beta1/conversion_test.go
+++ b/api/controlplane/kubeadm/v1beta1/conversion_test.go
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ func KubeadmControlPlaneTemplateFuzzFuncs(_ runtimeserializer.CodecFactory) []in
 		spokeDiscovery,
 		hubKubeadmConfigSpec,
 		hubNodeRegistrationOptions,
+		hubKubeadmControlPlaneTemplate,
 		spokeKubeadmControlPlaneTemplate,
 		spokeRemediationStrategy,
 		spokeKubeadmControlPlaneTemplateMachineTemplate,
@@ -364,6 +365,15 @@ func spokeClusterConfiguration(in *bootstrapv1beta1.ClusterConfiguration, c rand
 	}
 }
 
+func hubKubeadmControlPlaneTemplate(in *controlplanev1.KubeadmControlPlaneTemplate, c randfill.Continue) {
+	c.FillNoCustom(in)
+
+	// In v1beta2 Type is required and RollingUpdateStrategyType is the only valid value.
+	if in.Spec.Template.Spec.Rollout.Strategy.Type == "" {
+		in.Spec.Template.Spec.Rollout.Strategy.Type = controlplanev1.RollingUpdateStrategyType
+	}
+}
+
 func spokeKubeadmControlPlaneTemplate(in *KubeadmControlPlaneTemplate, c randfill.Continue) {
 	c.FillNoCustom(in)
 
@@ -384,6 +394,13 @@ func spokeKubeadmControlPlaneTemplate(in *KubeadmControlPlaneTemplate, c randfil
 	if reflect.DeepEqual(in.Spec.Template.Spec.MachineNamingStrategy, &MachineNamingStrategy{}) {
 		in.Spec.Template.Spec.MachineNamingStrategy = nil
 	}
+
+	// In v1beta1 Type was always defaulted to RollingUpdateStrategyType.
+	// RollingUpdateStrategyType is also the only valid value.
+	if in.Spec.Template.Spec.RolloutStrategy != nil &&
+		in.Spec.Template.Spec.RolloutStrategy.Type == "" {
+		in.Spec.Template.Spec.RolloutStrategy.Type = RollingUpdateStrategyType
+	}
 }
 
 func spokeRemediationStrategy(in *RemediationStrategy, c randfill.Continue) {