diff --git a/cypress/e2e/tests/pages/data/agent-configuration-rke2-payload.ts b/cypress/e2e/tests/pages/data/agent-configuration-rke2-payload.ts
index 66e8b02f52..f85a68612d 100644
--- a/cypress/e2e/tests/pages/data/agent-configuration-rke2-payload.ts
+++ b/cypress/e2e/tests/pages/data/agent-configuration-rke2-payload.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ export const payloadComparisonData = {
                 {
                   key:      'key1',
                   operator: 'In',
-                  matching: 'matchExpressions',
                   values:   [
                     'val1'
                   ]
@@ -18,7 +17,6 @@ export const payloadComparisonData = {
                 {
                   key:      'key2',
                   operator: 'NotIn',
-                  matching: 'matchExpressions',
                   values:   [
                     'val2'
                   ]
@@ -26,17 +24,14 @@ export const payloadComparisonData = {
                 {
                   key:      'key3',
                   operator: 'Exists',
-                  matching: 'matchExpressions'
                 },
                 {
                   key:      'key4',
                   operator: 'DoesNotExist',
-                  matching: 'matchExpressions'
                 },
                 {
                   key:      'key5',
                   operator: 'Lt',
-                  matching: 'matchExpressions',
                   values:   [
                     'val5'
                   ]
@@ -44,13 +39,11 @@ export const payloadComparisonData = {
                 {
                   key:      'key6',
                   operator: 'Gt',
-                  matching: 'matchExpressions',
                   values:   [
                     'val6'
                   ]
                 }
               ],
-              weight: 10
             }
           }
         ],
@@ -61,7 +54,6 @@ export const payloadComparisonData = {
                 {
                   key:      'key1',
                   operator: 'In',
-                  matching: 'matchFields',
                   values:   [
                     'val1'
                   ]
@@ -69,7 +61,6 @@ export const payloadComparisonData = {
                 {
                   key:      'key2',
                   operator: 'NotIn',
-                  matching: 'matchFields',
                   values:   [
                     'val2'
                   ]
@@ -77,17 +68,14 @@ export const payloadComparisonData = {
                 {
                   key:      'key3',
                   operator: 'Exists',
-                  matching: 'matchFields'
                 },
                 {
                   key:      'key4',
                   operator: 'DoesNotExist',
-                  matching: 'matchFields'
                 },
                 {
                   key:      'key5',
                   operator: 'Lt',
-                  matching: 'matchFields',
                   values:   [
                     'val5'
                   ]
@@ -95,7 +83,6 @@ export const payloadComparisonData = {
                 {
                   key:      'key6',
                   operator: 'Gt',
-                  matching: 'matchFields',
                   values:   [
                     'val6'
                   ]
@@ -149,7 +136,6 @@ export const payloadComparisonData = {
           {
             podAffinityTerm: {
               namespaces:    null,
-              weight:        10,
               labelSelector: {
                 matchExpressions: [
                   {
@@ -312,7 +298,6 @@ export const payloadComparisonData = {
                 {
                   key:      'key1',
                   operator: 'In',
-                  matching: 'matchExpressions',
                   values:   [
                     'val1'
                   ]
@@ -320,7 +305,6 @@ export const payloadComparisonData = {
                 {
                   key:      'key2',
                   operator: 'NotIn',
-                  matching: 'matchExpressions',
                   values:   [
                     'val2'
                   ]
@@ -328,17 +312,14 @@ export const payloadComparisonData = {
                 {
                   key:      'key3',
                   operator: 'Exists',
-                  matching: 'matchExpressions'
                 },
                 {
                   key:      'key4',
                   operator: 'DoesNotExist',
-                  matching: 'matchExpressions'
                 },
                 {
                   key:      'key5',
                   operator: 'Lt',
-                  matching: 'matchExpressions',
                   values:   [
                     'val5'
                   ]
@@ -346,13 +327,11 @@ export const payloadComparisonData = {
                 {
                   key:      'key6',
                   operator: 'Gt',
-                  matching: 'matchExpressions',
                   values:   [
                     'val6'
                   ]
                 }
               ],
-              weight: 10
             }
           }
         ],
@@ -363,7 +342,6 @@ export const payloadComparisonData = {
                 {
                   key:      'key1',
                   operator: 'In',
-                  matching: 'matchFields',
                   values:   [
                     'val1'
                   ]
@@ -371,7 +349,6 @@ export const payloadComparisonData = {
                 {
                   key:      'key2',
                   operator: 'NotIn',
-                  matching: 'matchFields',
                   values:   [
                     'val2'
                   ]
@@ -379,17 +356,14 @@ export const payloadComparisonData = {
                 {
                   key:      'key3',
                   operator: 'Exists',
-                  matching: 'matchFields'
                 },
                 {
                   key:      'key4',
                   operator: 'DoesNotExist',
-                  matching: 'matchFields'
                 },
                 {
                   key:      'key5',
                   operator: 'Lt',
-                  matching: 'matchFields',
                   values:   [
                     'val5'
                   ]
@@ -397,7 +371,6 @@ export const payloadComparisonData = {
                 {
                   key:      'key6',
                   operator: 'Gt',
-                  matching: 'matchFields',
                   values:   [
                     'val6'
                   ]
@@ -528,7 +501,6 @@ export const payloadComparisonData = {
           {
             podAffinityTerm: {
               namespaces:    null,
-              weight:        10,
               labelSelector: {
                 matchExpressions: [
                   {
diff --git a/shell/components/form/NodeAffinity.vue b/shell/components/form/NodeAffinity.vue
index d9b3474d16..27ce7a2fe4 100644
--- a/shell/components/form/NodeAffinity.vue
+++ b/shell/components/form/NodeAffinity.vue
@@ -95,10 +95,36 @@ export default {
       const requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution = { nodeSelectorTerms: [] };
       const preferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution = [] ;
 
-      this.allSelectorTerms.forEach((term) => {
+      this.allSelectorTerms.forEach((t) => {
+        const term = { ...t };
+
+        // the 'matching' field isn't part of the affinity spec: including this in the save request will cause a flood of errors that might cause the request to fail
+        // same deal with term.preference.weight
+        if (term.matchExpressions) {
+          term.matchExpressions = (term.matchExpressions || []).map((expression) => {
+            const out = { ...expression };
+
+            delete out.matching;
+
+            return out;
+          });
+        }
+
+        if (term.matchFields) {
+          term.matchFields = (term.matchFields || []).map((field) => {
+            const out = { ...field };
+
+            delete out.matching;
+
+            return out;
+          });
+        }
+
         if (term.weight) {
           const neu = { weight: term.weight, preference: term };
 
+          delete neu.preference.weight;
+
           preferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution.push(neu);
         } else {
           requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution.nodeSelectorTerms.push(term);
@@ -144,12 +170,8 @@ export default {
           expressionsMatching[expression.matching || 'matchExpressions'].push(expression);
         });
 
-        if (expressionsMatching.matchFields.length) {
-          this.$set(row, 'matchFields', expressionsMatching.matchFields);
-        }
-        if (expressionsMatching.matchExpressions.length) {
-          this.$set(row, 'matchExpressions', expressionsMatching.matchExpressions);
-        }
+        this.$set(row, 'matchFields', expressionsMatching.matchFields);
+        this.$set(row, 'matchExpressions', expressionsMatching.matchExpressions);
 
         this.update();
       }
diff --git a/shell/components/form/PodAffinity.vue b/shell/components/form/PodAffinity.vue
index 6d7fbef909..c2425c4d21 100644
--- a/shell/components/form/PodAffinity.vue
+++ b/shell/components/form/PodAffinity.vue
@@ -230,8 +230,9 @@ export default {
       this.allSelectorTerms.forEach((term) => {
         if (term._anti) {
           if (term.weight) {
-            const neu = { podAffinityTerm: term, weight: term.weight || this.defaultWeight };
+            const neu = { podAffinityTerm: { ...term }, weight: term.weight || this.defaultWeight };
 
+            delete neu.podAffinityTerm.weight;
             podAntiAffinity.preferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution.push(neu);
           } else {
             podAntiAffinity.requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution.push(term);