diff --git a/pkg/nfd-master/nfd-master-internal_test.go b/pkg/nfd-master/nfd-master-internal_test.go
index 548fcfebdf..16ba81088d 100644
--- a/pkg/nfd-master/nfd-master-internal_test.go
+++ b/pkg/nfd-master/nfd-master-internal_test.go
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import (
 	"maps"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"regexp"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -108,7 +107,7 @@ func newFakeNfdAPIController(client *fakenfdclient.Clientset) *nfdController {
 func newFakeMaster(cli k8sclient.Interface) *nfdMaster {
 	return &nfdMaster{
 		nodeName:  testNodeName,
-		config:    &NFDConfig{LabelWhiteList: utils.RegexpVal{Regexp: *regexp.MustCompile("")}},
+		config:    &NFDConfig{},
 		k8sClient: cli,
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/nfd-master/nfd-master.go b/pkg/nfd-master/nfd-master.go
index e48517f39b..97c2ebcd62 100644
--- a/pkg/nfd-master/nfd-master.go
+++ b/pkg/nfd-master/nfd-master.go
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ type NFDConfig struct {
 	AutoDefaultNs     bool
 	DenyLabelNs       utils.StringSetVal
 	ExtraLabelNs      utils.StringSetVal
-	LabelWhiteList    utils.RegexpVal
+	LabelWhiteList    *regexp.Regexp
 	NoPublish         bool
 	ResourceLabels    utils.StringSetVal
 	EnableTaints      bool
@@ -197,7 +197,6 @@ func NewNfdMaster(args *Args) (NfdMaster, error) {
 
 func newDefaultConfig() *NFDConfig {
 	return &NFDConfig{
-		LabelWhiteList:    utils.RegexpVal{Regexp: *regexp.MustCompile("")},
 		DenyLabelNs:       utils.StringSetVal{},
 		ExtraLabelNs:      utils.StringSetVal{},
 		NoPublish:         false,
@@ -608,8 +607,8 @@ func (m *nfdMaster) filterFeatureLabel(name, value string, features *nfdv1alpha1
 	}
 
 	// Skip if label doesn't match labelWhiteList
-	if !m.config.LabelWhiteList.Regexp.MatchString(base) {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("%s (%s) does not match the whitelist (%s)", base, name, m.config.LabelWhiteList.Regexp.String())
+	if m.config.LabelWhiteList != nil && !m.config.LabelWhiteList.MatchString(base) {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("%s (%s) does not match the whitelist (%s)", base, name, m.config.LabelWhiteList.String())
 	}
 
 	return filteredValue, nil
@@ -1210,7 +1209,7 @@ func (m *nfdMaster) configure(filepath string, overrides string) error {
 		c.EnableTaints = *m.args.Overrides.EnableTaints
 	}
 	if m.args.Overrides.LabelWhiteList != nil {
-		c.LabelWhiteList = *m.args.Overrides.LabelWhiteList
+		c.LabelWhiteList = &m.args.Overrides.LabelWhiteList.Regexp
 	}
 	if m.args.Overrides.ResyncPeriod != nil {
 		c.ResyncPeriod = *m.args.Overrides.ResyncPeriod
diff --git a/pkg/utils/flags.go b/pkg/utils/flags.go
index 1038b5156c..fe7f5d2cda 100644
--- a/pkg/utils/flags.go
+++ b/pkg/utils/flags.go
@@ -42,25 +42,6 @@ func (a *RegexpVal) Set(val string) error {
 	return err
 }
 
-// UnmarshalJSON implements the Unmarshaler interface from "encoding/json"
-func (a *RegexpVal) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
-	var v interface{}
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(data, &v); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	switch val := v.(type) {
-	case string:
-		if r, err := regexp.Compile(string(val)); err != nil {
-			return err
-		} else {
-			*a = RegexpVal{*r}
-		}
-	default:
-		return fmt.Errorf("invalid regexp %s", data)
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
 // StringSetVal is a Value encapsulating a set of comma-separated strings
 type StringSetVal map[string]struct{}