diff --git a/cmd/antrea-agent/agent.go b/cmd/antrea-agent/agent.go
index ea075866f2e..0988e9034a8 100644
--- a/cmd/antrea-agent/agent.go
+++ b/cmd/antrea-agent/agent.go
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ func run(o *Options) error {
 	}
 	defer ovsdbConnection.Close()
 
-	egressEnabled := features.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.Egress)
 	enableAntreaIPAM := features.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.AntreaIPAM)
 	enableBridgingMode := enableAntreaIPAM && o.config.EnableBridgingMode
 	enableNodePortLocal := features.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.NodePortLocal) && o.config.NodePortLocal.Enable
@@ -150,7 +149,7 @@ func run(o *Options) error {
 		features.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.AntreaProxy),
 		features.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.AntreaPolicy),
 		l7NetworkPolicyEnabled,
-		egressEnabled,
+		o.enableEgress,
 		features.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.FlowExporter),
 		o.config.AntreaProxy.ProxyAll,
 		connectUplinkToBridge,
@@ -458,7 +457,7 @@ func run(o *Options) error {
 	var externalIPController *serviceexternalip.ServiceExternalIPController
 	var memberlistCluster *memberlist.Cluster
 
-	if egressEnabled || features.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.ServiceExternalIP) {
+	if o.enableEgress || features.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.ServiceExternalIP) {
 		externalIPPoolController = externalippool.NewExternalIPPoolController(
 			crdClient, externalIPPoolInformer,
 		)
@@ -477,7 +476,7 @@ func run(o *Options) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("error creating new memberlist cluster: %v", err)
 		}
 	}
-	if egressEnabled {
+	if o.enableEgress {
 		egressController, err = egress.NewEgressController(
 			ofClient, antreaClientProvider, crdClient, ifaceStore, routeClient, nodeConfig.Name, nodeConfig.NodeTransportInterfaceName,
 			memberlistCluster, egressInformer, nodeInformer, podUpdateChannel, o.config.Egress.MaxEgressIPsPerNode,
@@ -700,12 +699,12 @@ func run(o *Options) error {
 	informerFactory.Start(stopCh)
 	crdInformerFactory.Start(stopCh)
 
-	if egressEnabled || features.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.ServiceExternalIP) {
+	if o.enableEgress || features.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.ServiceExternalIP) {
 		go externalIPPoolController.Run(stopCh)
 		go memberlistCluster.Run(stopCh)
 	}
 
-	if egressEnabled {
+	if o.enableEgress {
 		go egressController.Run(stopCh)
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/antrea-agent/options.go b/cmd/antrea-agent/options.go
index cdfe606a480..6d5ab837194 100644
--- a/cmd/antrea-agent/options.go
+++ b/cmd/antrea-agent/options.go
@@ -82,6 +82,10 @@ type Options struct {
 	nplEndPort             int
 	dnsServerOverride      string
 	nodeType               config.NodeType
+
+	// enableEgress represents whether Egress should run or not, calculated from its feature gate configuration and
+	// whether the traffic mode supports it.
+	enableEgress bool
 }
 
 func newOptions() *Options {
@@ -423,6 +427,27 @@ func (o *Options) setK8sNodeDefaultOptions() {
 	}
 }
 
+func (o *Options) validateEgressConfig(encapMode config.TrafficEncapModeType) error {
+	if !features.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.Egress) {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if encapMode != config.TrafficEncapModeEncap {
+		klog.InfoS("The Egress feature gate is enabled, but it won't work because it is only applicable to the encap mode")
+		return nil
+	}
+	for _, cidr := range o.config.Egress.ExceptCIDRs {
+		_, _, err := net.ParseCIDR(cidr)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Egress Except CIDR %s is invalid", cidr)
+		}
+	}
+	if o.config.Egress.MaxEgressIPsPerNode > defaultMaxEgressIPsPerNode {
+		return fmt.Errorf("maxEgressIPsPerNode cannot be greater than %d", defaultMaxEgressIPsPerNode)
+	}
+	o.enableEgress = true
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (o *Options) validateK8sNodeOptions() error {
 	if o.config.TunnelType != ovsconfig.VXLANTunnel && o.config.TunnelType != ovsconfig.GeneveTunnel &&
 		o.config.TunnelType != ovsconfig.GRETunnel && o.config.TunnelType != ovsconfig.STTTunnel {
@@ -485,13 +510,8 @@ func (o *Options) validateK8sNodeOptions() error {
 	if err := o.validateMulticastConfig(); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to validate multicast config: %v", err)
 	}
-	if features.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.Egress) {
-		for _, cidr := range o.config.Egress.ExceptCIDRs {
-			_, _, err := net.ParseCIDR(cidr)
-			if err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("Egress Except CIDR %s is invalid", cidr)
-			}
-		}
+	if err := o.validateEgressConfig(encapMode); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to validate egress config: %v", err)
 	}
 	if err := o.validateMulticlusterConfig(encapMode, encryptionMode); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -520,11 +540,6 @@ func (o *Options) validateK8sNodeOptions() error {
 		o.dnsServerOverride = hostPort
 	}
 
-	if features.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.Egress) {
-		if o.config.Egress.MaxEgressIPsPerNode > defaultMaxEgressIPsPerNode {
-			return fmt.Errorf("maxEgressIPsPerNode cannot be greater than %d", defaultMaxEgressIPsPerNode)
-		}
-	}
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/antrea-agent/options_test.go b/cmd/antrea-agent/options_test.go
index 539cd288e11..eafcb580a9b 100644
--- a/cmd/antrea-agent/options_test.go
+++ b/cmd/antrea-agent/options_test.go
@@ -18,8 +18,12 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	featuregatetesting "k8s.io/component-base/featuregate/testing"
 
+	"antrea.io/antrea/pkg/agent/config"
 	agentconfig "antrea.io/antrea/pkg/config/agent"
+	"antrea.io/antrea/pkg/features"
 )
 
 func TestOptionsValidateTLSOptions(t *testing.T) {
@@ -73,3 +77,63 @@ func TestOptionsValidateTLSOptions(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestOptionsValidateEgressConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name                 string
+		featureGateValue     bool
+		trafficEncapMode     config.TrafficEncapModeType
+		egressConfig         agentconfig.EgressConfig
+		expectedErr          string
+		expectedEnableEgress bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:                 "enabled",
+			featureGateValue:     true,
+			trafficEncapMode:     config.TrafficEncapModeEncap,
+			expectedEnableEgress: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:                 "unsupported encap mode",
+			featureGateValue:     true,
+			trafficEncapMode:     config.TrafficEncapModeNoEncap,
+			expectedEnableEgress: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:             "too large maxEgressIPsPerNode",
+			featureGateValue: true,
+			trafficEncapMode: config.TrafficEncapModeEncap,
+			egressConfig: agentconfig.EgressConfig{
+				MaxEgressIPsPerNode: 300,
+			},
+			expectedErr:          "maxEgressIPsPerNode cannot be greater than",
+			expectedEnableEgress: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:             "invalid exceptCIDRs",
+			featureGateValue: true,
+			trafficEncapMode: config.TrafficEncapModeEncap,
+			egressConfig: agentconfig.EgressConfig{
+				ExceptCIDRs: []string{"1.1.1.300/32"},
+			},
+			expectedErr:          "Egress Except CIDR 1.1.1.300/32 is invalid",
+			expectedEnableEgress: false,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			defer featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, features.DefaultFeatureGate, features.Egress, tt.featureGateValue)()
+
+			o := &Options{config: &agentconfig.AgentConfig{
+				Egress: tt.egressConfig,
+			}}
+			err := o.validateEgressConfig(tt.trafficEncapMode)
+			if tt.expectedErr == "" {
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+			} else {
+				require.ErrorContains(t, err, tt.expectedErr)
+			}
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.expectedEnableEgress, o.enableEgress)
+		})
+	}
+}