diff --git a/deployment/base/nfd-crds/nfd-api-crds.yaml b/deployment/base/nfd-crds/nfd-api-crds.yaml
index ab10f15a9..5d9e1e16d 100644
--- a/deployment/base/nfd-crds/nfd-api-crds.yaml
+++ b/deployment/base/nfd-crds/nfd-api-crds.yaml
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ spec:
                       required:
                       - elements
                       type: object
+                    description: Attributes contains all the attribute-type features
+                      of the node.
                     type: object
                   flags:
                     additionalProperties:
@@ -67,6 +69,8 @@ spec:
                       required:
                       - elements
                       type: object
+                    description: Flags contains all the flag-type features of the
+                      node.
                     type: object
                   instances:
                     additionalProperties:
@@ -89,11 +93,9 @@ spec:
                       required:
                       - elements
                       type: object
+                    description: Instances contains all the instance-type features
+                      of the node.
                     type: object
-                required:
-                - attributes
-                - flags
-                - instances
                 type: object
               labels:
                 additionalProperties:
@@ -101,8 +103,6 @@ spec:
                 description: Labels is the set of node labels that are requested to
                   be created.
                 type: object
-            required:
-            - features
             type: object
         required:
         - spec
diff --git a/deployment/helm/node-feature-discovery/crds/nfd-api-crds.yaml b/deployment/helm/node-feature-discovery/crds/nfd-api-crds.yaml
index ab10f15a9..5d9e1e16d 100644
--- a/deployment/helm/node-feature-discovery/crds/nfd-api-crds.yaml
+++ b/deployment/helm/node-feature-discovery/crds/nfd-api-crds.yaml
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ spec:
                       required:
                       - elements
                       type: object
+                    description: Attributes contains all the attribute-type features
+                      of the node.
                     type: object
                   flags:
                     additionalProperties:
@@ -67,6 +69,8 @@ spec:
                       required:
                       - elements
                       type: object
+                    description: Flags contains all the flag-type features of the
+                      node.
                     type: object
                   instances:
                     additionalProperties:
@@ -89,11 +93,9 @@ spec:
                       required:
                       - elements
                       type: object
+                    description: Instances contains all the instance-type features
+                      of the node.
                     type: object
-                required:
-                - attributes
-                - flags
-                - instances
                 type: object
               labels:
                 additionalProperties:
@@ -101,8 +103,6 @@ spec:
                 description: Labels is the set of node labels that are requested to
                   be created.
                 type: object
-            required:
-            - features
             type: object
         required:
         - spec
diff --git a/pkg/apis/nfd/v1alpha1/generated.proto b/pkg/apis/nfd/v1alpha1/generated.proto
index 09f408ee7..e3d26de3d 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/nfd/v1alpha1/generated.proto
+++ b/pkg/apis/nfd/v1alpha1/generated.proto
@@ -35,10 +35,16 @@ message AttributeFeatureSet {
 //
 // +protobuf=true
 message Features {
+  // Flags contains all the flag-type features of the node.
+  // +optional
   map<string, FlagFeatureSet> flags = 1;
 
+  // Attributes contains all the attribute-type features of the node.
+  // +optional
   map<string, AttributeFeatureSet> vattributes = 2;
 
+  // Instances contains all the instance-type features of the node.
+  // +optional
   map<string, InstanceFeatureSet> instances = 3;
 }