diff --git a/types/setting.go b/types/setting.go
index ea789b0b6e..05dcb4c31e 100644
--- a/types/setting.go
+++ b/types/setting.go
@@ -1437,54 +1437,55 @@ func getDefaultSettingFromYAML(defaultSettingYAMLData []byte) (map[string]string
 	return defaultSettings, nil
 }
 
-func ValidateAndUnmarshalToleration(s string) (*v1.Toleration, error) {
-	toleration := &v1.Toleration{}
-
-	// The schema should be `key=value:effect` or `key:effect`
-	s = strings.Trim(s, " ")
-	parts := strings.Split(s, ":")
-	if len(parts) != 2 {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid toleration setting %v: should contain both effect and key/value pair", s)
-	}
+func UnmarshalTolerations(tolerationSetting string) ([]v1.Toleration, error) {
+	taintToleration := []v1.Toleration{}
 
-	effect := v1.TaintEffect(strings.Trim(parts[1], " "))
-	if effect != v1.TaintEffectNoExecute && effect != v1.TaintEffectNoSchedule && effect != v1.TaintEffectPreferNoSchedule && effect != v1.TaintEffect("") {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid toleration setting %v: invalid effect", parts[1])
+	tolerationSetting = strings.ReplaceAll(tolerationSetting, " ", "")
+	if tolerationSetting == "" {
+		return taintToleration, nil
 	}
-	toleration.Effect = effect
 
-	if strings.Contains(parts[0], "=") {
-		pair := strings.Split(parts[0], "=")
-		if len(pair) != 2 {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid toleration setting %v: invalid key/value pair", parts[0])
+	tolerationList := strings.Split(tolerationSetting, ";")
+	for _, toleration := range tolerationList {
+		toleration, err := parseToleration(toleration)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to parse toleration: %s", toleration)
 		}
-		toleration.Key = strings.Trim(pair[0], " ")
-		toleration.Value = strings.Trim(pair[1], " ")
-		toleration.Operator = v1.TolerationOpEqual
-	} else {
-		toleration.Key = strings.Trim(parts[0], " ")
-		toleration.Operator = v1.TolerationOpExists
+		taintToleration = append(taintToleration, *toleration)
 	}
-
-	return toleration, nil
+	return taintToleration, nil
 }
 
-func UnmarshalTolerations(tolerationSetting string) ([]v1.Toleration, error) {
-	res := []v1.Toleration{}
+func parseToleration(taintToleration string) (*v1.Toleration, error) {
+	// The schema should be `key=value:effect` or `key:effect`
+	parts := strings.Split(taintToleration, ":")
+	if len(parts) != 2 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("missing key/value and effect pair")
+	}
 
-	tolerationSetting = strings.Trim(tolerationSetting, " ")
-	if tolerationSetting != "" {
-		tolerationList := strings.Split(tolerationSetting, ";")
-		for _, t := range tolerationList {
-			toleration, err := ValidateAndUnmarshalToleration(t)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, err
-			}
-			res = append(res, *toleration)
-		}
+	// parse `key=value` or `key`
+	key, value, operator := "", "", v1.TolerationOperator("")
+	pair := strings.Split(parts[0], "=")
+	switch len(pair) {
+	case 1:
+		key, value, operator = parts[0], "", v1.TolerationOpExists
+	case 2:
+		key, value, operator = pair[0], pair[1], v1.TolerationOpEqual
+	}
+
+	effect := v1.TaintEffect(parts[1])
+	switch effect {
+	case "", v1.TaintEffectNoExecute, v1.TaintEffectNoSchedule, v1.TaintEffectPreferNoSchedule:
+	default:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid effect: %v", parts[1])
 	}
 
-	return res, nil
+	return &v1.Toleration{
+		Key:      key,
+		Value:    value,
+		Operator: operator,
+		Effect:   effect,
+	}, nil
 }
 
 func validateAndUnmarshalLabel(label string) (key, value string, err error) {