diff --git a/pkg/controllers/allocation/scheduling/preferences.go b/pkg/controllers/allocation/scheduling/preferences.go
index ed9da1f7c894..d3802ace98eb 100644
--- a/pkg/controllers/allocation/scheduling/preferences.go
+++ b/pkg/controllers/allocation/scheduling/preferences.go
@@ -83,8 +83,8 @@ func (p *Preferences) removePreferredNodeAffinityTerm(ctx context.Context, pod *
 	terms := pod.Spec.Affinity.NodeAffinity.PreferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution
 	// Remove the terms if there are any (terms are an OR semantic)
 	if len(terms) > 0 {
-		// Sort ascending by weight to remove lightest preferences first
-		sort.SliceStable(terms, func(i, j int) bool { return terms[i].Weight < terms[j].Weight })
+		// Sort descending by weight to remove heaviest preferences to try lighter ones
+		sort.SliceStable(terms, func(i, j int) bool { return terms[i].Weight > terms[j].Weight })
 		pod.Spec.Affinity.NodeAffinity.PreferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution = terms[1:]
 		return ptr.String(fmt.Sprintf("spec.affinity.nodeAffinity.preferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution[0]=%s", pretty.Concise(terms[0])))
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/controllers/allocation/scheduling/suite_test.go b/pkg/controllers/allocation/scheduling/suite_test.go
index fe0c8e073122..a92bc5ea4f2a 100644
--- a/pkg/controllers/allocation/scheduling/suite_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controllers/allocation/scheduling/suite_test.go
@@ -402,6 +402,9 @@ var _ = Describe("Preferential Fallback", func() {
 				{MatchExpressions: []v1.NodeSelectorRequirement{
 					{Key: v1.LabelTopologyZone, Operator: v1.NodeSelectorOpIn, Values: []string{"test-zone-1"}},
 				}},
+				{MatchExpressions: []v1.NodeSelectorRequirement{
+					{Key: v1.LabelTopologyZone, Operator: v1.NodeSelectorOpIn, Values: []string{"test-zone-2"}}, // OR operator, never get to this one
+				}},
 			}}}}
 			ExpectCreated(env.Client, provisioner)
 			ExpectCreatedWithStatus(env.Client, pod)
@@ -416,7 +419,8 @@ var _ = Describe("Preferential Fallback", func() {
 			// Success
 			ExpectReconcileSucceeded(ctx, controller, client.ObjectKeyFromObject(provisioner))
 			pod = ExpectPodExists(env.Client, pod.Name, pod.Namespace)
-			ExpectNodeExists(env.Client, pod.Spec.NodeName)
+			node := ExpectNodeExists(env.Client, pod.Spec.NodeName)
+			Expect(node.Labels).To(HaveKeyWithValue(v1.LabelTopologyZone, "test-zone-1"))
 		})
 	})
 	Context("Preferred", func() {
@@ -449,6 +453,38 @@ var _ = Describe("Preferential Fallback", func() {
 			pod = ExpectPodExists(env.Client, pod.Name, pod.Namespace)
 			ExpectNodeExists(env.Client, pod.Spec.NodeName)
 		})
+		It("should relax to use lighter weights", func() {
+			provisioner.Spec.Zones = []string{"test-zone-1", "test-zone-2"}
+			pod := test.UnschedulablePod()
+			pod.Spec.Affinity = &v1.Affinity{NodeAffinity: &v1.NodeAffinity{PreferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution: []v1.PreferredSchedulingTerm{
+				{
+					Weight: 100, Preference: v1.NodeSelectorTerm{MatchExpressions: []v1.NodeSelectorRequirement{
+						{Key: v1.LabelInstanceTypeStable, Operator: v1.NodeSelectorOpIn, Values: []string{"test-zone-3"}},
+					}},
+				},
+				{
+					Weight: 50, Preference: v1.NodeSelectorTerm{MatchExpressions: []v1.NodeSelectorRequirement{
+						{Key: v1.LabelTopologyZone, Operator: v1.NodeSelectorOpIn, Values: []string{"test-zone-2"}},
+					}},
+				},
+				{
+					Weight: 1, Preference: v1.NodeSelectorTerm{MatchExpressions: []v1.NodeSelectorRequirement{ // OR operator, never get to this one
+						{Key: v1.LabelTopologyZone, Operator: v1.NodeSelectorOpIn, Values: []string{"test-zone-1"}},
+					}},
+				},
+			}}}
+			ExpectCreated(env.Client, provisioner)
+			ExpectCreatedWithStatus(env.Client, pod)
+			// Remove heaviest term
+			ExpectReconcileSucceeded(ctx, controller, client.ObjectKeyFromObject(provisioner))
+			pod = ExpectPodExists(env.Client, pod.Name, pod.Namespace)
+			Expect(pod.Spec.NodeName).To(BeEmpty())
+			// Success
+			ExpectReconcileSucceeded(ctx, controller, client.ObjectKeyFromObject(provisioner))
+			pod = ExpectPodExists(env.Client, pod.Name, pod.Namespace)
+			node := ExpectNodeExists(env.Client, pod.Spec.NodeName)
+			Expect(node.Labels).To(HaveKeyWithValue(v1.LabelTopologyZone, "test-zone-2"))
+		})
 	})
 })
 
diff --git a/pkg/scheduling/nodeaffinity.go b/pkg/scheduling/nodeaffinity.go
index 019f966d9d31..6e2f404d9de7 100644
--- a/pkg/scheduling/nodeaffinity.go
+++ b/pkg/scheduling/nodeaffinity.go
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ limitations under the License.
 package scheduling
 
 import (
+	"sort"
+
 	"github.com/awslabs/karpenter/pkg/utils/functional"
 	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 )
@@ -31,14 +33,15 @@ func NodeAffinityFor(pods ...*v1.Pod) (nodeAffinity NodeAffinity) {
 		if pod.Spec.Affinity == nil || pod.Spec.Affinity.NodeAffinity == nil {
 			continue
 		}
-		// Preferences are treated as requirements. An outer loop will iteratively unconstrain them if unsatisfiable
-		for _, term := range pod.Spec.Affinity.NodeAffinity.PreferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution {
-			nodeAffinity = append(nodeAffinity, term.Preference.MatchExpressions...)
+		// Select heaviest preference and treat as a requirement. An outer loop will iteratively unconstrain them if unsatisfiable.
+		if preferred := pod.Spec.Affinity.NodeAffinity.PreferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution; len(preferred) > 0 {
+			sort.Slice(preferred, (func(i int, j int) bool { return preferred[i].Weight > preferred[j].Weight }))
+			nodeAffinity = append(nodeAffinity, preferred[0].Preference.MatchExpressions...)
 		}
-		if pod.Spec.Affinity.NodeAffinity.RequiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution != nil {
-			for _, term := range pod.Spec.Affinity.NodeAffinity.RequiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution.NodeSelectorTerms {
-				nodeAffinity = append(nodeAffinity, term.MatchExpressions...)
-			}
+		// Select first requirement. An outer loop will iteratively remove OR requirements if unsatisfiable
+		if pod.Spec.Affinity.NodeAffinity.RequiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution != nil &&
+			len(pod.Spec.Affinity.NodeAffinity.RequiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution.NodeSelectorTerms) > 0 {
+			nodeAffinity = append(nodeAffinity, pod.Spec.Affinity.NodeAffinity.RequiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution.NodeSelectorTerms[0].MatchExpressions...)
 		}
 	}
 	return nodeAffinity
diff --git a/pkg/utils/env/env.go b/pkg/utils/env/env.go
index da822c3dc84c..dd06d26059a6 100644
--- a/pkg/utils/env/env.go
+++ b/pkg/utils/env/env.go
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 package env
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"strconv"
 )
@@ -35,12 +34,10 @@ func WithDefaultString(key string, def string) string {
 func WithDefaultInt(key string, def int) int {
 	val, ok := os.LookupEnv(key)
 	if !ok {
-		fmt.Printf("COULDN'T FIND KEY %s", key)
 		return def
 	}
 	i, err := strconv.Atoi(val)
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Printf("CONVERSION FAILED FOR %s w/ value %s", key, val)
 		return def
 	}
 	return i