diff --git a/deploy/helm/container-cache/deploy/templates/service.yaml b/deploy/helm/container-cache/deploy/templates/service.yaml
index 65adacef8c..487d3e91b0 100644
--- a/deploy/helm/container-cache/deploy/templates/service.yaml
+++ b/deploy/helm/container-cache/deploy/templates/service.yaml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 # WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
-{{- include "nvcf-container-cache.validateServiceType" . -}}
+{{- include "nvcf-container-cache.validateServiceType" . }}
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: Service
 metadata:
diff --git a/deploy/helm/container-cache/tests/render-apiversion-test.sh b/deploy/helm/container-cache/tests/render-apiversion-test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..a78151aa91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deploy/helm/container-cache/tests/render-apiversion-test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+#
+# Every rendered document must carry apiVersion and kind. A trailing "-}}" on
+# a template action placed right after the license header swallows the
+# newline and glues "apiVersion: v1" onto the last comment line; helm lint
+# accepts the result and ArgoCD then fails the sync with "groupVersion
+# shouldn't be empty". Run from the chart subtree:
+#   bash tests/render-apiversion-test.sh
+set -euo pipefail
+CHART_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)/deploy"
+TMP="$(mktemp -d)"
+trap 'rm -rf "$TMP"' EXIT
+fail() { echo "FAIL: $*" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+check() { # $1 label, remaining args: helm --set flags
+  local label="$1"; shift
+  helm template t "$CHART_DIR" "$@" > "$TMP/$label.yaml" 2>/dev/null || fail "$label: helm template failed"
+  python3 - "$TMP/$label.yaml" "$label" <<'PY'
+import re, sys, yaml
+path, label = sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2]
+text = open(path).read()
+# Raw documents, so a failure can point at the comment line the field was
+# trimmed onto. A comment that merely mentions "kind:" in a valid document is
+# not an error.
+raw_docs = [d for d in re.split(r"^---[ \t]*$", text, flags=re.M)]
+bad = []
+n = 0
+for raw in raw_docs:
+    body = [l for l in raw.splitlines() if l.strip() and not l.lstrip().startswith("#")]
+    if not body:
+        continue  # separator gap, or a template that rendered only its "# Source:" header under these values
+    d = yaml.safe_load(raw)
+    if not isinstance(d, dict):
+        bad.append(("non-mapping document", body[0][:80]))
+        continue
+    n += 1
+    for field in ("apiVersion", "kind"):
+        if not d.get(field):
+            glued = next((l.strip() for l in raw.splitlines() if l.lstrip().startswith("#") and f"{field}:" in l), None)
+            bad.append((d.get("kind"), (d.get("metadata") or {}).get("name"), f"missing {field}", f"glued onto comment: {glued}" if glued else ""))
+if n == 0:
+    bad.append(("no documents rendered", ""))
+if bad:
+    print(f"FAIL: {label}: {bad}", file=sys.stderr)
+    sys.exit(1)
+print(f"{label}: {n} documents, all carry apiVersion and kind")
+PY
+}
+
+check default
+check consistent-hash --set consistentHashRouting.enabled=true --set replicaCount=3
+check pvc --set persistentVolumeClaim.storageClassName=nvcf-cc-sc
+check pdb --set podDisruptionBudget.enabled=true --set podDisruptionBudget.minAvailable=1
+echo "PASS: apiVersion render tests"
diff --git a/tools/ci/check-helm-charts b/tools/ci/check-helm-charts
index 2198634ea1..a6de708721 100755
--- a/tools/ci/check-helm-charts
+++ b/tools/ci/check-helm-charts
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ chart_map=(
     "api-keys-colocated       api-keys-colocated/api-keys"
     "cassandra                cassandra/helm"
     "cloud-functions          cloud-functions/nvcf-api"
+    "container-cache          container-cache/deploy"
     "ess                      encrypted-secret-store/ess-api"
     "gateway-routes-vanity    gateway-routes/chart"
     "grpc-proxy               grpc-proxy/grpc-proxy"
@@ -170,6 +171,64 @@ run_step() {  # run_step <label> <command...> -> 0 on success, prints output on
     return 0
 }
 
+# helm template and helm lint accept a document whose apiVersion has been
+# swallowed into a preceding comment (a template action ending in "-}}" right
+# after the license header does this), because the line is valid YAML. The
+# API server and ArgoCD then reject the object ("groupVersion shouldn't be
+# empty"). Check every rendered document for a top-level apiVersion and kind.
+check_rendered_objects() {  # check_rendered_objects <stem> <rendered file>
+    local stem="$1" rendered="$2"
+    # Document-aware: a comment that merely mentions "kind:" is fine. Only when
+    # the same document lacks the top-level field is the comment line reported,
+    # as the likely place the field was trimmed onto.
+    awk -v stem="${stem}" '
+        function flush() {
+            if (content) {
+                if (!hasapi) report("apiVersion", gluedapi)
+                if (!haskind) report("kind", gluedkind)
+            }
+            content = 0; hasapi = 0; haskind = 0; gluedapi = 0; gluedkind = 0; name = "?"; n++
+        }
+        function report(field, glued) {
+            bad++
+            if (glued) {
+                printf "%s: rendered document %d (%s) has no top-level %s; line %d has %s rendered onto a comment line (a template action ending in -}} trimmed the newline)\n", stem, n, name, field, glued, field > "/dev/stderr"
+            } else {
+                printf "%s: rendered document %d (%s) has no top-level %s\n", stem, n, name, field > "/dev/stderr"
+            }
+        }
+        BEGIN { n = 1; name = "?" }
+        /^---/ { flush(); next }
+        /^[ \t]*#/ {
+            if ($0 ~ /apiVersion:/ && !gluedapi) gluedapi = NR
+            if ($0 ~ /kind:/ && !gluedkind) gluedkind = NR
+            next
+        }
+        /^[ \t]*$/ { next }
+        { content = 1 }
+        /^apiVersion:/ { hasapi = 1 }
+        /^kind:/ { haskind = 1 }
+        /^  name:/ && name == "?" { name = $2 }
+        END {
+            flush()
+            exit (bad ? 1 : 0)
+        }
+    ' "${rendered}"
+}
+
+render_and_check() {  # render_and_check <stem> <chart dir> <values file>
+    local stem="$1" chart_dir="$2" values_file="$3" rendered
+    rendered="$(mktemp)"
+    if ! helm template "${stem}" "${chart_dir}" -f "${values_file}" >"${rendered}"; then
+        rm -f "${rendered}"
+        return 1
+    fi
+    check_rendered_objects "${stem}" "${rendered}"
+    local rc=$?
+    rm -f "${rendered}"
+    return "${rc}"
+}
+
 failed=()
 
 for stem in "${stems[@]}"; do
@@ -198,7 +257,7 @@ for stem in "${stems[@]}"; do
         run_step "${stem}: helm lint" \
             helm lint "${chart_dir}" -f "${values_file}" || chart_failed=1
         run_step "${stem}: helm template" \
-            helm template "${stem}" "${chart_dir}" -f "${values_file}" || chart_failed=1
+            render_and_check "${stem}" "${chart_dir}" "${values_file}" || chart_failed=1
     fi
 
     if [ "${chart_failed}" -eq 0 ]; then
diff --git a/tools/ci/helm-validate-values/container-cache.yaml b/tools/ci/helm-validate-values/container-cache.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0a6c429e1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/ci/helm-validate-values/container-cache.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# CI-only values for helm lint/template validation.
+# Exercise the optional surfaces so their templates render in CI too.
+replicaCount: 3
+consistentHashRouting:
+  enabled: true
+podDisruptionBudget:
+  enabled: true
+  minAvailable: 1
diff --git a/tools/ci/test-check-helm-charts b/tools/ci/test-check-helm-charts
index 1cfb2f1f3d..72cfbd3347 100755
--- a/tools/ci/test-check-helm-charts
+++ b/tools/ci/test-check-helm-charts
@@ -123,6 +123,58 @@ run_with_fake_helm() {  # run_with_fake_helm -> sets $out and $rc
     rm -rf "${stub_dir}"
 }
 
+# A rendered document whose apiVersion was swallowed into a comment must fail
+# the chart, naming the file line. helm itself accepts this output, which is
+# how the container-cache Service shipped without an apiVersion in 0.29.0.
+make_fake_glued_helm() {  # make_fake_glued_helm -> directory holding a helm stub, printed to stdout
+    local dir; dir="$(mktemp -d)"
+    cat >"${dir}/helm" <<'STUB'
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Stub helm: template emits one good document and one whose apiVersion was
+# trimmed onto the preceding comment line.
+if [ "${1:-}" = "template" ]; then
+    printf -- '---\n# Source: x/templates/a.yaml\napiVersion: v1\nkind: ConfigMap\nmetadata:\n  name: good\n'
+    printf -- '---\n# Source: x/templates/b.yaml\n# limitations under the License.apiVersion: v1\nkind: Service\nmetadata:\n  name: glued\n'
+fi
+exit 0
+STUB
+    chmod +x "${dir}/helm"
+    printf '%s' "${dir}"
+}
+
+make_fake_headless_helm() {  # make_fake_headless_helm -> stub whose template emits a document with no apiVersion at all
+    local dir; dir="$(mktemp -d)"
+    cat >"${dir}/helm" <<'STUB'
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+if [ "${1:-}" = "template" ]; then
+    printf -- '---\n# Source: x/templates/a.yaml\nkind: Service\nmetadata:\n  name: headless\nspec: {}\n'
+fi
+exit 0
+STUB
+    chmod +x "${dir}/helm"
+    printf '%s' "${dir}"
+}
+
+make_fake_tree
+stub_dir="$(make_fake_glued_helm)"
+set +e
+out="$(PATH="${stub_dir}:${PATH}" bash "${script}" --values-dir "${fake_values_dir}" --chart-root "${fake_chart_root}" 2>&1)"
+rc=$?
+set -e
+rm -rf "${stub_dir}"
+expect "apiVersion glued onto a comment fails" 1 "rendered onto a comment line"
+rm -rf "${fake_values_dir}" "${fake_chart_root}"
+
+make_fake_tree
+stub_dir="$(make_fake_headless_helm)"
+set +e
+out="$(PATH="${stub_dir}:${PATH}" bash "${script}" --values-dir "${fake_values_dir}" --chart-root "${fake_chart_root}" 2>&1)"
+rc=$?
+set -e
+rm -rf "${stub_dir}"
+expect "document without apiVersion fails" 1 "has no top-level apiVersion"
+rm -rf "${fake_values_dir}" "${fake_chart_root}"
+
 # A charts/ directory created by the run is removed entirely.
 make_fake_tree
 printf 'dependencies:\n  - name: openbao\n' >>"${fake_chart_root}/openbao/helm/Chart.yaml"